– December 10, 2012Posted in: Reviews

Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken is a side-scrolling, shoot-em up action game released and published by Ratloop Asia. You play as Hardboiled, a chicken, naturally, focused solely on fighting the good fight and taking down the evil penguin tyrants.

Visuals

From the models to the environments, the art and assets of this game really capture the player’s attention. Ranging from jungle installations to grimy city alleys to industrial military-type warehouse backdrops, Rocketbirds sets the tone vividly. In contrast to the more realistic scenery, the characters of the game, both good and evil, stand out with cartoony, exaggerated designs.

Gameplay

The gameplay of Rocketbirds is standard. Run through levels, shooting down anything and everything in your way, scaling various platforms and solving various puzzles. The real fun comes via one of the best elements in the game: brain bugs. These little guys allow you to take control over the enemy penguins, mingling with their cohorts undetected. It even becomes a necessity to solve certain puzzles in the game. As soon as you’re done with your subject, you can use them to take out other enemies. Even if the thrill to kill overwhelms you and your remotely-controlled penguin is KIA prematurely, there’s plenty of other not-so-willing subjects.ese little guys allow you to

One of the more-frustrating aspects of the game is when Hardboiled straps the titular rocket on his back. As you soar the skies, throngs of enemies meet you in the air. Navigating the blue, avoiding enemy fire, and taking the penguins out becomes rather difficult.

Sound

By far, one of the stand-outs of this game is the soundtrack, primarily put together by indie band . Awesome rock music plays throughout cut-scenes and gameplay. The voice-acting of all the characters, while over-the-top, fits the feel of the game perfectly.

Story

The story given the characters and visuals is a bit more comedic, but adds to the game, giving you a feel for Hardboiled’s motivations in taking out this evil penguin regime. Throughout the game, flashback cut-scenes give clues as to who the chicken Hardboiled really is.

Verdict

8.6 - Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken is a great game to pass a few hours. If it hits your magic price, be sure to pick it up.

About Oriech

The brains behind the code that makes BrainLazy tick, Sean Cherchio is a founding member of the Brain Trust and co-owner of BrainLazy. After playing “Drowning Man #5″ in the hit film “Titanic,” Sean went on to a successful career in poultry farming. Rumor has it he has inhabited the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey since the early 1800′s. He has cloven hooves, bat-like wings, and is immune to cannon fire.

Rocketbirds: Hardboiled (PC) Review