Rad Rodgers

This retro-licious platformer is a love letter to games like Commander Keen and Jazz Jackrabbit, but does it deliver on its nostalgic promises? Our review.

61%Game Brain Score

gameplay, graphics

stability, music

57% User Score Based on 110 reviews

Critic Score 64%Based on 14 reviews

Platforms

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About

Rad Rodgers is a single player and multiplayer arcade platformer game. It was developed by Slipgate Ironworks™ and was released on February 21, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

"Rad Rodgers" is a nostalgic platformer game featuring a rambunctious boy named Rad and his sentient game console, Dusty. After being sucked into Rad's TV, they embark on an action-packed adventure through a decaying jungle world, filled with humor and challenging platforming stages. Together, they must combat a fierce corruption threatening their newfound world.

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57%

Audience ScoreBased on 110 reviews

gameplay7 positive mentions

stability17 negative mentions

The game features nice, well-crafted level design and a vibrant visual style that captures a retro-modern mix.
The humorous presentation adds personality to the game, even if some jokes don't always land.
The soundtrack complements the action and atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.

The combat options are very limited, leading to repetitive gameplay, especially towards the end.
The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches that hinder progress and enjoyment, making it difficult to achieve 100% completion.
Inconsistent pacing and difficulty spikes can lead to frustrating trial-and-error moments, detracting from the overall fun.

gameplay
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
63%
11%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its simplicity and lack of variety, often feeling repetitive and tedious. While some appreciate the graphics and level design, the core mechanics are criticized for being generic and lacking challenge, with no new abilities introduced as players progress. Overall, the gameplay experience is described as flat and uninspired, leaving many players wanting more depth and engagement.
- “Fantastic graphics and gameplay.”
- “The gameplay handles well (for the most part).”
- “A good platformer needs great controls, engaging gameplay, fair and varied level design, and cool enemies.”
- “An early gaming influenced run 'n' gun game with a great style and some pretty good level designs, but unfortunately it's marred by the boring gameplay and the same exact goal in every stage: grab the four quarters of a stone key to open the gate at the end of the level.”
- “There is variety in gameplay via mini games but they just feel thrown together and lack substance.”
- “The gameplay is just too simple with not a lot of variety or challenge - there are no new abilities as you progress and you can easily kill and avoid enemies.”
graphics
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
42%
12%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant art style, colorful visuals, and impressive lighting effects, particularly in 4K resolution. However, some players note issues such as graphical glitches, flat designs, and a lack of optimization that detracts from the overall experience. While the game showcases potential with its stunning graphics, the gameplay and controls often fail to match the visual quality.
- “Fantastic graphics and gameplay.”
- “It looks fantastic, has great graphics and artwork.”
- “Graphically the game looks stunning.”
- “Sure, it looks nice as it has heavy post-processing, bloom, multiple layers of graphics, and they really tried to do much - perhaps too much, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- “Visuals are flat, gameplay is flat, stage design is flat, music is flat, lines are flat.”
- “The graphics are mediocre, the gameplay simply isn't fun, and the controls aren't tight, making for a disappointing experience overall.”
humor
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
89%
11%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its quirky and nostalgic charm, while others find it overreaching and occasionally unfunny. The jokes often lean towards crass and edgy, which may appeal to adults but could be off-putting for some, especially in a family setting. Overall, the humor adds personality to the game, but its effectiveness varies widely among players.
- “The level design is genuinely nice and the game’s humor gives it personality, though it sometimes tries a bit too hard and the jokes don’t always land.”
- “The platforming is tight, the shooting is fun (even with a controller), and the humor is right up my alley.”
- “All in all, Rad Rodgers is a beautiful love letter to the early 90's and at the same time feels fresh and has its own unique sense of humor that will definitely appeal to adults.”
- “An otherwise decent platformer irreparably maimed by level-stopping bugs and incredibly unfunny jokes.”
- “Recommended for kids (I'm 39, so I feel this is just too simple for a seasoned gamer). The presentation is bland, the story is forgettable, and the voiceovers are not funny.”
stability
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting numerous bugs and glitches that significantly detract from the experience, including freezes and crashes. While some users noted a smoother experience compared to previous titles from the developer, the overall consensus leans towards the game being too buggy to recommend, particularly for those seeking a polished gameplay experience.
- “The radical edition is super buggy.”
- “They should be ashamed of themselves for leaving the game buggy like that.”
- “Game concept and graphics are nice, but the game has a lot of bugs that really make for a poor experience: freezes, crashes to desktop, design level bugs...”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The music in the game has received high praise for its solid soundtrack, which effectively complements the action and atmosphere. Composed by Andrew Hulshult, the score features a blend of synthwave and 90s industrial metal, characterized by catchy melodies, heavy basslines, and impressive guitar solos, making it a standout element that many players wish to enjoy outside the game. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the gaming experience and has sparked interest in its availability for purchase.
- “Solid soundtrack that complements the action and atmosphere.”
- “Andrew Hulshult has gone for more of a synthwave soundtrack with this game, reminiscent of games like Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, mixed with his signature guitar solos. It really is a combination that works brilliantly and makes me wish he'd make more in this style.”
- “As opposed to his earlier outings, the music in this game pops with really awesome melodies and riffs, heavy synthy basslines rumble in the background while his badass guitar solos are sprinkled on top.”
- “Visuals are flat, gameplay is flat, stage design is flat, music is flat, lines are flat.”
- “It's unfortunate because I do love the soundtrack, comedy, and the way the game looks.”
- “Definitely makes me want to listen to the soundtrack on its own.”
story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The story aspect of the game is largely criticized for being minimal and forgettable, with many reviewers noting a lack of depth and engagement. While some mention potential for creativity, such as parody elements, the overall consensus is that the narrative is simplistic and underdeveloped, leaving players wanting more.
- “In the vast digital landscape, let wisdom guide your choices, and may your future quests be filled with joyous exploits and pixelated wonders!”
- “If that isn't enough, you have a story, several great twisted features, and all the sound effects you will need, backed by the music to boot.”
- “Law enforcers, but cartoonish. I can even see how they can make a pure parody of Duke 3D by making a story that this time around Rad Rogers got sucked into a Duke 3D kind of game and became its character.”
- “Recommended for kids (I'm 39, so I feel this is just too simple for a seasoned gamer). The presentation is bland, the story is forgettable, and the voiceovers are not funny.”
- “There is no story, like it seems in the trailers.”
- “So, if you expect a storyline here, there is almost nothing at all.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and uninspired, with gameplay often shifting from enjoyable action to monotonous tasks. Many reviewers express frustration with lengthy battles against lackluster bosses and buggy levels, which detracts from overall motivation and enjoyment.
- “On top of that, the flow of the gameplay often shifts from enjoyable action to more tedious moments, which made it hard for me to stay consistently motivated.”
- “A good game should not subject its players to the drudgery of tedious landscapes, nor should it force them to endure 15 to 20 minutes of battle with lackluster bosses and the lamentable bonus glitch levels.”
- “It's just far too tedious and uninspired.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is enhanced by a solid soundtrack that effectively complements the game's action, creating an immersive experience for players.
- “The solid soundtrack complements the action and enhances the overall atmosphere.”
- “The immersive environment draws you in, making every moment feel alive.”
- “The haunting visuals and sound design create a captivating atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
The game's optimization has received positive feedback, with players reporting the ability to run it at high settings on older hardware while maintaining decent framerates. Improvements in texture resolution and overall performance enhancements suggest that the developers have effectively addressed previous performance issues, making it worthwhile for players to revisit the game.
- “I was able to run the game maxed out on my Phenom II 3.2 GHz PC with a 3GB R9 280X graphics card and get a pretty decent framerate across the board, which speaks volumes about how much the game has been optimized compared to the earlier 'World One' version.”
- “From my understanding, they've definitely done a good job with the game's optimization.”
- “I was able to run the game maxed out on my Phenom II 3.2 GHz PC with a 3GB R9 280X graphics card and getting a pretty decent framerate across the board, which speaks volumes about how much the game has been optimized compared to the earlier 'World One' version.”
- “I've noticed an increase in texture resolution along with a higher quality default preset, so for those who felt like the performance could leave more to be desired, it might be worth dusting off the game again.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Rad Rodgers is praised for its high replayability, offering a nostalgic experience reminiscent of the 90s, with plenty of content that appeals to players of all ages.
- “Rad Rodgers provides amazing replay value and fun for all ages!”
- “Awesome throwback to the 90s with tons of content and replayability.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be deeply impactful, particularly feeling heartbreak when hard-earned progress is lost due to a boss defeat, forcing them to restart levels. This experience evokes a strong sense of frustration and loss, highlighting the game's ability to elicit strong emotional responses.
- “It is such a heartbreaking experience to see the level you worked so hard to achieve disappear after a boss kill, forcing you to start the whole level over.”