Turbo Overkill – PS5 Review – PlayStation Country

It’s something of a shame that there’s some wonderful throwback first-person-shooters that don’t quite escape the PC’s gravitational pull. Even when some do make it across, I often wonder about the quality of the ports and controllers just don’t have the precision of a mouse. With that in mind, I finally checked out Turbo Overkill, Trigger Happy Interactive’s love letter to genre.

The story takes place within a cyberpunk dystopia called Paradise. It features of neon skyscrapers, angular geometry and a lot of dark skies. It’s grim and gory but really works well tonally. Often, you’re so high up the ground doesn’t even register. You play as Johnny Turbo, a bounty hunter that quickly becomes more machine than man. As a silent protagonist, his AI companion does most of the talking. He’ll handle the dishing out of objectives with the right amount of urgency.

Johnny’s character is fairly cartoonish. He’s there to do a job but his only means of communication tends to be violence and middle fingers. As the game progresses, it becomes clear it’s not a simple hit with corporate intervention and a virus which is effecting the whole of Paradise. It’s not deep but it doesn’t need to be.

Johnny Turbo’s arsenal is very well-rounded. They cover the familiar spots with shotguns, plasma rifles and grenade launchers but each of these can be upgraded and have alternative fire modes that prove vital in combat. The default magnums can be effective against fodder but I quickly found them to be redundant. Ammo is plentiful but encounters are shaped in such a way that every trigger tends to get pulled.

It’s not the puzzle combat of something like Doom Eternal, but it does borrow some mobility. I was surprised by how much platforming is used in Turbo Overkill. It’s not always great, particularly with the default sensitivity settings. Grappling especially requires you to be looking in the right direction. Quick orientation certainly becomes required when the grappling hook is introduced. For the most part, it’s straight forward and falling into the abyss doesn’t carry a heavy penalty. When the complexity is raised, it can feel fiddly on a controller. I definitely ran into moments of frustration with it.

Sliding can be a great way to cut through enemies but, as the environments become more perilous, I had to aware of pitfalls and poison. Luckily, there’s a double-jump and a wall ride that does allow for situations to be clambered out of. It can look clumsy but it’s nice to pull myself out of a potential fall. Jump pads allow for some additional height and they tend to feature in plenty of combat arenas. It makes for a game with plenty of space to work in. There’s routes for escape, chances to literally get the drop on foes and gives you the moments to think.

The enemy design is strong with most of them being distinguishable from one another. Whilst the fights do seem to drip-feed escalation, you can tell on sight which enemies are going to provide the most trouble. Typically, it’s the biggest foes in the room but the rest also have the numbers to cause an issue. Being swarmed is such a common practice but you do gain tools for crowd control.

Checkpoints are frequent so lost progress isn’t a big concern. Objectives are clearly marked but will largely hidden until a key is found or crucial arena is cleared. It’s still a game I got lost in but it’s primarily due to how vertical the later levels become. I just don’t tend to look up. Level design is smart and varied but I always felt like I was traversing upwards to the highest of society.

As Johnny’s a cyborg, he has the luxury of augmenting his body. You gain currency for killing enemies and there’s an assortment of perks to purchase. These can get expensive but there’s a plethora to choose from. It allows for a little bit of tinkering and experimentation. Shops are scattered everywhere and they sell everything from ammo to weapon upgrades. As long as there’s money in your pocket, you shouldn’t be short on bullets.

I find the presentation to be really well done. Aside from the pixelated viscera, it’s backed by a fairly monumental soundtrack. By the end of the tale, it sounds like you’re building up to an epic conclusion. Each weapon was a good sense of impact and has a visual flourish, especially when using alternative fire modes. Slain enemies burst in celebration and spill forth health and currency.

I did feel worn out by Turbo Overkill‘s pacing. I think it’s a game that excels at a brisk speed but encounters are frequent and enemy counts are high. There are methods of cut down the hoard quick but, coming to this fresh, it can bog down. Most levels take about 20 minutes but the home stretch doubles that length. Half-way through Episode 3, I was exhausted by it.

I did run into some technical issues. I’ve had enemies trap me in geometry and a single checkpoint managed to put me out of bounds. Reverting to a checkpoint solves the problem but it does make me wary of being backed into a corner. Aside from that, the game held together and, whilst I wouldn’t say it was brimming with polish, there’s a confidence here.

That confidence is why I can’t stay mad at Turbo Overkill. Whilst I do find the platforming to be occasionally frustrating, the core combat has a depth and speed to it which is very enjoyable. Even when the enemy numbers become absurd, I found myself coming back. The pacing can sag towards the end but it’s a mostly kinetic and considered experience.