REVIEW: ‘Arcadegeddon’ Brings the Vibes (PS4)

Arcadegeddon is a cooperative multiplayer, third-person shooter that not only provides fast-paced, slick action but a setting that melds arcade nostalgia with a fantastic soundtrack and plenty of quirky humor. Developed and published by IllFonic, this is one game you’ll want to tell your friends about.

Immediately when you load into the game, Arcadegeddon’s quirky vibe is front and center. From the alien characters in futuristic but trendy clothing to the music thumping in the background, the sights and sounds alone pull you in. And what little story there is is one to get behind: Gilly, the local arcade owner, is trying to save his business from a mega-corporation trying to take over the gaming arena. To do so, he creates a new game, but the mega-corporation infects it with a virus. So he asks his nibling, you, to battle the virus and save the last hometown arcade.

Gilly’s game is ever-changing. Players will start runs with a never-ending series of levels that either end on death or quitting. Each level requires an objective (or objectives) to be completed and players to get to a portal. The goals change from capturing roaming control points to obtaining key cards and many more. And with each level comes a change of scenery. Each level’s setting is as interesting as the next—you’ll explore a factory and a floating island, along with more futuristic settings like a cityscape overrun by nature. And while each level is undoubtedly eye-catching, with them come new hazards like acid pools or saws to keep an eye out for but also hazards you can use to your advantage like exploding barrels or flora. Again, each run is as different as the next, setting this game up for hours of playtime.

And as ever-changing as the levels are, so too are the loot and bosses. You’ll start with some pretty simplistic weaponry and find better weapons and perks as you go by killing enemies and finding loot crates, with the idea of finding better loot the higher the level is. It’s a pretty typical game mechanic, but what makes it a joy is Arcadegeddon’s collection of guns. There are so many to find, and so many have fun perks—from flamethrowers to guns that fire superconductive balls of concentrated electricity or proximity mines, it’s hard not to love Arcadegeddon’s arsenal. You’ll also find perks (called Hacks) to pick up that modify your stats like total health or increase your damage output from certain weapons like shotguns. Hacks are essential if you’re going for a certain build. And while the game does become a bit repetitive, especially at lower levels, the fact that you can unlock the ability to jump in at higher and higher levels instead of starting at level one is a great addition. Sure, it’ll be hard, but imagine the loot!

The bosses you’ll encounter are a real challenge! They’re hard-hitting and come with very different mechanics and attacks. Thankfully, you decide when to engage bosses. After a certain time, a boss fight will become available, but if you don’t feel ready yet, players can just keep leveling up until they do. How you progress is really on your terms.

While the gameplay is plenty of fun, the characters in Gilly’s arcade are possibly even more fun. Of course, you could play endless runs of Gilly’s game just for fun, but the real challenge comes from talking to these side characters and taking on Gang Challenges from them. Each character ranges from cool, reserved, to odd, but all are a lot of fun to talk to, from the hip hop artist to the punk to the wrestling duo.

Undeniably, Arcadegeddon is a fun experience, especially with friends. The music is phenomenal, and the game offers a good challenge. It’s just a blast, especially with its fast-paced action that keeps you moving (and grooving). But the enemies do become stale the more you play, and there are only so many objectives to go around; the more you play, the more Aracadegeddon boils down to a formula. Playing with buddies will undoubtedly stretch the fun, but it’ll be interesting to see if IllFonic will continue adding to the game to keep it fresh. Nevertheless, for the price, Arcadegeddon has so much to offer.

Arcadegeddon is available now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X, and Series S.