Mojo rising.
There are two phrases in gaming that really make me cringe nowadays. Roguelike and procedurally generated. These two buzzwords became all the rage a while back, and now it seems nigh impossible to find indie titles not spouting them like they are going out of style. While they are not always indicative of a bad game, they certainly fill me with caution when they are bullet points. Case in point, Full Mojo Rampage. From the description it sounds like every other downloadable title released in the last 12 months. RPG elements, leveling up, and starting over upon death. Levels are generated so we are never playing the same thing twice! Thankfully, the game play and addiction is here to back this one up.
Much like its descriptors, Full Mojo Rampage is an action RPG with twin stick shooter controls. Each level is random, and progress is lost upon death. When I perished I was able to retain my gold and XP to upgrade my character, but progress through the game starts over and all the items I picked up were gone. It is a deflating feeling.
MSRP: $12.99
Platforms: XB1, PS4, PC
Price I’d Pay: $12.99
That said, the core game play here is super addictive. Hordes of enemies flow out, and I would dance a ballet of bullets around them. Spike traps and flames were abundant, and each time I died, I knew it was my fault. The loop is satisfying, well as much as a game that strips all my hard-earned progress away at the first sign of failure can be.
The game plays like a standard top-down shooter. There are power-ups that make dispersing baddies much easier, and plenty of hazards along the way. Controls are tight and feel great, but the repetition sets in quickly.
Thankfully playing solo is not a total bore, but playing online is where it is at. Full Mojo Rampage plays host to plenty of multiplayer modes. There are competitive modes that support up to either players, and of course the quintessential co-op affair, which makes the roguelike elements sting just a little less. Competitive modes run the gamut of typical affairs such as capture and deathmatch outings, while the co-op is where I found most of my enjoyment, as there is solace in death when playing with friends.
The random nature of levels makes for interesting runs. I would find myself playing for hours or minutes, depending on what the game dealt me. When I did complete levels, sometimes a mystery area would open up; again these are totally random, so sometimes it was a blessing, and others a curse. Hey, I guess the name does have some merit!
This makes it fun though. In an area where most games use randomness and roguelike as bullet points, Full Mojo Rampage uses them how they were intended, to enhance the core game play. I am a progress nerd, I love to see spreadsheets of stats and keep my progress, but I found myself coming back for more with this game, which is something I often find myself getting frustrated at in most games of this type.
Full Mojo Rampage is a solid game with bullet points I usually find off putting. The game play loop is solid, and the controls are tight. Playing with friends is also a blast, whether we were working together or against one another. There are a lot of titles that boast what Rampage does, but few have done it with the execution found here. Even if these words scare you, like they scare me, this game is still worth checking out.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
