Arcadegeddon
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Arcadegeddon
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Arcadegeddon is a downloadable third-person shooter for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and Windows PCs. It's about an evil mega-corporation trying to shut down an arcade that plays host to a new indie video game by attacking it with a virus. The arcade's owner is the player character's uncle as well as the game's designer. The player's avatar can be customized, with players able to choose skin color, body type, and cosmetic items. Play -- a mix of co-operative and competitive missions against other players and computer-controlled bots -- is focused pretty much entirely on fighting in the game within a game, with players using a wide range of guns, melee weapons, and special powers. No one in the game's real world is hurt, but enemies within the game sometimes leave colorful pink streaks of blood-like liquid on the ground when dispatched. Parents should also note that dialogue contains a bit of mild language, including words like "damn," "bitch," and "hell."
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What’s It About?
ARCADEGEDDON turns you into a revolutionary gamer hanging out in an independent arcade under digital attack by an evil megacorporation. Your uncle, the arcade's proprietor, has created a third-person shooter game that's the arcade's hottest draw. You and the rest of the arcade's customers play the game to fend off the corporation's cyberattacks and enjoy a little friendly competition. The adventure mode, which can be played solo or cooperatively with a few friends, is set in a series of neon-coloured cyberworld stages filled with corporate robots. Your goal here is basically to survive as long as you can, completing objectives -- such as holding an area for a set amount of time as enemies attack or taking on a boss -- while keeping your eyes peeled for chests full of weapons and goodies. There's also a competitive battle mode that runs small groups of players through a series of quick mini-games -- like trying to be the last one remaining on disappearing platforms, earning points in king-of-the-hill competitions, or collecting and throwing a ball into a goal area -- all while avoiding attacks from other players. As you play through both modes, occasionally chatting with non-player characters back in the arcade who provide tasks to complete, you'll earn various currencies that can be used to unlock cosmetic costume upgrades as well as passive perks and special abilities.
Is It Any Good?
It's not particularly groundbreaking, but when everything clicks, this colorful shooter can be pretty satisfying. Arcadegeddon doesn't get bogged down in story, preferring instead to keep players neck deep in shooting action. It's absolutely loaded with imaginative weapons that fire sawblades, tracking bullets, bursts of electrical energy, and rounds that freeze enemies in place, and they can be leveled up and visually customized. The neon environments are splashy and dynamic, with fun features such as energy springs that make getting around a little more exciting. That said, the adventure mode stages do start to feel a little same-y after a while, regularly recycling objectives and bad guy types. Bosses add a bit of flavor, but aren't nearly as creative in design or behavior as those seen in similar games.
Battle mode provides a good distraction should you get bored of the story. It almost feels like Mario Party done shooter style, with the mini-games lasting just a few minutes each, players randomly grouped into teams in certain games, and points tallied across games in order to crown a final winner. It helps, as well, that players are provided a constant stream of objectives, such as opening a set number of chests or earning a specific total score in Battle mode, ensuring there's always something to focus on beyond just winning the current match or mode. In the end, though, your chances of sticking with this one will likely rest on whether you can find people you know to play with you. There's fun to be mined from Arcadeggedon, but you'll likely need the help of friends to dig it out.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in the media. Is the impact of the violence in Arcadegeddon affected by the fact that it takes place in a video game within the game, so no one is really hurt in the game's world? Does this alter your emotional response to the fighting? Would it have more impact if it was more realistic?
Can you think of a real-world example in which people running a company knowingly broke the law in order to make more money? What should the penalties be for such behavior?
Game Details
- Platforms: PlayStation 5, Windows
- Pricing structure: Paid ($29.99)
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: IllFonic
- Release date: July 5, 2022
- Genre: Third-Person Shooter
- Topics: Robots
- ESRB rating: T for Animated Blood, Violence
- Last updated: July 29, 2022
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