PO’ed: Definitive Version was supplied by Nightdive Studios for evaluation. Thanks!
When you’ve got learn a few of my evaluations of the video games Nightdive Studios has developed, you most likely know I’m an enormous fan of the studio. They’ve redefined what it means to remaster older video games, overhauling them in methods I would not count on from most studios. Not solely does the sport stay trustworthy to the unique, however it enhances it in ways in which make it considerably extra playable on trendy {hardware}. The subsequent recreation they’ve remastered is 1995’s PO’ed, which I believed was a joke because it was introduced on April Fools. However right here we’re, PO’ed: Definitive Version is right here, and it is one of the best ways to play this bizarre recreation.
Following up on Star Wars: Darkish Forces Remaster with a PO’ed is odd. The previous is a well known recreation in an enormous franchise, whereas PO’ed is a forgotten gem from way back. It is a bizarre recreation, to say the least, and it is not for everyone, however in case you are a fan of video games from the late 90s, you’ll really feel proper at house.
In PO’ed, you’re a chef who’s caught on a ship that has been overrun with aliens. With your pals useless and the great meals you made ruined, you’ll take revenge on the aliens with a singular assortment of weapons like your trusty frying pan and your jetpack and get vengeance on the invaders. Your entire recreation is a bit bizarre, permeating nearly each side of it.
The loopy weapons yow will discover within the recreation are fairly enjoyable. From the frying pan melee to the meat cleavers you throw, preventing enemies is normally lots of enjoyable. There are moments the place the gunplay does not hit and might really feel floaty, although, and it does damage the expertise a bit. I did discover this primarily with the sooner weapons just like the pistol and meat cleavers you throw, lacking some pictures I did not perceive, however fortunately, the later weapons you get, just like the drill and rocket launcher, are considerably nicer to make use of.
This combines effectively with the motion system, which I get pleasure from for essentially the most half. The degrees are constructed to be extra open, requiring you to make use of the jetpack to navigate round. I like utilizing the jetpack to maneuver round, and killing enemies with the rocket launcher is a lot enjoyable, however I bought misplaced in ranges extra simply than I anticipated. There are some ranges the place the proper strategy to go is hidden behind a wall that doesn’t point out which you can transfer via it. It may be a bit irritating at instances, as finishing a number of the ranges took lots of time.
I did benefit from the total loopy aesthetic and ambiance of PO’ed. The numerous, blocky degree design, lack of music, barely unnerving sounds, and outlandish enemy designs all work collectively and provides a barely unsettling feeling that I get pleasure from. The enemy designs particularly get me. Flying butts, clumps of meat, large bats, and robots are simply a number of the foes you’ll encounter, and it is so cool seeing the distinctive type every one has.
However, even with a number of the issues, it’s excellent to play on the Steam Deck.
PO’ed: Definitive Version – Steam Deck Efficiency
Like most Nightdive Studios’ video games, PO’ed runs like a allure on the Steam Deck. Outdoors of some spikes of battery drain going as much as 11W, it runs flawlessly at 90 FPS and feels great to play on the Steam Deck. The controls really feel nice, and whereas having the bounce hooked up to the left set off was jarring at first, it felt nice once I bought used to it. There is not a lot else to say; it is unbelievable to play!
Accessibility
The settings help you change controller bindings, audio sliders, FOV, toggle antialiasing and interpolation, flip your crosshair on or off, and alter the language. You too can change some enhancements, corresponding to view bobbing, HUD messages, auto tilting, view rolling, and extra. There are additionally 4 totally different difficulties to supply a problem in case you so select.
The sport does assist 16:10 resolutions, and there’s controller assist, however there are not any cloud saves. There are not any HDR settings. You possibly can flip gyro habits to “Gyro to Mouse [Beta]” to allow gyro controls.
Conclusion
PO’ed: Definitive Version is a bizarre one I’m at odds with. It’s one of the best ways to expertise this recreation, and I really feel like its a singular expertise, thanks to simply how bizarre it’s. However a number of the quirks it had on its launch do maintain it again. Issues just like the open-level design and a few inaccurate weapons maintain it again, however Nightdive has made it rather more playable in all the suitable methods. The best way it feels with a controller, the enhancements we will toggle, and the pleasurable gameplay with extra highly effective weapons are complemented by a close to excellent on the Steam Deck. This one might not enchantment to as many individuals as their final recreation did, however it’s nonetheless price trying out.
Our evaluation relies on the PC model of this recreation.
In the event you loved this evaluation, you should definitely try the remainder of the content material on SteamDeckHQ! We have now all kinds of recreation evaluations and information which are certain to assist your gaming expertise. Whether or not you are in search of information, ideas and tutorials, recreation settings and evaluations, or simply need to keep up-to-date on the newest traits, we have your again.
