Review: Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken

Ratloop upped the ante on Flash-based games with the award-winning Rocketbirds Revolution. Now, the bar has been raised again with Hardboiled Chicken. Combining traditional side scrolling shooting action with fantastic high def graphics and new jet pack style missions, this game has a lot of solid action. Don't let the name put you off. This is a great game that is incredibly polished for a downloadable title.

Hen House to Bird Brain.. do you copy?

Gameplay

In the beginning, Hardboiled holds your hand through a few basic side scrolling missions that feels like a great mix of old school titles.  Even though the basic jumping, ducking and shooting is solid, the jet pack areas really standout. Having complete freedom of movement in the air whilst shooting other poultry is a blast. The scale is also very impressive as the camera zooms out to feature a massive balloon with a bunch of enemies shooting at you. The different paths and areas are very fun. Hiding in the shadows and awaiting to uppercut your enemies is very fun and cool. This is the type of game that seems too simple at the beginning, but it grows on you the more you play through the games' 10 levels. A few times I got a bit annoyed with the small and stiff jumping but hey, you are a big fat chicken! Also, the rolling mechanics can be a bit dicey throughout combat. You can play solo or co-op with different characters. Either way, the gameplay is great!

Those are some big bottle rockets!

Graphics/Sound

I'll just say this:  I loved the graphics and art style of Hardboiled. It features some dark, dimly lit hallways and tunnels, then all of a sudden, you are shooting with feathers flying, in a lush jungle setting. The scale and colors of the jet pack sections are also very impressive. Also, the animations and cartoon-style cut scenes are of a very high quality. Whether you prefer the style or not, the graphics all flow together into a quality package that fits the mood of the game very nicely. Well done, Ratloop Asia!

Alongside the graphics, the sound is also very nice. Sound effects are good, even if a little soft on the gunfire noises. The voice acting is also solid, but I sure wish the main character had a cooler-sounding voice. His voice resembles a bit like a 16-year-old kid after smoking some serious weed. Other than that, the sound and music is very fitting. The soundtrack is from a band called New World Revolution and the punky/poppy tunes are very catchy. The attitude fits these birds perfectly.

Fun

Honestly, at first, Hardboiled is more functional than fun. After you get more weapons and get to the jet pack area, the game really dials up the fun. For a simple downloadable title, it does take a bit to get going. Playing with a friend will definitely up the fun factor but even solo, this an enjoyable title that fits the bill if you like humor, side scrolling action and a whole bunch of attitude. The gory deaths and gun play were surprising but is very well done and juggling an enemy in the air with bullets is pretty enjoyable. Check it out!