“So ashamed, so angry, all that I wanted was some privacy.” “As the Prince of Hell I deserve my special time with my Rubber Ducky.” “But No, some fool just HAD to take paparazzi pics of my private moments.” “I will have my Revenge on of of those who viewed those pictures or took them!” That is how this game starts out, and it only gets weirder and goofier folks. Developed by Arkedo Studios and published by Sega, this game is certianly an odd one.
Unlike Arkedo’s previous games, this game is a fully featured action platformer with a very bizarre plot where you play as an Undead Rabbit that is Ash, the Prince of Hell, who took over after his father erished. As the prince he has a reputation, as well as enemies who would wish to usurp or humiliate him. Someone takes snapshots of his “Special bathtime with ducky” and he catches wind of this and vows to exact revenge on all who looked at these pictures as well as whoever took them.
The gameplay starts out as a simple platformer where your character can’t even fight and can only run around and jump or double jump. But once you run into one of your servants, he bestows a weapon that get this, is a buzz saw that can be rode on and also functions as a jet-pack. Later on you will get your first of many gun upgrades, which has an ammo counter but is refilled, presumably so you cannot just spam your way to victory by repeatedly hitting the shot button. The gun is controlled by using the right analog stick and pressing the Right Trigger button. This is kind of an odd choice as it makes shooting, moving, jumping, and aiming your shots hard to do. There is no way to alter the controls. A bummer considering that it would have made more sense to map the shoot button to Left Trigger instead,
which is used for a dashing maneuver you also get later on. The buttons should have been swapped.
Since this this game’s premise is getting revenge on the monsters that looked at the prince’s pictures, you will have the task of slaying 100 unique monsters that all have their own method to kill them. Some will need to be killed unconventionally when you get to parts of the levels where your buzz saw jet-pack is taken away. When you do deplete of of their health, a little Wario Ware like mini-game appears where you usually have to do a ludicrous thing under a timer. The end result is an ultra-violent finishing move is performed, some of these which will make many a classic video-game or pop culture reference. When the enemy dies you can then read a little bio on them. Also, since they already are dead, they don’t truly die so much as they get sent to an island where they can then be set to work for you and potentially give you free items.
During the game you can find money scattered about the levels which can be used to upgrade the power of your weapons, unlock new weapons, or increase health or restore it. In addition the game has customizable skins for Ash’s Hat or buzz saw, which you can also buy. Within the levels you can also take on special missions to get more prizes. The game is fairly easy, although the monsters and levels can be tricky and you will likely die a lot before conquering them. Thankfully the game is fairly forgiving and the levels are covered with checkpoint gates that also act as barriers that won’t open until you’ve killed the monsters in the area. Death just zooms you past the closest save point, some of which restore your health and is represented by a shower that rains blood on you.
While the game has a rather simple mechanic and is short and mostly not challenging, it might get a bit repetitive for some. It’s accented by humorous dialog, which unfortunately is not voiced. That is a shame because the game could have really used it. The little voice acting there is, is done in the opening sequence and it’s gibberish, or standard “ouch” sound effects. The game does give the promise of future DLC though so that’s something to look forward to. It showcases bright and colorful 2d sprites in high definition with good sound quality. The music sounds nice and fits the levels appropriately, but isn’t soundtrack listening material. The humor while funny, could have been improved a bit.
All in all this is a game that has a few good ideas and is somewhat imaginative, but lackluster gameplay. It could have used a little more variation in the later stages, possibly more boss fights. I’d say it’s worth the 15 bucks though, especially when compared to retail game price. If you want a wacky and cartoony violence filled game that has fun with itself, Hell Yeah is worth looking into. Try
the demo.
Gameplay
Graphics
Sound
Overall
