Rad

RAD is a gorgeous and addictive entry into the Roguelite genre with creative powerups and a groovy soundtrack

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"RAD is a single-player hack and slash rogue-like game set in a post-post-apocalyptic world. As a teenage protagonist, you explore the ever-changing radioactive wasteland of the Fallow, battling strange creatures and gaining mutations that alter your abilities. With wonderful gameplay, good visuals, and delightful music, RAD offers a funny and engaging experience, albeit very grinding."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 632 reviews

gameplay51 positive mentions

grinding23 negative mentions

RAD features a vibrant 80s aesthetic with great visuals and a fun soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
The mutation system allows for a variety of playstyles, making each run feel unique and engaging.
The game is polished and runs smoothly, with a charming sense of humor and enjoyable combat mechanics.

The game can become repetitive quickly due to limited enemy and level variety, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
RNG can heavily influence runs, sometimes resulting in frustrating experiences when players receive unhelpful mutations.
The controls can feel clunky, especially for keyboard and mouse users, making combat less enjoyable.

gameplay
177 mentions
29 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Rad" is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the unique mutation mechanics and aesthetic, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking depth. Many reviews highlight issues such as clunky controls, a lack of meaningful content, and a reliance on random mechanics that can lead to frustrating experiences. Overall, while the game offers fun moments and a quirky style, it struggles to maintain engagement due to its shallow gameplay loop and inconsistent mechanics.
- “The exo-mutations often would definitely change play style by introducing novel, powerful, and interesting mechanics.”
- “Each run has decent variety in gameplay mechanics due to the mutation system.”
- “Great gameplay, good music, smooth controls, and awesome mutations which makes every run different.”
- “The gameplay is shallow and kinda boring though.”
- “Unfortunately, it can't compensate for a weak foundation; the game's mechanics are inherently simple and repetitive, leading to tedious gameplay.”
- “I really have no incentive to play besides 'finishing the game', because there are no interesting NPCs to help, the narrative isn't particularly strong, and the lack of gameplay variety makes the game very repetitive and boring.”
graphics
158 mentions
56 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant 80s aesthetic, colorful art style, and engaging animations. However, some players noted issues with unpolished textures and a lack of depth in the visuals, suggesting that while the aesthetic is appealing, it may not compensate for gameplay shortcomings. Overall, the visuals are seen as a highlight, but opinions vary on their execution and impact on the overall experience.
- “The graphics and art style are top notch here and the soundtrack is pretty good, too.”
- “Beautifully rendered graphics, thrilling gameplay with boss battles that will have you at the edge of your seat!”
- “The visuals and sounds are bright and energetic, which I have never seen in an apocalyptic game before.”
- “In typical Double Fine fashion, they focus too much on the 'quirky aesthetic' and the 'humor' that isn't actually funny while the actual gameplay is lackluster and weak.”
- “The graphics and animation are poor even for a cartoonesque style; the controls feel clunky, and I wasn't at all pulled in by the narrative.”
- “Another issue is the visuals; some of the visuals do pop, but at times the textures look unfinished and unpolished, even with everything at the highest graphical settings.”
music
106 mentions
50 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread praise for its nostalgic 80s synthwave vibe, with many players enjoying its catchy and upbeat tracks that complement the game's aesthetic. While some reviewers noted that the soundtrack can feel repetitive or not entirely fitting with the game's atmosphere, the overall consensus is that the music enhances the experience and adds to the fun, colorful presentation. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “I absolutely love this game, everything from the music to the storyline down to the narrator.”
- “The music, characters, and level design are awesome.”
- “The 80's theme and the music really set the mood.”
- “The soundtrack is a rock/techno beat; it doesn't fit the atmosphere of the game in my opinion, but it does fit the theme of the word 'rad'.”
- “The soundtrack is fine but uninspired and not varied enough.”
- “Its soundtrack reaches for the allure of 80s-style synth-wave and, while it is passable, it lacks the driving energy that the genre normally delivers; a missed opportunity that could've been a good fit for the game's intense combat moments.”
story
56 mentions
25 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered minimal and lackluster, with many players noting that while the world and lore are intriguing, the overarching narrative fails to engage. Repetitive quests and shallow NPC interactions detract from the experience, leading to a sense of emptiness despite some enjoyable gameplay elements. Overall, while the setting and humor have their merits, the story does not stand out and is often overshadowed by the game's roguelike mechanics.
- “I absolutely love this game, everything from the music to the storyline down to the narrator.”
- “The story of a post-post-apocalyptic world is a fresh concept to me and is well made.”
- “The story is revealed in pieces as you beat the game and unlock new goodies by doing so, which is an interesting take.”
- “However, it ended up being a very lackluster story in the end.”
- “The characters are completely hollow and the story is uninspired.”
- “The game features no proper level design or game/story flow/plot, as they opted to try to use samey repetitive procgen algorithms as a substitute for adding such content to the game.”
humor
25 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mix of quirky 80s slang, absurd character designs, and a playful take on post-apocalyptic themes, which some players find genuinely funny while others see it as juvenile or overdone. The narration and pop culture references add to the comedic experience, though opinions vary on the effectiveness of the humor in relation to gameplay. Overall, the game is characterized by its colorful aesthetic and a blend of amusing and bizarre elements that resonate well with fans of similar styles.
- “To hear the narrator randomly and unironically call out 'rad!' or 'baby needs a new pair of shoes' or any of the dozens of other 80s slang wasn't just humorous, it was fun!”
- “They wore their sunglasses at night had me laughing out loud and then chuckling for like an hour.”
- “The underlying story is surprisingly funny as well as the 'mistakes' and misinterpretations of the ancient world... 🤐”
replayability
25 mentions
52 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with some players praising its unique elements and varied content that can lead to hours of enjoyment, while others criticize it for lacking depth and new discoveries after initial runs. Many reviews highlight the presence of multiple endings and unlockable features that enhance replay value, but some feel that the overall experience can become tedious and limited over time. Overall, the game offers decent to high replayability, particularly for those who appreciate its core mechanics and roguelike elements.
- “Creates a fun and enjoyable nostalgic atmosphere and great replay value!”
- “Hours of possible replayable content makes this game worth every penny of its low asking price.”
- “Huge amount of replayability with tons of different synergies between mutations and different ways to approach each new randomly generated level.”
- “This game falls short on replayability as the world doesn't change.”
- “Replayability is extremely tedious and doesn't provide anything new to discover, which affects enemies and the world around you.”
- “You hit a wall and realize you've basically seen everything the game has to offer in a few successful runs, making its replayability rather low, despite being a roguelite.”
grinding
23 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often leading to long and frustrating combat encounters. While some enjoy the challenge and the potential rewards from grinding, many feel that the lack of variety and the slow pace detract from the overall experience, making it feel more like a chore than an engaging gameplay loop. The procedural generation and combat mechanics are criticized for being unbalanced and lacking depth, contributing to a sense of monotony in gameplay.
- “It's sad, the combat loop is fun, the enemies are cool, but the game is just too grindy at the moment.”
- “Enemies will become both tanky and dodgy, dealing tremendous amounts of damage quickly, while your damage won't keep up, leading to long, tedious, and repetitive fights.”
- “Unfortunately, it can't compensate for a weak foundation; the game's mechanics are inherently simple and repetitive, leading to tedious gameplay.”
atmosphere
13 mentions
62 % positive mentions
15 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its vibrant retro vibe, colorful graphics, and engaging sound design, which collectively create a fun and nostalgic experience. While some players feel the soundtrack doesn't perfectly align with the game's theme, it still contributes to the overall lively and entertaining ambiance. The combination of art style, gameplay, and music effectively immerses players in a post-apocalyptic world, enhancing replay value and enjoyment.
- “The game captures a retro vibe in a great way, creating an amazing atmosphere!”
- “Great lively atmosphere filled with color, and the graphical touches make you believe you're in a post-apocalyptic world.”
- “The art style, the gameplay, the music, and the atmosphere overall was so retro and so much fun.”
- “The soundtrack is a rock/techno beat; it doesn't fit the atmosphere of the game in my opinion, but it does fit the theme of the word 'rad'.”
- “Rad plays similarly to dungeon rogue-likes like Binding of Isaac but adds a heavy dose of 80s-90s atmosphere and music.”
- “Atmosphere is dead on, and difficulty seems well balanced.”
optimization
12 mentions
25 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
58 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players praising the overall quality and care put into its development, while others report significant issues such as frequent stuttering during cut-scenes and high resource usage leading to overheating. Although recent updates have improved performance for some, many still find the game in need of better optimization to enhance the overall experience.
- “Double Fine delivers quality; you can tell this game was tested, optimized, and made with care, which I feel is often the case with Double Fine games.”
- “With the cons so far only being performance-related, I'd say this is a game well worth its price.”
- “I also haven't had any performance issues or bugs so far, so it seems like the game is very cleanly built.”
- “What a pity: could have been an interesting game, but unfortunately it is plagued by frequent stuttering during cut-scenes and cyclical hiccups while playing. It doesn't matter if you disable V-Sync, G-Sync, full screen or windowed mode, 60 fps or more, etc. It also uses too many resources, and the GPU/CPU can reach very high temperatures at 144Hz/fps, where much more advanced engines stay 5-7°C lower (my system: 1080p 144Hz G-Sync, i7-8750H + GTX 1070 8GB + 32GB).”
- “It badly needs better optimization.”
- “Could possibly be more optimized, as I lose some frame rate here and there.”
stability
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The game is reported to have significant stability issues, with users experiencing bugs and glitches that detract from gameplay, particularly with ranged attacks suffering from input lag. While the art style is praised, the overall stability remains a concern due to these persistent technical problems.
- “The game is bug-free, providing a smooth and stable experience throughout.”
- “The art style is amazing, and the overall stability of the game enhances the enjoyment.”
- “Every design choice made in this game contributes to a stable and immersive gameplay experience.”
- “So be warned, this game is relatively buggy!”
- “Ranged attacks, while useful, feel buggy and clunky due to an input lag that requires the player to delay their movement until after their projectile has been launched, drastically reducing their effectiveness.”
- “The game offers some nice graphics, although there are some ugly glitches here and there.”
emotional
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a mix of emotional highs and lows, noting that while the game lacks moments of overwhelming power, the rarity of successful runs can lead to a deep sense of loss when failure occurs. Additionally, the game's darker themes, including depictions of abuse and suffering, evoke strong emotional responses, highlighting the stark realities faced by vulnerable individuals.
- “It’s just that those runs are rare, and death can come quick if you lose your edge for a moment, and both of those factors can make losing a good run even more heartbreaking.”