America’s Retribution Review

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America’s Retribution is a 2D Action Platformer in where we try to save the United States of America as our good president, Mr. Donald J Trump. Our first order of business is to stop the violent take over of terrorist group Antifa as they wreak havoc in Washington’s streets. Submachine gun in hand, we risk it all to protect our citizens and brave through all the hazards they’ve set up, such as spikes jolting from the ground or barrels of fire. They have multiple types of goons as well, each possessing their own ideas as to how to take you down. Right from the get-go, you will find yourself being shot at before you can even take in the surprisingly amazing music and background reminiscent of titles such as Streets of Rage.

As you battle your way throughout the level, you will encounter some Americans that need your help. Not only will you save them from danger, but you will also give them a job while you’re at it. Thankful and now gainfully employed, these citizens will give you all matters of useful things for your good deed. These can range from powerful new weapons with limited ammunition, more grenades, or a one-use special ability for dire situations. From laser-guns or flamethrowers, you’ll be able to get your hands on all matter of weaponry to even the odds. And man, will you be needing it. This is by no means an easy game. With only a single checkpoint per level and a single life to complete it, you will be meeting your end many a time. Thankfully, you can bring in a pair of helping hands in the form of Vice President Mike Pence as a second player. It features Steam’s Remote Play Together, so only a single person needs to own the title for some online coop action.

What will likely harm you the most are the hazards. This requires some pretty precise platforming at times, that both the controls and hitboxes are not well suited for. Enemies are not difficult in themselves, but I do feel they have too much health. It becomes slightly tedious smashing the attack button nonstop when you are down to your standard weapon. More so due to how some enemies spawn near you out of thin air. This is greatly alleviated by the inclusion of another player, yet the flow of the game would benefit if they did some balance tweaking when playing solo. In multiplayer you also have the huge benefit of being able to resurrect a dead player by saving babies or picking up a pill item. Playing in coop can also turn into a deathtrap for players that don’t actually cooperate with one another. As soon as one of you gets caught off-screen, it is instant death.

For the eagle-eyed readers out there, you may have already noticed the seemingly random stream of numbers on the upper part of the screen. That is, in fact, the national debt. We decrease it by collecting money or other valuable items usually dropped by defeated foes. It essentially works as a reverse scoring system, in that the lower it gets, the better it means you are doing. You sure as sin are not going to pay off this debt, however. By the end of this brutal adventure, I barely made a dent in the bloody thing. Thanks, Obama. The entire experience is very tongue in cheek like that. I appreciate the humor here. Many other meme games about Trump are straight-up mean spirited and cruel in their jokes. That is not the case with America’s Retribution. It takes plenty of jabs at everybody from both political parties in a goofy, yet unapologetic manner.

Each of the five stages will have you fighting a boss at the end of it. It has some of Trump’s “enemies” like Shia LaBeouf, Kim Jong Un, and of course, Hillary Clinton. They are no pushovers. Further upping the stakes is how far back the checkpoints are if you were to fail. You are in for a world of hurt if you go in there with only your basic weapon, as you will be firing at them for quite some time as their health slowly whittles down. You can attempt a level as many times as you want, but be warned, exiting the game will set you back to the very first stage. Another warning is that when you die in coop and are tossed back into the main menu, drop down and pick Continue. Do not pick ‘2 Player’ which it defaults to or you will find yourselves back to the start. It’s not a necessarily long title, though much like retro games, the sheer difficulty will keep you playing for longer than it otherwise would be. Strangely enough, the third level is by far the most difficult level thanks to the abundance of brutal platforming in it.

I easily spent the majority of my entire playtime trying to get through the third stage. It was pretty cheap in its environmental hazards and platforming. This was also the only place that features instant death for the character in the form of a green mucus monster that takes far too much damage. Everything that comes after that is like a walk in the park thanks to it mostly focusing on its action aspects from then on. All things considered, this entire five level journey still only took me an hour and a half. It is definitely unbalanced in some parts and a bit jank, yet it is fun all the way through. The thought of quitting never even crossed our minds as we inched ever closer to saving America and to see what is next. Each stage has an entirely unique theme, enemies, and great music. This is the type of game where you are storming through the middle east one moment and shrunken down fighting the insides of a human being the next.

America’s Retribution is so close to being a good game with just some minor tweaks. This has clearly had work put into it and is not just some throwaway meme title banking in on Trump’s likeness. As it is, you’d still find a really solid, over the top experience that is not afraid to bust your chops like the titles of old. I especially like all its small touches, like Mike Pence having different colored grenades and unique ultimate abilities. Trump can call in airstrikes or a giant wall, while Pence has the power of Jesus on his side. It is all quite insane, but the kind of insanity where you can’t help but to keep watching what it does next. At the low price of four US Dollars, America’s Retribution may be worth checking out for those on the lookout for a budget, Metal Slug like experience.

Rating:
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