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0 Turbo Overkill is an intense retro shooter by Trigger Happy Interactive. Previously only available on PC, thanks to publishing by Apogee Entertainment it is now available on consoles. If you want to grab a PS5 version you can do so for around £16. If you’re looking for your next Doom-esque throwback while awaiting The Dark Ages, then take a moment to read this review. Trust me.
The Most Colourfully Lethal Boomer Shooter
There have been at least a couple of other Doom-like boomer shooters that have come my way in my time writing for Thumb Culture. Each had its own bit of flair but still not quite as visual of one as Turbo Overkill. The colour palette is nothing less than a striking, modern retro too. Must be that cyberpunk theme I suppose. But check out my thoughts of this pc gone console port below.
Gameplay
Turbo Overkill is exactly what you think it sounds like. You play as a pseudo-cyborg killing machine Johnny Turbo who’s ultimate task is to cleanse Paradise from a rogue AI known as Syn. The only thing standing in your way is, well, basically everything it feels like. Amassing weapons galore, augments to your body and modifiers for that extra boost in pursuit of your goal, each level has it’s own secrets to collect as well. It’s basically a throwback to OG boomer shooters similar to Doom, Duke Nukem, and Wolfenstein but on steroids. It’s a nice setting change from something like SPRAWL too.
I apparently chose a rough one (for me anyway) for my first PS5 review. The campaign in Turbo Overkill has difficulty settings from easy (Virgin Blood) to Murder Machine. Despite being on the second difficulty, your Regular Johnny, I am absolutely terrible! I’m not sure if it is just my unfamiliarity of playing these styles of games on the controller or what. I did note that once I unlocked the ability to wall run that movement felt a bit more natural.
Apart from the random slide into a corner that sent me pummelling down into infinity, I really only have one main criticism of Turbo Overkill. For the love of god, please give me some sort of map. I think am spending more time at this point going backward than I am forward. It is far too easy to get lost and with everything so flashy and similar it is all more than a bit disorienting. Seriously though – I even tried looking around online and despite there being mention of it being in the menus I can’t find it anywhere.
Graphics & Audio
I took a look at the console port of Turbo Overkill on my PS5. There aren’t a lot of graphics options to be had here, not that you really need any, but I did find you can change the HUD colour. Mine is “Tan” as you can see above. Looks pretty orange to me though! The pixelated aesthetic with this style of gameplay adds to that retro feel. Not to mention the vibrant colours to match the cyberpunk and dystopian environment of the game. I did discover that taking screenshots on the PS5 in this style of game is much more difficult than the one-button press of the PC.
The soundtrack in Turbo Overkill is a driving force to your murdering spree. It starts off and with few and far between lulls keeps you moving through the level. I did enjoy the occasional respite from the chaos at the different vendors. Those offer you a pleasant shopping experience as if you were in a department store shopping rather than mowing down baddies. It really is a nice break though and the music is just icing on the cake.
Longevity
Turbo Overkill provides several different routes to project its longevity forward. In addition to the five difficulty levels, it also offers Endless and Arcade modes separate from the Campaign. You also have the ability to replay levels, which is an important piece to that completionist puzzle, since there are collectibles on each one. Collecting them also unlocks secret levels you probably don’t want to miss too. I would definitely say you’re going to get your bang for your buck with this one.
Final Thoughts
Turbo Overkill is a high adrenaline throwback to first person shooter origins. It sets itself apart from others though in its cyberpunk, vibrant atmosphere and curious weapon and body modification systems. If you haven’t picked it up already on PC, maybe the console port is more your style.
Turbo Overkill definitely earns itself the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
If you enjoy this review, be sure to check out my other reviews here.
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