Last year saw the release of Deathwish Enforcers from Monster Bath Games, a love letter to both grindhouse films and the classic Konami arcade games, especially Sunset Riders. Now The developer has brought a new special edition of the game to Steam so it is time to take a second look.
As mentioned, Deathwish Enforcers is a love letter to the classic Konami title, as well as action cinema of the 70s and 80s with playable characters based on famous films and works like Death Wish and Dirty Harry. The love for Sunset Riders is clear, and indeed, the first level is a modernized take on the first level of Sunset Riders, albeit in a way that may surprise some people. What is different in this version of the game is that the game’s speed has been adjusted to better match the feel of Sunset Riders. This is a welcome change as the game’s speed was something that felt a bit off in the original release but now feels so much better when playing.
In addition to Sunset Riders, other arcade influences can be seen such as Crime Fighters and more, but the general game is just one that is easy to get into. You and up to three friends must take on a variety of enemies and stages to stop a villainous plot, but this is not a typical co-op game. The best way to go about things is to think of the game as a competitive co-op game with you competing against the other players and trying to trip them up at times.
There are several stage hazards to be aware of, including falling signs, dynamite and large gaps, and only one of the playable characters can get a promotion at the end, so your goal should be to trick your friends into taking the hit for you. Of course, this makes it much harder for those who are playing alone, but there are numerous ways to dodge the stage hazards. You just need to play a little bit to get the rhythm and understand how things work, and remember to slide constantly as it will help you to survive.
One thing that is very enjoyable about Deathwish Enforcers is how its art style truly feels like a callback to classic arcade games and gives the feeling of a lost classic. Bear in mind though, that this game has all of the challenges of a classic arcade game but until you beat the game the first time, you do not have the option to keep adding credits. Fortunately though, if you do make it to another stage before losing all your lives, you can continue from the last stage you started on, so the pain of starting over from the start of the game is not here.
Each playable character is based on pop culture figures, such as Dirty Harry and Paul Kersey from Deathwish, but also characters based on the UK show The Avengers and the films of Pam Grier. This is a love letter to action cinema, grindhouse and police fiction and using its arcade influence, it manages to bring an amazing experience. This new release adds in a new character as well with Maxwell, based on Maxwell Smart from Get Smart, as well as James Bond and is a delight to play as.
One neat touch is how the game has elements of beat ’em ups as well when characters get too close to enemies, and this along with using mechanics from modern games makes Deathwish Enforcers feels like a great blend of ideas. Yes, the difficulty can be a bit frustrating in single-player mode, but with an amazing soundtrack like the game has, and that X factor that so many wannabe spiritual sequels lack, this is a game you just want to keep playing. It is also neat that cinematic elements are incorporated into how the characters move, such as how they move into crouching behind a box to shoot while using cover.
One thing that must be commented on is that not only where there were several small changes here and there in the game, but several new easter eggs have been added. There are more secrets to find and the gameplay just feels a bit more refined in general here. The music has received a touchup as well, and it is interesting to go back and compare it to the original release and spot what details were changed.
All in all, this earns the title of Special Edition as Monster Bath managed to take what was already a truly great game and make it even better. The developers did some great work here and the love of the classic games and movies is evident just by playing for a few minutes. This is a can’t-miss game and one that fans of classic games and classic movies alike should definitely check out.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
