Not knowing what to expect, I loaded up ‘Road Punk Mayhem’ by Panda Indie Studio and Eastasiasoft Limited. Straight away, I was transported back to my teenage years in the ’90s, a time when top-down shoot-em-ups ruled the arcade and punk rock was pouring out of America.

Back then, I could game all day without a care in the world, now, here I am, a 40-year-old gamer, ready to take on the “bald crew” in the game. Let’s jump in and see what we find.

Loading in, you find yourself with a basic start menu encompassing a leaderboard like the old-school pinball games guide, giving you very limited instructions, credits and settings. You have an option of three different pilots, each with similar vehicles but different shooting styles; Forma, Cacio or Gorgonzola.

I choose my character and start mashing a few buttons and I am back to the 90’s, hitting keys and dodging shots. You battle your way through various enemies, tanks, helicopters, trucks and the list goes on in a firestorm that covers your screen in this post-apocalyptic acid trip of a world.

It’s all about quick reactions and moving your ship around the screen to avoid the enemies’ weapons and still trying to do some damage as you can only shoot forward. As you destroy or take damage, classic mini cutscenes will flash up on your screen like an old-school cartoon feeding into the retro experience.

Like all games of this genre, you will level up and gain a bonus by creating combos, upgrading your weapons and even using bombs to clear obstacles and enemies. Do I really know what I am doing? Absolutely not. Am I having fun though? Absolutely! You will easily complete this game in a few hours, which would be its only downsize, the longevity.

The graphics are what you would expect from an Indie top-down game, pop art, cartoonish and to the point. They have an anime vibe without going into overbearing detail. It brings a nice contrast. It does take some getting used to as the screen is constantly moving like a movie reel film with the edges of the map twisted and cut, bobbing up and down as you play which threw me off for a few minutes before getting used to the chaotic breakneck speed.

The scenes are short and sharp lasting less than 8 minutes, in most cases. There are multiple scenes throughout your adventure from roads, forest and high up in the clouds to name a few, all helping to mix up the feel of the game trying to distract you from just continually going forward.

The soundtrack is also top-notch helping you get immersed in the game, the old punk rock style tunes suit the atmosphere the game wants to portray to a tee and get you amped up for the fast-paced action ahead.

Overall it’s a solid game, with its breakneck action, steep learning curve, pulsating visuals and old-school soundtrack, you can’t help but have fun. You have little time to think about your next move and just have to continue moving. If you are a purest of the old-school games with a modern graphical twist and want to kill some time, then Road Punk Mayhem is a game you should absolutely add to your collection!

Written by: Mikey B