There’s a time and place for elaborate experiences, for chin-stroking moments which evoke the entire gamut of human life. There’s also a time and place for ramming your foot into the face of a gun-wielding goon, and thankfully gaming caters to both things. If your tastes run to the latter then may I present to you the fine, gory meal of Mullet Mad Jack, a roguelike FPS that’s loved by those who’ve played it – but very few have partaken.
The setup is simple. You play as the titular Mullet Mad Jack and it’s up to you to climb up a tower, shooting, kicking, punching, and sliding your way through each floor in true FPS game style. Where it sets itself apart, however, is that you need dopamine every ten seconds or it’s game over, and you’ll only get that hit by killing, killing, and more killing. It’s all wrapped up in an art style that’s a stunning throwback to the anime of yesteryear, complete with lashings of violence and fabulous haircuts.
Released back in May of this year Mullet Mad Jack had the makings of a hit, and nearly everyone who’s played it agrees. The game is currently sitting on a 97% ‘overwhelmingly positive’ rating on Steam, with nearly 4,000 people opining on the title. That’s a staggering number, and shows that an anime roguelike boomer shooter is something that hits people right in their joy-centers.
Unfortunately, that goodwill doesn’t seem to have converted into players. At launch the game maxed out at 808 people at the same time, and slowly over the last couple of months that’s slipped into having sub-100 concurrent players. At the time of writing Mullet Mad Jack has 40 people in-game right now, and that’s the day after a new patch which you might expect would give it a bump.
In a fairer world I feel like Mullet Mad Jack would rank up there with the big roguelikes, like Dead Cells, Rogue Legacy, and The Binding of Isaac. With an art style that’s as in-your-face as it’s possible to be without being literally in your face, combined with a game loop that pushes you ever onwards, always hunting for your next kill, and you’ve got a recipe for something truly delicious.
Mullet Mad Jack is out now and has a free demo, so you can get a taste of ultra-violent action for the grand price of nothing. Head over to Steam to check it out and make up your own mind on the game.
You can also take a look at our guide to the best roguelike games you can play, as well as our top picks for the best anime games on PC in 2024.
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