It have to be pretty difficult for these at Atari HQ to determine upon their subsequent plan of action. Having launched their Recharged collection of video games with absolutely the icons of gaming – Centipede, Asteroids, Missile Command and the like – eventually they would wish to start out delving a bit deeper into the depths of old-school gaming, searching for video games that might develop into little sleeper hits within the fashionable period.
With Berzerk: Recharged they’ve probably finished simply that. Taking a sport from 1980 – a sport that had seemingly gathered some form of cult standing with out ever actually discovering a house within the mindsets of the tens of millions – this is without doubt one of the higher additions to the Recharged collection. In truth, we’ve come away shocked at simply how addictive this little sport is.
Berzerk: Recharged takes the unique Berzerk formulation from 1980 and whips it up right into a 2020’s frenzy. Visually overhauled (because it have to be), it suits in with the opposite Recharged titles quite properly, persevering with the standard graphical type that has labored for the Atari staff thus far. Futuristic however easy is how I’d describe it, with neon colors able to offering loads of depth and selection to the sport house, the primary protagonist and the opponents that come their manner.
These visuals are extraordinarily nicely complemented by a quite beautiful soundtrack by the ever prolific Megan McDuffee. The tunes of McDuffee sit behind the standard twin-stick capturing results that you just’d anticipate of such a sport, combining nicely with the final ambiance of the on-screen motion. Frankly, visually and aurally, Berzerk: Recharged works rather well. Apart that’s of some shadowing points; clipping of characters on maze corners and an odd out-of-action backside fringe of the display which causes the occasional downside.
Gameplay is on level. It is a twin-stick shooter wherein you’re left to navigate your manner by means of an infinite maze. The Arcade mode from the primary menu will allow you to dip into this, all as you go looking for high-score tabling, maybe making an attempt to finest the scores of your mates within the course of. Taking pictures and destroying all enemies discovered within the single display rooms is entrance and centre for this matter, constructing combos as you progress from one display to the following, tackling the small number of foes that pop up.
These guys will fortunately battle again too, coming in a couple of totally different types. There’s the Drone who will chase you across the display, capturing again; a Pursuer intent on homing in in your place at pace; that of a Turret, stationary, spinning on the spot, firing out a number of bullets; and the Crawler. Actually, the final of those are simply the best to despatch, as they stick with partitions, hardly ever proving to be a lot problem.
Clearing screens usually lets you transfer on to the following, however end up in a little bit of a squeeze and typically it’s best to forgo the factors scoring for security, shifting as much as one other room as quick as you may. And moreover, stick round in a single room for too lengthy, maybe not than ten seconds or so, and the Evil Otto will come bouncing in.
Otto is a little bit of a cult icon in some elements, gathering up acclaim from the unique sport manner again when. He involves Berzerk: Recharged in flashy neon type, grinning away, intent on taking you down. You’d do finest to avoid him too, as Otto is totally indestructible; when he comes on display, you already know it’s finest to leg it.
The factor is, the extra rooms you progress by means of, the trickier the enemies. While they proceed to return your manner within the normal types, colour-coding them sees your opponents handled to further well being bars, fast motion and the like. Berzerk: Recharged is actually no stroll within the park when you’ve got a display stuffed with the hardest of foes.
Serving to you in your trigger are a number of weapon power-ups. Initially full with a little bit of a weedy little pistol, you may improve this for a restricted time; massive pictures, bouncing pictures and triple pictures are all a lot appreciated. There are shields to make use of, well being grabs, mines and an Eradicator too – this final one being extraordinarily uncommon however helpful for clearing a display of bullet hell.
In truth, the one improve and choose up that we’ve principally steered away from is that of a Rail Gun. It’s too gradual and imprecise for the manic motion that may typically unfold in Berzerk: Recharged, with us by no means having received on with its capturing nature. In fact, it’s the one one that may fireplace by means of partitions although, so swings and roundabouts. At instances in Berserk: Recharged, you’ll take no matter you may get.
With somewhat sprint that quick refills for a number of use, guiding your man by means of the mazes of Berzerk: Recharged is very addictive. Whether or not that be for leaderboard placings, achievement and Gamerscore gathering or simply the sheer competitors that Berzerk permits; reasonings will differ for each gamer. For us although, we’ve most actually discovered this one of the vital interesting of all of the Recharged video games from Atari. It’s maybe as a result of it’s much less well-known, or possibly simply because the random nature permits for added play.
Other than that Arcade mode and a smattering of sport modifiers for these actually intent on bringing the ache, comes the standard Mission construction that could be a key ingredient of all Recharged video games. There are some thirty Missions on supply right here, ramping up in depth pretty rapidly – and we’re needing the assistance of our press package for that quantity as a result of we’re nowhere close to finishing all of them. Even with a neighborhood multiplayer cooperative good friend in tow, Berzerk: Recharged is a correct beast by way of these hand-crafted phases; you’ll be left going by means of them for an excellent previous whereas.
Whether or not it’s as a result of Berzerk: Recharged feels brisker than the remainder, or whether or not it’s due to the random nature it brings, we really feel that is within the higher echelons of all of the Recharged video games that Atari have pushed out in latest months. It’s removed from good, there are some odd visible annoyances and moments of clipping, however on the entire, it is a tremendous addictive playthrough that simply so occurs to return at a cracking value.
Simply avoid Otto, yeah!?
