Death's Hangover
- January 20, 2017
- Retro Army Limited
Get on Steam"Death's Hangover" is a post-apocalyptic action-adventure game where you play as Death's right-hand man, tasked with solving a mysterious hangover and restoring balance to the world. Explore a grim, retro-style world filled with twisted creatures and eccentric characters. Fight using a variety of weapons and abilities, and solve puzzles to progress through the story.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Charming pixel art and animations that capture a retro aesthetic.
- Bizarrely catchy soundtrack that complements the chaotic gameplay.
- Juvenile humor that, while crass, can be surprisingly funny and adds to the game's personality.
- Unbalanced and unforgiving difficulty that can be frustrating, even on 'Easy' mode.
- Awkward controls and unreliable hitboxes that detract from the gameplay experience.
- Grating character dialogue that can become annoying and detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- gameplay132 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Death's Hangover" is characterized by its innovative mechanics, such as the ability to speed up and slow down both the ball and paddle, which adds a unique twist to the classic breakout formula. While the game features solid and fluid mechanics, some players find it unbalanced and frustrating, particularly due to design choices like the inability to replay levels and a simplistic story. Overall, it offers a mix of enjoyable arcade-style gameplay with charming visuals, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its occasional lack of depth and polish.
“The gameplay is straightforward and simple.”
“The gameplay mechanics are solid and playing it feels nice; I really liked the slower/faster mechanic; it really helps.”
“Death's Hangover is a block breaker game; it has many new mechanics like enemies, a bullet time button, a speed-up button, and it's beautiful with a fun story and great gameplay.”
“The gameplay tends heavily towards being easy, with a few sudden bounds in difficulty towards the end.”
“To make it all worse, after finishing the so-called 'arcade' mode, the game unlocks its actual story mode which is just the same thing as arcade but they throw in a really basic 2D sidescroller gameplay where you just go around inspecting things and killing basic enemies by throwing the ball. Those sidescroller levels are small and happen between each one of the main arcade levels you played before, so it's just the same game again but with something underdeveloped thrown between levels. I took 2 hours to finish the arcade mode and I'm glad it wasn't longer; I'm not interested in this story mode as it's the same thing over again. It should have been the other way around, but the devs behind this just made bad decisions all over the place.”
“Unfortunately, the game mechanics for a breakout style boss quest game haven't been implemented well here.”
- story102 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is a quirky blend of absurd humor and crass comedy, reminiscent of early 2000s films, but it often feels underdeveloped and simplistic. While there are multiple routes and endings that add replayability, many players found the dialogue childish and the plot riddled with inconsistencies. Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a focal point, with mixed reviews on its execution and depth.
“Nice story mode presentation with different routes, secret areas, and different possible endings.”
“I warmed up to the story elements the more I played; I like that there are multiple endings, as this is a game most people will replay continuously or from time to time.”
“The music is adequate, graphics are charming, and the story is surprisingly interesting and funny.”
“The story is annoyingly simple and poorly written, while the gameplay is not that bad, but even a feature of it is not unique.”
“Also skip all the story dialogue; it is obnoxious and stupid, it is just there for the sake of having a story.”
“There are many plot holes (who are the souls you're freeing? Why does Death have his hangover to begin with? Was he celebrating something, or drinking to try and forget? Where did Bob's huge spiked metal walnut come from?)”
- humor98 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- -1 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is predominantly juvenile and crass, often relying on toilet humor and absurdity reminiscent of 80s and 90s teen comedies, which may appeal to fans of that era. While some players find the humor charming and funny, others criticize it as immature and unoriginal, with mixed reactions to its execution. Overall, the comedic elements are a significant part of the game's appeal, though they may not resonate with everyone.
“Death's Hangover is a glorious fever dream of a game, blending Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure with Beavis and Butt-Head's juvenile humor, all wrapped in a pixelated package that screams 'indie charm.' The visuals are a retro-inspired masterpiece, with detailed environments and animations that ooze personality.”
“The humor, while juvenile and poop-obsessed, will undoubtedly appeal to fans of 80s and 90s teen comedies.”
“There is a constant stream of insane humor being thrown at you, which lightens up the mood because let's face it, the whole premise of having to hit a ball with a paddle is nuts, so the game doesn't take itself that seriously and I love it for it!”
“The story is uninteresting, the mechanics are too basic, and I didn't know a game could be this unfunny.”
“The humor falls flat and feels forced, making the experience more tedious than entertaining.”
“I expected some laughs, but the jokes are stale and the comedic timing is off.”
- graphics76 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Death's Hangover" are widely praised for their charming retro pixel art style, reminiscent of classic 80s and 90s games, which adds a unique indie charm to the overall experience. While the in-game visuals are detailed and vibrant, some users noted that the larger cutscene graphics lack polish and can be confusing at times. Overall, the game's art style successfully captures a nostalgic aesthetic, though opinions vary on its execution and clarity during gameplay.
“Death's Hangover is a glorious fever dream of a game, blending Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure with Beavis and Butt-Head's juvenile humor, all wrapped in a pixelated package that screams 'indie charm.' The visuals are a retro-inspired masterpiece, with detailed environments and animations that ooze personality.”
“The graphics have a really nice retro style to them, and it's obvious that a lot of time and effort went into creating them.”
“If you favor the arcade style and/or graphics that look like they just popped out of a Sega Genesis, this is a must-own.”
“The horrible graphics aren't cute; it made it nearly impossible to tell what I was supposed to hit, catch, or dodge, so I refunded it.”
“The graphics are also terrible, but at the price I guess that's a given.”
“The cutscene graphics are less polished as they are larger scale art (and of humans), and the humor is the repetitious kind of filler slapstick, but it's serviceable.”
- music42 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as a catchy blend of chiptune and midi tracks that complements its chaotic and retro atmosphere, though some find it occasionally grating or shallow. While the soundtrack is generally fitting and enjoyable, it lacks variety, particularly during boss battles. Overall, the sound design is appreciated for its charm and alignment with the game's themes, contributing positively to the overall experience.
“The soundtrack is a bizarrely catchy mix of chiptune beats and sound effects that, while occasionally grating, perfectly complement the game's chaotic atmosphere.”
“Charming graphics, a fun sense of humor, midi music, and classic gameplay make this one a keeper.”
“The retro graphics rock, the sounds and music are super beefy and very satisfying.”
“I'd be lying if I told you that I remember about the music, but the sound effects are alright.”
“The music gets revved up during the boss battles, but they are not so varied from one boss battle to the next.”
“Some of the sound effects and the soundtrack are a bit shallow, but nothing to complain about.”
- replayability28 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability through various difficulty levels, multiple story paths, and numerous endings, particularly appealing to those who enjoy arcade-style challenges. However, some players note that replay value may diminish after achieving 100% completion, and the lack of a quick restart option can be a drawback. Overall, it is considered a worthwhile experience for those seeking fun and engaging gameplay.
“Lots of replayability with 3 different difficulties (it's pretty hard) and multiple story-based unlocks.”
“I was surprised by the enhanced replayability that this game offers.”
“While the primary focus of this game is of course the arcade mode, once you beat it you also unlock puzzle levels which tack on a generous amount of replayability.”
“And while it bets on replayability, it doesn't have the option to quickly restart a level.”
“Unless you want to experience all eighteen endings, there is not too much more replayability after traversing all areas and their levels.”
“The replay value is artificially inflated and the power-ups are unbalanced, but the boss fights are cool.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game is generally viewed as tedious and unenjoyable, with players noting that while it may be fun initially, it quickly becomes repetitive and frustrating. The difficulty spikes, poor hitbox mechanics, and limited levels contribute to a lackluster experience, making the grind feel more like a chore than an engaging challenge. Overall, it seems that the grind is only appealing to a niche audience, while many find it off-putting.
“There are also souls that you can find along the way that will unlock an achievement every now and then, but the whole process is kind of rare, so if you're going after the platinum, take a deep breath and start grinding.”
“Annoying hitboxes, bosses with such fluctuating difficulty that it's unreal, small amount of levels, that are offset by making it super easy to die and lose progress, weird structure of the menus - the castle menu is just... horrible. I had fun for an hour and maybe there are people that love Arkanoid clones that will enjoy this, but it's not for me. It is meant to be grindy and to do it over and over again, but I personally do not find it appealing.”
“Fun at first, but it gets tedious and boring as you progress.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is praised for its superb out-of-the-box performance, particularly due to its use of OpenGL, which allows it to run smoothly in Wine. However, some users have noted the need for performance fixes in the final level.
“Superb performance out of the box (all games of this developer utilize OpenGL and usually work out of the box in Wine).”
“Superb performance out of the box (all games of this developer utilize OpenGL and usually work out of the box in Wine).”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a chaotic energy, enhanced by a catchy chiptune soundtrack that, despite being occasionally grating, effectively complements the overall experience.
“The soundtrack is a bizarrely catchy mix of chiptune beats and sound effects that, while occasionally grating, perfectly complement the game's chaotic atmosphere.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been criticized for being excessively buggy, with multiple users reporting significant issues that affect gameplay.
“The game is too buggy.”
“The game is too buggy.”
“The game is too buggy.”
