![]() You can find additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here. The game was reviewed on Nintendo Switch using a final “retail” download code provided by Vblank Entertainment. Shakedown: Hawaii was released May 7 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Windows PC for $19.99. Shakedown: Hawaii presents itself as a unique real estate-centric twist on open-world action, but it seems satisfied to stick with a cheap rental. From the makers of Retro City Rampage, Shakedown Hawaii brings the Vblank open world universe into the 16-bit era, powered up with destructible environments and an arsenal of supercharged. It also mercifully avoids the extreme difficulty of its predecessor.ĭespite that, I’m left with a sense of unfulfilled ambition. But the actual gameplay offers a nice mix of driving, shooting, and surprisingly capable platforming sequences. The tone of these missions is cynical takes on disgusting business practices (rebranding “gamer” energy soda or scamming people with cheap printer cartridges), and they lose their charm after the first few dozen. In that light, it’s easy to while away a commute with its responsive, RC car driving controls and minutelong micro-missions. Vblank EntertainmentĪs much as I applaud the ambition of the property ownership systems in Shakedown: Hawaii, the best way to play is to ignore much of that and treat it as straight-up mindless arcade action. Rather than feeling like I’m in command of this city, it feels like I’m watching meaningless numbers increase in menu screens. ![]() Buying the airport, for example, doesn’t unlock access to new vehicles like helicopters. Buying more gun shops does unlock new weapons, but the vast majority of purchases simply boost my daily income. It’s also disappointing that most of these properties don’t amount to much. When I’m asked to steal a coffee truck to add $100 to that tally, it begins to feel petty. At present, I’m making $21 million in just a few in-game minutes. By the time I was halfway through the game, I was making millions a day. While some of the properties are gated to the story, most are not. Part of the issue may lie in the way I’ve played: Instead of focusing on the main story, I wanted to buy up as much of the city as quickly possible. Vblank Entertainment via Polygonīuying up the town, neighborhood by neighborhood, is satisfying (if unquestionably evil), but it also results in a game so front-loaded that the latter half has nowhere to go. Now, with every story mission I complete, even more plots are up for grabs, increasing my cash flow and control over the city.īuying up real estate in Shakedown: Hawaii. Blue icons filled the map indicating everything for sale. I was astonished when I first started playing. I’m talking about hundreds of buildings, ranging from convenience stores to chop shops to salons to airports. The most impressive feature: I can own every piece of real estate in the game. But where Retro City opted for NES-era graphics, Shakedown looks more like an unreleased Genesis game.ĭespite the old-school visuals, there are some truly modern sensibilities in Shakedown: Hawaii. They’re both open-world games in the style of the original Grand Theft Auto. Shakedown: Hawaii is the quasi-sequel to Retro City Rampage. By the end of the game, you literally own the whole city. But in Shakedown: Hawaii, there’s no “essentially” about it. Software Usage Terms apply, See eu./legal for full usage rights.You’ve been here before: You start an open-world game as a petty gangster, slowly working you way up the criminal ladder until you essentially own the whole city. exclusively licensed to Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe. Library programs ©Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. See Health Warnings for important health information before using this product. PS Vita: One-time fee for use of downloads on up to 3 activated compatible Portable Console systems. VBlank Entertainment has announced that its indie title, Shakedown: Hawaii, which is available on more platforms than you can count, will launch for PS5 tomorrow, December 15, 2020, with a. PS3: One-time fee for use of downloads on up to 2 activated PS3 systems. You can download and play this content on the main PS5 console associated with your account (through the “Console Sharing and Offline Play” setting) and on any other PS5 consoles when you login with your same account. See Terms of Service for more important information. If you do not wish to accept these terms, do not download this product. See /bc for more details.ĭownload of this product is subject to the PlayStation Network Terms of Service and our Software Usage Terms plus any specific additional conditions applying to this product. Although this game is playable on PS5, some features available on PS4 may be absent. To play this game on PS5, your system may need to be updated to the latest system software.
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