The Fenix becomes a chicken?
Pardon the pun, I quite obviously know it’s not Marcus Fenix in the game, but it’s hard not to see the resemblance with the clothes and attitude of Hardboiled Chicken. The game is a side-scrolling shooter/platformer/puzzler and uses the Flash engine, which makes a good download for PC.The story is hilarious with a combination of ridiculous spy spoof comedy, chickens and penguins. When I think of evil penguins, I can’t help but be reminded of the one from Wallace and Gromit.
This of course, is a bit more brutal as you are shooting them with a tough chicken on a mission. It’s pretty simple stuff, but its great fun and you can even play it co-operatively if you wish. There are 29 Steam achievements to earn, these can vary from randomly launching nukes to just killing tons of penguins. The game is a little on the short side, but it does have replay value in the form of getting the kills up to earn specific achievements and completing the game through co-op.
The art style is what makes Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken stand out, the cutscenes are funny and it has a charm to it that I’d like to see in other games. The visuals are basic, but well animated thanks to Flash and a smooth framerate. The music isn’t anything special, but it’s still decent. The levels are nice and varied, but once you’ve got all the achievements, there is little reason to come back. The AI isn’t the smartest and the game doesn’t pose much of a challenge.
The Verdict
Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken is a decent, yet simple side-scroller. It’s funny and is great to play, but it’s short-lived. Yet, shooting penguins with a badass chicken will never stop being amusing…
