Rad Rodgers: World One
- November 30, 2016
- Slipgate Ironworks™
- 14h median play time
Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.
"Rad Rodgers: World One" is a humorous platformer game featuring a rambunctious boy named Rad and his sentient game console, Dusty. After being sucked into Rad's TV, they must navigate through a decaying jungle world, battling corruption and saving inhabitants in seven dangerous stages. Rad's console, Dusty, provides experience and attitude to assist in their action-packed adventure.
Reviews
- Visually stunning with vibrant graphics and a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic 90s platformers.
- Engaging gameplay with a mix of shooting and platforming mechanics, providing a fun and challenging experience.
- Humorous dialogue and character interactions add charm, making it enjoyable for both nostalgic players and newcomers.
- Short gameplay experience with only one world and limited levels, leading to a feeling of repetitiveness.
- Some frustrating platforming sections and difficult boss battles that can disrupt the flow of the game.
- Occasional bugs and glitches, particularly with controls and enemy AI, detracting from the overall experience.
- graphics55 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their modern, vibrant aesthetic and high-quality visuals, often compared to Pixar-level quality. However, some players report issues with graphical glitches and performance, particularly on older hardware, which can detract from the overall experience. While the art style is generally well-received, there are concerns about visual clutter that can obscure gameplay elements, making it difficult to navigate the environment effectively.
“Fantastic graphics and gameplay.”
“The visuals, the gameplay, and the music are all just right with a modern touch.”
“Overall, Rad Rodgers: World One has a graphical art style which I have not seen in a game like this since Ori and the Blind Forest.”
“Update: at the time of my originally writing this review, I had encountered a number of severe graphical bugs and glitches that prevented my progress in the game.”
“Graphics sabotage the gameplay; foreground elements distract from hazards, what will or won't hurt you is sometimes unclear, enemies blend into the environment, everything is too busy to efficiently communicate the basic platforming elements.”
“After turning the graphics to the lowest and 720p, it's still a choppy mess.”
- gameplay40 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its fun and engaging mechanics, combining modern touches with nostalgic elements reminiscent of classic DOS-era games. While many players appreciate the tight controls, level design, and variety of gameplay features, some express frustration with visual clutter that can obscure hazards and unclear mechanics. Overall, the game offers a solid experience with a mix of platforming, shooting, and puzzle-solving, though some players find it lacks depth over time.
“The gameplay is simple but fun; you go around shooting enemies and performing bits of backtracking in the different levels.”
“Gameplay is tight, visuals and art are fantastic, and the music features metal riffs and some synthwave elements.”
“Platforming, mild puzzle solving, and some neat, original play mechanics, along with secret areas and hidden goodies, will keep the player busy and entertained while having fun.”
“Graphics sabotage the gameplay; foreground elements distract from hazards, what will or won't hurt you is sometimes unclear, enemies blend into the environment, everything is too busy to efficiently communicate the basic platforming elements.”
“Other crucial gameplay mechanics like how to aim, what pixels are for, and what your super meter even does are never addressed.”
“The levels become very stale after the first couple once you realize that there isn't any depth to the gameplay.”
- music39 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the energetic and evocative soundtrack composed by Andrew Hulshult, which blends metal riffs and synthwave elements. The soundtrack is described as both nostalgic and modern, enhancing the overall gameplay experience and fitting seamlessly with the vibrant visuals. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal and atmosphere.
“Gameplay is tight, visuals and art are damn great, music has metal riffs and some synthwave kind of stuff going on.”
“A vibrantly colorful side-scrolling platformer that was also unapologetically violent and bloody, with a rambunctious pre-teen protagonist, heavily armed and up way past his bedtime, all set to a rocking soundtrack by Andrew Hulshult, whose musical stylings have proven to be more than passingly evocative of modern evolutions of the works of past greats on these games such as Robert Prince and Lee Jackson.”
“Great visuals, great characters and enemies, and an awesome soundtrack.”
“Rad Rodgers is a god-awful 2D side-scroller about a young boy named Rad Rodgers who gets sucked into his own game and has to find his way out. For the most part, the graphics and music are very well done, but the thing that ruins this game for me is the platforming. The jumping in the game feels slippery and is very frustrating to make leaps of faith without knowing what's below you.”
“Bonus points for the love and care put into the art and music, but everyone knows that's not what made '90s-era PC platformers' great.”
“The soundtrack is decent.”
- humor23 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mix of childish and adult themes, appealing to a wide audience but not universally appreciated; some find it entertaining and nostalgic, while others consider it generic and overdone. The dialogue features clever one-liners and references to classic games, often delivering laughs through well-timed puns and character interactions. Overall, the humor is described as a blend of crude and lighthearted, with options to tailor the experience to different age groups.
“Plus the childish humor makes this one a game to at least try if you feel like reliving your childhood.”
“The intro keeps getting my stomach hurt from laughter and all the in-game puns and references to 90's games are hilarious.”
“The characters in the game are mostly funny and remain relevant for some time.”
- story11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The story of Rad Rogers is characterized by a humorous and ironic narrative that involves the protagonists, Rad and Dusty, navigating a game world plagued by bugs and glitches, which they must correct. While the premise offers potential for parody and creativity, many users find the plot to be shallow and unengaging, with a lack of depth and repetition that detracts from the overall experience. Despite its entertaining elements, the story is often described as throwaway and fails to maintain player interest.
“If that isn't enough, you have a story with several great twisted features and all the sound effects you will need, backed by the music to boot.”
“Seems the natives are restless, so Rad and Rusty embark on a quest to restore order to the pixel verse and hopefully find a way for Rad to get back into our reality... or does he really want to come back?”
“Great controls, an okay start to a story, and the visuals are fantastic.”
“Rad Rogers is also riddled with horrible game-breaking bugs and glitches, which is actually funny because the game, according to its poorly narrated story, involves Rad and Dusty traveling through the game world to correct bugs and glitches caused (in Dusty's bitterly ironic words) by lazy game developers.”
“The plot is throwaway and doesn’t manage to keep your interest for long.”
“Its story is pretty throwaway and it is pretty short with a lot of repetition.”
- stability10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with players reporting a range of glitches and bugs, some of which are game-breaking. While some users have experienced minor issues and crashes, others have faced significant obstacles that hinder progress. Overall, the game is seen as unfinished, but not the worst in terms of stability compared to other titles at launch.
“Rad Rogers is also riddled with horrible game-breaking bugs and glitches, which is actually funny because the game, according to its poorly narrated story, involves Rad and Dusty traveling through the game world to correct bugs and glitches caused (in Dusty's bitterly ironic words) by lazy game developers.”
“Update: At the time of my originally writing this review, I had encountered a number of severe graphical bugs and glitches that prevented my progress in the game.”
“Currently stuck on level 3 due to several glitches, but I love the game so far.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and uninspired, often leading to frustration with repetitive tasks and levels. While some acknowledge that completing the game on hard mode is achievable, the overall sentiment is that the grinding experience detracts from enjoyment.
“It's just far too tedious and uninspired.”
“I will stop playing it now as it has become tedious and I can't be bothered trying the same (not very interesting) level 10 times.”
“The glitch portals feel very boring and tedious compared to the rest of the game.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game resonates strongly with players, evoking nostalgia through its heartfelt introduction that reflects personal experiences from the 90s. The vibrant graphics and engaging gameplay elements enhance this emotional connection, although some players hope for further improvements before the final release.
“The intro is a very heartfelt throwback to how my own situation was in the 90s.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Rad Rodger offers strong replayability due to its emphasis on exploration and secret-finding, appealing to players of all ages. However, some users feel that while it provides enjoyable experiences, it may not be a game that players will return to frequently after a few playthroughs.
“Rad Rodgers provides amazing replay value and fun for all ages!”
“Thanks to the focus on exploration (in the vein of older platformers and FPS titles), the game has a solid amount of replay value (to find secrets and get achievements).”
“I'm not sure what the replay value will be for most, but I don't think it will be one of those games you will want to play over and over. You will play a few times, and then it will gather dust like a forgotten relic.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while some users note that it requires significant performance resources and has poor performance, others commend its polish and optimization for an early access title, highlighting solid gameplay.
“First of all, for an early access title, this game is very polished and optimized.”
“Instead of focusing on the engine, they want you to throw tons of performance at the game.”
“Performance is bad, gameplay is solid!”
“For an early access title, this game is very polished and optimized.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development is generally considered passable, with some users noting that while the design of characters is adequate, it lacks depth and complexity. Overall, the characters may not leave a lasting impression due to their limited growth and development throughout the game.
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth.”
“I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired.”
“There is little to no growth in the characters throughout the game.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Many users express fatigue with the overuse of tension-building atmospheric tracks in recent releases, particularly those reminiscent of Hans Zimmer's style, leading to a sense of weariness towards this approach in game soundscapes.
Critic Reviews
Review: Rad Rodgers
Went wrong somewhere along the line. The original idea might have promise, but in practice it has failed. Threatens to be interesting sometimes, but rarely.
35%Rad Rodgers Review
Rad Rodgers is too self aware, and falls short on many levels.
50%Review: Rad Rodgers: World One
Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.
65%