Treachery in Beatdown City

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 56 reviews
  • gameplay
  • humor
  • story
Treachery in Beatdown City Game Cover
Not quite LE CHAMPION, but it’s got a couple of points toward the Young Lions Cup.
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Treachery in Beatdown City is a comedic action thriller where players fight dozens of ridiculous enemies with a unique battle system combining the best parts of beat ‘em ups, fighting games, turn based tactics and RPGS!

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews
gameplay8 positive mentions
  • Treachery in Beatdown City offers a unique blend of beat 'em up and turn-based RPG mechanics, providing a fresh and engaging gameplay experience.
  • The writing is humorous and filled with sharp social commentary, reminiscent of classic NES games, which adds charm and personality to the game.
  • The game features a nostalgic retro aesthetic with catchy music, appealing to fans of old-school gaming while introducing innovative combat mechanics.
  • The combat system can feel overly complicated and flawed, with issues like enemy counters and resource management leading to frustration during battles.
  • The dialogue is often lengthy and can become repetitive, detracting from the overall pacing and enjoyment of the game.
  • Technical issues such as bugs, crashes, and lack of cloud save support have been reported, impacting the overall experience for some players.
  • gameplay28 mentions

    The gameplay is a unique blend of RPG and beat-em-up mechanics, featuring a variety of character-specific moves, dynamic resource management, and a gradual introduction of new mechanics and enemy types. While the combat system is engaging and offers strategic depth, some players may find certain mechanics unbalanced, particularly regarding grappling and resource constraints. Overall, the game is praised for its innovative approach, charming presentation, and humorous dialogue, despite some repetitive elements and pacing issues.

    • “A lot of thought has gone into the mechanics, and if the game clicks with you, there's a ton of content.”
    • “The gameplay is a really interesting mix of fighting game and RPG mechanics, with position and spacing, combo bonuses and momentum, and dynamic resource management.”
    • “Beatdown City is a cool genre mashup that does something very new with the mechanics of classic NES action games like Double Dragon and JRPGs like Dragon Warrior.”
    • “The game is not without its flaws; dialogues can drag quite a bit sometimes (especially in the end), and if you weren't paying attention to the gameplay mechanics, you'll be frustrated at how the same tactic won't work on all enemies.”
    • “An issue is that the grapple resist mechanic on enemies that are not nearly dead makes grapples basically finishers, and strikes are what you will be using most of the time, so the strike character is clearly the most viable one while the grapple character feels like a 'joke'.”
    • “Some may see the gameplay as a little high given the repetitive nature and shorter campaign, around six hours for the first and currently only episode.”
  • humor17 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding the dialogue consistently hilarious and engaging, particularly in its sharp social commentary, while others feel it can be repetitive and overstays its welcome. Overall, many appreciate the nostalgic and innovative writing style, which combines humor with insightful critiques of societal issues, making it a standout feature of the game. Despite some unevenness, the comedic elements contribute significantly to the overall enjoyment and entertainment value.

    • “Some jokes made me laugh out loud and some fell a bit flat, but the overall style and content kept me entertained throughout the whole game and was another area where I felt the nostalgia shine through.”
    • “A great retro style game that has an innovative combat system and hilarious writing.”
    • “There's a whole world map to explore, tons of character dialogue that is sharp and funny and dripping with satirical social commentary.”
  • story14 mentions

    The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it engaging and humorous, while others criticize it as boring and predictable, laden with lengthy dialogues. The narrative features a unique blend of beat 'em up and RPG elements, allowing players to experience different perspectives through multiple characters, which adds depth to the storytelling. Overall, while the writing and humor are praised, the execution may not appeal to everyone, particularly those expecting a classic 80s fighting game narrative.

    • “And the story is engaging and hilarious.”
    • “With a funny story and amazing writing to go along, this is definitely a game worth picking up.”
    • “The story is pulling me along, and I want to keep playing to see where it goes.”
    • “To put it simply, if you expected some 80s fighting game story, you'll be disappointed.”
    • “The story overall is boring; you just follow the woke context and you'll know what will happen every time, plus you have to suffer through long and super boring dialogues.”
    • “Weirdly topical and dated at the same time, story/humor-wise.”
  • graphics12 mentions

    The graphics in "Treachery in Beatdown City" are a blend of retro pixel art and modern storytelling, with many users praising the vibrant 8-bit style that looks impressive even on high-resolution displays. While some critiques mention that the in-game graphics are decent but the cutscenes fall short, the overall aesthetic is celebrated for its unique charm and effective integration with the game's mechanics and soundtrack.

    • “It has a unique style of gameplay, combining beat 'em up and RPG elements with old-fashioned pixel graphics and new-fashioned story elements.”
    • “The 8-bit graphics look gorgeous on my 4K monitor, and the music and sound effects are totally on point.”
    • “Its retro aesthetic is realized flawlessly, with a kickass chiptune soundtrack to boot.”
    • “In-game graphics are decent, but the cutscenes are an eyesore.”
    • “God-awful combat, vomit-inducing graphics, dialogue that is more cringe-worthy than my hero academia fan fiction.”
    • “The combined RPG/action mechanics work really well, but the graphics and sound have the 'correct' vibe to them, and I love the background story.”
  • music7 mentions

    The music in the game has received high praise for its catchy and energetic chiptune soundtrack, which perfectly complements the retro aesthetic. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, enhancing the overall vibe and gameplay experience. Fans of nostalgic gaming will particularly appreciate the nostalgic 8-bit sound that resonates well with the visuals.

    • “Love the general vibe of the game too; the writing is sharp and the soundtrack is a banger.”
    • “Its retro aesthetic is realized flawlessly, with a kickass chiptune soundtrack to boot.”
    • “The music is very catchy, especially for fans of NES times.”
    • “I love the idea, the music, the look, (some of) the humor, and the gameplay mechanics are fun.”
  • emotional1 mentions

    Users express that the emotional impact of the game is intense and can be overwhelming, suggesting that even minor emotional disturbances can lead to a significant and rapid decline in the player's experience.

  • stability1 mentions

    Overall, users report that the game runs smoothly, indicating strong stability throughout the majority of the experience.

    • “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or major bugs.”
    • “I've experienced consistent performance throughout my playtime.”
    • “The stability of the game allows me to fully immerse myself without interruptions.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Critic Reviews

62% average critic score

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