A game that's impossible to pigeonhole: a beat 'em all that combines a Mad Max cyberpunk world with the fantasy styling of a point and click game like Monkey Island. Imagine travelling across a post-apocalyptic desert filled with eccentric characters, dangerous gangs, and bizarre creatures, all while solving puzzles and engaging in hilarious conversations. That sums it up pretty well!
Scrap Riders is a hybrid gaming experience that deftly combines two seemingly contradictory genres – point and click and beat 'em up – all served up in a retro pixel art aesthetic. It's an explosive and successful combo! Most of the gameplay leans towards the adventure side, in the style of Monkey Island, with the beat 'em up sequences providing a short change of pace. They break up the longer sequences of exploring and clicking on random items in a quirky, trashy post-apocalyptic world.
You play as Rast, a smuggler with a brash sense of humour and member of an outlaw biker gang known as the Scrap Riders. They are living in a desert reminiscent of Mad Max when they get caught up in a dangerous conspiracy involving the disappearance of a priceless artefact. Rast then sets off on a perilous adventure to unpick the threads of the plot and save his gang from ruin.
We loved the totally new blend of gameplay. In the point and click sequences, you'll be exploring environments, interacting with items and characters, and solving complex puzzles to progress through the plot. This is punctuated by fast-paced beat 'em up sequences, where you'll be using devastating combos and special skills to dispatch with hordes of enemies. You never get bored!
We liked Scrap Riders' pixel art aesthetic that gives it a real retro charm reminiscent of classic 8- and 16-bit games. Each and every pixel is perfectly placed to create environments that are packed with details and expressive characters who come to life on the screen.
The game's artistic direction is accompanied by an atmospheric soundtrack that immerses you in the game's post-apocalyptic world.
But the thing that makes Scrap Riders really stand out is its cutting humour and hilarious dialogue. Filled with references to pop culture and brash puns, the game has plenty of moments that will make you smile... or cringe. There's no accounting for taste.
Our tip to help you on your way? At the start of the game, Rast wakes up almost naked in his bedroom. To get dressed, he'll need to open his locker. You'll find the code by looking at the red door. The real adventure starts as soon as Rast has got dressed.
In short, Scrap Riders is a real gem of an indie game, deftly combining humour, action, and puzzles. One not to be missed by fans of cyberpunk and retro games!
