Mullet Madjack XSX Review

Gameplay

Graphics

Audio

Value

Summary: Haste makes wasted robots in this rambunctious roguelike FPS

4

Party at the back

Mullet Madjack is a raucous retro roguelite that’s well worth the price of admission (especially if you have Gamepass).

Players slip on the wrap-around shades of our mulleted OVA hero, who’s been chosen by Peace Corp. to fight the bourgeoisie one floor at a time to win a brand new pair of sneakers. Only problem is he needs to act fast for his fashionable footwear as he’s only got ten seconds to gun down every last robotic Rockefeller or he’ll drop dead.

Thankfully, every gun-toting robot Mullet eradicates replenishes the timer, the more stylish the kill, the more time you bank, with bonuses given for slamming unsuspecting simulants into fans, TVs, or electrical boxes, as well as quickly dispatching multiple foes or landing a clean head (or nut) shots bag you bonus time. Random upgrades dolled out as you climb the () 82 floors further enhances these bonuses.

You’ll also unlock new upgradable weapons, including a handy shotgun, flaming katana, and a devastating rail gun. (There’s also a bonus weapon for those that take a look at the included unboxing video.)

Mullet Madjack is furious and fast FPS, with success often gauged by how quickly you can string together kills and pushing forward constantly. As you progress to greater heights though, some cracks creep in as the complexity of the levels and the robotic capitalists you come across get harder to kill. There are sword-wielding enemies that you have to slide into and shield toting enforcers that require multiple hits along with giant spider bots that make a beeline for you on top of the hordes of zoot suit clad grunts packing pistols and shotguns.

It can get a little overwhelming at times, and since every floor is randomly generated, Mullet Madjack does have that annoying issue that many procedurally generated Roguelikes have where the difficulty is all over the place. Although there are several difficulty levels, including one that turns the game into a straight boomer shooter (but why bother), how you fare in each run you manage to climb before getting kicked back to the last checkpoint (every ten floors) often feels more a matter of luck than judgement

Every tenth floor sees Mullet take on one of the robotic Billionaires that inhabit the tower. Each of these boss battles is a ton of fun, and changes up the gameplay by removing the ten seconds time limit, instead opting for straight boss battles with a health meter. I say straight, half are excuses for some fun little set pieces that see you taking part in sniper battles, shanking a bullet dodging samurai with whatever you can grab and even a turn-based battle.

Once you’re finished with Story mode, you can have a crack at Endless Mode that remixes the main levels and gets rid of the boos fights and checkpoints to see how many floors you can clear in a single run. It’s a nice additional challenge, along with the obligatory boss rush mode that pits you against Mullet Madjack’s varied bosses one after another.

The solid gameplay is backed up by buckets of slightly confused retro charm. It’s stacked full of fantastic references to games and movies from the 80s and 90s, even with a little 2000’s net humour tossed in for good measure. (Do a barrel roll) It’s brash, silly, and left leaning in its outlook. considering recent world events, a game where you murder billionaires for likes and profit seems a little on the nose, but it’s still a message I can still get behind. (Billionaires only exist to bleed us dry and shouldn’t exist.)

The presentation is bright, vibrant and brings to mind the ultra violent anime OVAs of my youth. It’s Cyber City by way of Dominion with cut scenes straight out of the mid 90s. Everything has a level of faux jank that suits it’s long lost Windows 95 shooter vibe perfectly.

The soundtrack is also fitting and incredibly catchy, featuring the kind of 80s inspired, driving synthwave that works perfectly with Mullet Madjack’s neon soaked cyberpunk. It also opens with one hell of a sax solo that would make Tim Capello proud.

Final Thoughts

Mullet Madjack is a fast and furious roguelike FPS that scratches that just one more go itch perfectly. It’s tight time limits and hair trigger blasting are as exhilarating as they are challenging, while it’s retro sheen, cyberpunk aesthetics and gleeful anti capitalist message make it all the more charming.

About the Author

Gareth Newnham

Mullet Madjack XSX Review