- 3RD-STRIKE.COM - A La Une - 07/Aug 03:13

Turbo Kid – Review

We’ve been enduring a micro-obsession with indie film Turbo Kid over the past weekend. We re-watched it, and have been listening to Le Matos’ synthwave soundtrack on repeat. What caused this, you ask? Well, a decade after the film was released, the titular Kid makes his triumphant return, in video game form. We definitely appreciate how the game reminded us of the film’s existence, as we’d forgotten just how fun and inventive the latter is. But is there more to Turbo Kid -the game- than being a promotional vehicle for a decade-old forgotten cult classic? Story It’s not completely necessary to have watched the Turbo Kid film to get an idea of what’s going on here, but playing through the game’s story becomes more rewarding if you’re familiar with the Kid’s previous adventures. Turbo Kid is set in an alternate, post-apocalyptic timeline, in the futuristic year 1997. The world has been transformed into a wasteland by natural disasters and wars, and humanity is reduced to small pockets of survivors. One such survivor is our hero, the Kid. He accidentally stumbles upon the remains of Turbo Rider, a real-life superhero. After scavenging Turbo Rider’s superhero costume, which includes a Power Glove-esque blaster, the Kid adopts the persona of Turbo Kid. We won’t spoil what happens in the film, but it ends with the Kid riding off into unknown parts of the wasteland. This is where the game picks up, as it is presented as a sequel to the film. Early on, the Kid is ambushed and knocked out by thugs, who steal his gear. After being rescued by the enigmatic Naomi, the Kid finds himself in a new community of survivors. The Kid’s first order of business is to retrieve his gear, of course, but Naomi’s community also turns to him to deal with a singularity-worshipping priest and his army of mecha-mutants. Turbo Kid is an unconventionally narrative-heavy entry in the Metroidvania genre, and we couldn’t be happier with it. Thanks to the lore-rich film, there is a wealth of material to draw from. The game further expands on this through the Kid’s diary, which he uses to keep track of people and events he encounters. If you enjoyed the film, then you’ll definitely find the writing to be one of the game’s strongest suits. Graphics The Turbo Kid film was released in 2015, but it embraced a low-budget 80s aesthetic. This is something that continues in the game’s art direction. The game makes excellent use of pixel art to create an atmosphere that feels suitably retro. The smooth animation, detail-filled backgrounds, and gorgeous lighting effects do give away that this is still a modern release, but in a way that doesn’t detract from this atmosphere. Like the film, the game doesn’t shy away from showing gore. Enemies explode with deliciously disgusting splatters of blood and guts filling up the screen. This campy and over-the-top approach fits perfectly with the game’s setting. The game’s reliance on 16-bit spritework ensures that things never get too gruesome though. Sound Composer Le Matos returns from the film to deliver an hour of new music for the game. The new tracks build on the synthwave tunes heard in the film, with plenty of familiar callbacks and leitmotifs. The absence of voice acting and the reliance on retro-style sound effects mean that the remainder of Turbo Kid’s soundscape is fairly sparse, and the music has to do the heavy lifting here. To its credit, Le Matos’ soundtrack effortlessly achieves what it sets out to do. Gameplay The connection to the film enticed us to give Turbo Kid a shot, but even if this were a standalone IP, this would be one of the strongest retro-modern Metroidvanias that we’ve played in recent years. The game sticks to the classic Metroidvania formula, where you have a massive interconnected world with areas that are blocked off until you get the right tool. Turbo Kid relies on its story to drive the main game forward, but even within that narrative framework, you’re given some freedom. The story often gives you multiple objectives to complete, and you can do so in the order of your choosing. Of course, there are plenty of sidequests and secrets to discover in the wasteland, and going off the beaten path definitely feels rewarding. Unlocked power-ups make sense, both in terms of gameplay and within the story, as Naomi is a tech whizz and provides the Kid with upgrades for his suit. Perhaps the best piece of gear is the Kid’s BMX, which is used to traverse vertical surfaces and is even used in an Excitebike-style racing minigame. If there is one area where Turbo Kid falls somewhat short in terms of gameplay, it is the game’s control scheme. Button placements aren’t always intuitive, and we found ourselves often hitting the wrong button for the action we wanted to perform. Adding to this is that sometimes you need to hit multiple buttons at once to perform a specific action, like charging up your blaster while aiming or jumping. This is one instance where having a Pro Controller (or Charging Grip) for the Switch 2 proved to be an advantage, as the programmable SL/SR buttons often were lifesavers. Turbo Kid can be fairly unforgiving when dealing with bosses or enemy swarms, and the fiddly controls don’t help. Fortunately, you can go into the game’s settings and customize things like the Kid’s damage output or how much damage he can take. This allows you to overcome the game’s difficulty spikes, of which there are plenty. Completing the main story took around 12 hours, which seems right on the money for Turbo Kid’s €19.50 price tag. However, we’re far from done with the wasteland, as there are still plenty of sidequests we have yet to complete. That’s without even playing through the game again as Apple, the Kid’s companion from the film. Rest assured that if you’re a completionist, then Turbo Kid is giving you plenty of bang for your buck. Conclusion If you look at Turbo Kid as a standalone release, it’s a solid but unremarkable retro Metroidvania that is enjoyable in its own right, despite the fiddly control scheme. That’s not going to stop us from recommending you still check out the film first, as it’s not just heaps of fun, but it will also make you appreciate the game even more. Either way, Turbo Kid -the game- is a solid option for anyone looking to add a retro-styled Metroidvania to their library.