Shakedown: Hawaii

73%
Game Brain Score Based on 697 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • humor
Shakedown: Hawaii Game Cover
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
Starting at €19.99Buy now
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"Shakedown: Hawaii" is a 16-bit open-world game where players build a corporation through missions, acquiring businesses, and shaking down shops. The island setting is filled with activities and challenges, and players start as an aging CEO rebuilding their empire in the modern business world. It's a blend of classic and modern business tactics with some mature content. CharacterCount: 224

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Nintendo 3ds
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Play​station Vita
  • Wii
  • Wii U
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

73%
Audience ScoreBased on 697 reviews
story104 positive mentions
grinding12 negative mentions
  • The game features charming pixel art and a catchy retro soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
  • Gameplay is fun and reminiscent of classic top-down GTA games, with engaging missions and a humorous take on capitalism.
  • The property management aspect adds an addictive layer to the gameplay, allowing players to build their empire.
  • Controls can feel cumbersome, especially on mouse and keyboard, and there is no option to remap keys.
  • The missions are often short and repetitive, leading to a lack of depth and challenge in the gameplay.
  • The story, while humorous, can feel shallow and the ending is abrupt, leaving players wanting more.
  • story482 mentions

    The story of "Shakedown: Hawaii" is a satirical take on modern capitalism and consumerism, featuring a protagonist stuck in the 80s who must navigate the cutthroat business world to rebuild his empire. While the humor and social commentary are appreciated, many reviewers noted that the plot lacks depth and can feel repetitive, with missions often being short and straightforward. The game is entertaining and nostalgic, but the abrupt ending and simplistic character development left some players wanting more.

    • “The story is a pretty amusing sass at modern culture and consumerism, but mercifully the game doesn't take itself seriously.”
    • “The story is about a guy stuck in the 80s, who discovers that all his businesses are losing revenue to other businesses, so he has to rebuild his empire by learning about capitalism strategies like MLMs, targeted ads, sponsored content, store credit cards, accumulating points that expire too quickly, ingredient replacements, and pro-environmental choices that so happen to reduce his costs.”
    • “The story is a humorously dark satire of the corporate world, and I'd say Vblank nailed it if it didn't skimp a little at the end on character development.”
    • “The story is pretty bland, the characters aren't interesting, the gameplay is repetitive, and the humor is forced and comes off as pretty cringeworthy.”
    • “Its sooooo tedious doing the story missions, the go here kill them loop is so dull the game felt worse than literal busywork, same with the side missions which are all pretty much just shakedowns.”
    • “Really the only truly bad thing about the plot is the ending, past the halfway point the plot starts to drag and then it just abruptly ends.”
  • gameplay248 mentions

    The gameplay in "Shakedown: Hawaii" is a blend of top-down shooting and business management mechanics, reminiscent of classic GTA titles, offering a fun and accessible experience. However, many players note that the gameplay lacks depth and variety, leading to repetitive missions and a sense of monotony over time. While the game features engaging visuals and a solid control scheme, it ultimately falls short of delivering a robust and challenging gameplay experience.

    • “The gameplay experience in Shakedown: Hawaii is its crowning achievement.”
    • “Fun and addictive gameplay, nice retro soundtrack as you build your empire.”
    • “It's got the fun rampage-style of gameplay that many of us all know and love, with fun satire, a property system, and creative ways to make mayhem.”
    • “There isn’t a lot of variety with the gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay just didn't have lasting appeal and felt like a chore after a while.”
    • “The gameplay on the other hand is shallow and extremely repetitive.”
  • humor152 mentions

    The humor in "Shakedown: Hawaii" is a mix of sharp satire and relatable commentary on corporate culture, often drawing laughs through its exaggerated characters and absurd situations. While some players find the humor inconsistent or forced, many appreciate its cleverness and nostalgic references, likening it to a funny mini-GTA experience. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with gameplay, making it enjoyable for fans of irreverent comedy and retro-style games.

    • “The good news is that the cutscenes are well designed, they are often funny, varied and make sadly relatable references to how corporations are taking advantage of us.”
    • “The humor is wonderful though, and it really helps make me realize just how shady the 90s were (parts seem to be set there... whereas others... not so much) so it's an interesting blend to say the least.”
    • “It's hilarious, fun, and very very satisfying.”
  • graphics128 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming 16-bit pixel art style, evoking nostalgia reminiscent of classic gaming eras. Reviewers highlight the stunning visuals and detailed animations, which complement the engaging gameplay and humorous storyline. While some note minor graphical issues, the overall aesthetic is considered a significant strength, making it a must-play for fans of retro-inspired titles.

    • “Its pixelated art style exudes charm and nostalgia, reminiscent of gaming's 16-bit era.”
    • “The visuals are nothing short of amazing - this title is a grand accomplishment in the pixel art category.”
    • “Beautiful 16-bit inspired graphics and an extremely solid story about rampant capitalism.”
    • “Many graphical issues with the map, biggest example of this being at least 5 shakedowns were not marked as available on my map and I only found them by manually driving to every location and entering the place to see if I could trigger a shakedown.”
    • “I played some pixel art games with crisp visuals, but this is not one of them.”
    • “I wish the graphics were better but the rest of the game is super fun.”
  • music122 mentions

    The music in "Shakedown: Hawaii" has received widespread praise for its catchy and well-produced retro soundtrack, crafted by Matt Creamer, which effectively complements the game's aesthetics and enhances immersion. While many players appreciate the infectious chiptune melodies and funky synth rhythms reminiscent of 80s and 90s gaming, some have noted the limited number of tracks, leading to repetitiveness over time. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a highlight of the game, though a desire for more variety has been expressed by some players.

    • “Crafted by Matt Creamer, the soundtrack seamlessly complements the game's retro aesthetics while infusing a contemporary flair.”
    • “From infectious chiptune melodies to funky synth rhythms, the music elevates immersion in the game's milieu.”
    • “The music is extremely well produced and dangerously catchy; not unlike Hotline Miami.”
    • “The art and music leave a lot to be desired, but the story is amusing and the gameplay decent enough.”
    • “My only complaint is the audio because the sound effects drop out at times with the music still playing and it needs a relaunch.”
    • “The music also sounds very 90's which I can appreciate - but the younger audiences probably don't.”
  • grinding16 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while some players find it addictive and manageable, others describe it as tedious and repetitive, particularly in story and side missions. The game's economy is seen as unbalanced by some, leading to a need for grinding to acquire upgrades, but others appreciate that it avoids excessive grinding. Overall, the experience can vary significantly depending on individual preferences for grind intensity.

    • “You have a rather small but serviceable arsenal of weapons and vehicles, and a small business tycoon aspect where you buy property and add various multipliers to make them more profitable. The game isn't too grindy, and it ended just as I was beginning to tire of it.”
    • “On the business sim side, while this aspect of the game is downright addicting, there's not much to it outside of the dopamine rush of 'rising numbers'; eventually, you hit a wall and it gets tedious.”
    • “It's so tedious doing the story missions; the 'go here, kill them' loop is so dull that the game felt worse than literal busywork. The same goes for the side missions, which are all pretty much just shakedowns.”
    • “Because of that, gaining wallet money with them is extremely tedious, and since you need that kind of money to purchase character upgrades, it makes acquiring them tedious.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    The game's replayability is mixed; while some players found it lacking after a single playthrough, others highlighted its extensive missions and shakedowns that offer significant replay value. Overall, experiences vary widely, with some enjoying the game for its duration and others finding it infinitely replayable.

    • “This game is infinitely replayable.”
    • “The variety of missions ensures that each playthrough feels fresh and engaging.”
    • “Finished it in about 12 hours, no replay value, but it was fun while it lasted.”
    • “There are so many missions and shakedowns you can do that give this game massive replay value.”
  • atmosphere8 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is heavily influenced by its unique capitalist and corporate themes, which some players find appealing. However, there are criticisms regarding certain environments, such as the subway, which are perceived as less atmospheric compared to other titles. Overall, while the visuals contribute to the atmosphere, some elements fall short of expectations.

    • “This game basically relies on an atmosphere and some interesting visuals.”
    • “At least the whole capitalist/corporate atmosphere is totally my thing.”
    • “The subway is less atmospheric than in RCR.”
    • “Atmosphere points decreased!”
    • “Atmosphere points decreased!”
  • monetization6 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game revolves around a satirical take on capitalism, where players earn daily money to invest in businesses and enhance their revenue through various strategies like targeted ads and credit systems. The gameplay emphasizes a cycle of accumulating wealth to expand one's empire, reflecting real-world concepts such as shrinkflation and marketing tactics. Overall, the monetization model cleverly integrates economic themes into the gameplay experience.

    • “The story is about a guy stuck in the 80s, who discovers that all his businesses are losing revenue to other businesses, so he has to rebuild his empire by learning about capitalism strategies like MLMs, targeted ads, sponsored content, store credit cards, accumulating points that expire too quickly, ingredient replacements, and pro-environmental choices that so happen to reduce his costs.”
    • “You get money daily, then you use that money to buy more businesses or to add multipliers to existing ones like MLMs, credit cards, gift cards, stealth ads, and more, so you get more money to buy more businesses.”
    • “Instead of the player using sonic shoes to press a traffic light button, we have a guy going to the store and learning about shrinkflation and targeted ads.”
  • character development6 mentions

    Character development in the game is noted to be lacking, particularly for key characters like Scooter, who feels underdeveloped by the end, and Al, who is perceived as merely a functional tool rather than a fully realized character. While the vibrant visuals and whimsical designs enhance the game's appeal, they do not compensate for the shortcomings in character depth and growth.

    • “From the lively hues of the cityscape to the whimsical character designs, each pixel contributes meaningfully, enriching the game's overall allure.”
    • “The story is a humorously dark satire of the corporate world, and I'd say Vblank nailed it if it didn't skimp a little at the end on character development for Scooter and treating Al as anything more than a do-anything tool.”
    • “- ugly character designs.”
    • “- ugly character designs.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The game is praised for its strong optimization, as it runs efficiently without excessive resource consumption or overheating issues. Additionally, it showcases the developer's commitment to optimization by successfully porting the game across multiple gaming platforms.

    • “Seems to be optimized well (i.e., not a resource hog, doesn't skyrocket your thermals).”
    • “This game also continues the Vblank's tradition of flexing their optimization muscles by porting it onto every active gaming platform on earth.”
    • “This game also continues the Vblank's tradition of flexing their optimization muscles by porting it onto every active gaming platform on Earth.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Users report frequent random glitches, including issues with weapon functionality and buggy keyboard and mouse controls, which detract from the overall stability of the game.

    • “At any time, I could just have random glitches; for example, at one point I had a challenge marker as my weapon, which could not fire.”
    • “Keyboard and mouse controls are a little buggy, though.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players find the game's world to be enchanting, evoking strong feelings of nostalgia and relaxation reminiscent of Hawaii's beaches. This emotional connection enhances the overall experience, making the environment feel immersive and inviting.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

Buy Shakedown: Hawaii

Play time

10hMedian play time
10hAverage play time
5-15hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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