Robots are mankind’s future, apparently. They will complete mundane tasks and make our lives easier. However, science fiction has taught me a thing or two about robotics. Consequently, I know that this idealism will end with screaming, tears, and death. Unsurprisingly, this is exactly what happens in the gory and brilliantly crazy Justice Sucks.
Developed by Samurai Punk and developed by tinyBuild, this is a violent action game. What’s more, it has some strategy elements, plenty of levels, and gallons of blood to contend with. Yet, if you are squeamish, you can reduce the gore while retaining the hilariously violent gameplay.
Justice Sucks = Déjà vu!
When I was given Justice Sucks, I was sure I’d played it before. Everything about it seemed familiar, and I had a distinct déjà vu moment. Then it struck me. In 2021 I reviewed Roombo: First Blood. The original title was a much simpler and refined version of its sequel. But I loved it nonetheless and scored it a 7. Accordingly, I was hopeful that Samurai Punk would build on their strong foundations, and create a deep and brutal game for us all to enjoy.
Well, spoiler alert, they have done just that. Justice Sucks is much more grisly, angry, and disgusting than its predecessor. Subsequently, it’ll make you wince as you bludgeon your opponents to death. Moreover, the protagonist becomes all-powerful as he chews up their bodies and sucks up their blood. Oh, have I forgotten to mention that the hero is a robotic hoover?
You control Dusty, a robotic household hoover. He loves his family, and when their house is broken into, he goes rogue. By killing the burglars, it alerts the manufacturer, FamilyCorp of his misdemeanour. Consequently, the Warranty squad is called in to resolve the situation. As they arrive, a scuffle breaks out, and Dusty is sent flying into the TV. Here he merges with the TV world, and a surreal adventure begins.
Weird, but it’ll make you chuckle.
Being teleported into a surreal world is just weird, but it gives the developers a creative licence. Thankfully, they grabbed the opportunity with both hands and the gameplay benefits considerably. The action is split among several worlds, each comprising an array of levels. During each stage, you are given unique tasks to complete and a limited amount of time to succeed. If you are victorious, you’ll be scored for your efforts and you’ll progress. This gameplay loop continues throughout, even if the objectives and goals differ slightly per world.
As Dusty, you’ll be asked to move parcels, prevent robberies, kill invaders, clean up, and much, much more. As you explore each level, you will need to hide, hack, and steal items to use as weapons. The Warranty squad is determined to stop you, so you must be proactive and aggressive throughout. Yet, a little tactical nuance isn’t a bad thing. As such, using the shadows to hide, or hacking electrical supplies to shock would-be assailants is not a bad idea.
Alongside this, Dusty has an array of abilities and perks that he can unlock. These special elements give you a fighting chance and can be the difference between success and failure. The abilities are powered by blood, so the more people you kill, the more powerful you become. Subsequently, you’ll want to hoover each dead body, and clean up the claret they leave behind.
Justice Sucks looks similar to the original.
I adored the gameplay changes in Justice Sucks. Subsequently, I think the developers did a perfect job of enhancing the difficulty while retaining the gory charm. However, I wasn’t so impressed with the visuals. Unfortunately, there is little to decipher between the two games, and this was frustrating. Yes, it looks nice, and the stage design is interesting, but I would have liked a bigger improvement in the graphics, nevertheless.
The audio follows suit with its upbeat and familiar style. The high-adrenaline soundtrack works well with the gruesome gameplay and is complemented by wonderful sound effects. The noise of bones crunching, skin squelching, and blood spraying was incredible. When you combine the ear-splitting audio with the eye-opening visuals, you get quite a vivid and overwhelming experience.
Confusing controls.
When a title is as simple as Justice Sucks, you expect the controls to be easy to master. However, I was horribly wrong, as I struggled considerably to pick them up. With many submenus and plenty of buttons to understand, I was all fingers and thumbs. Yet, once you understand the fundamentals, it is enjoyable, straightforward, and well thought out.
With many levels to overcome, a scoring system to follow, and a global leaderboard for each stage, it’ll have you hooked. The only element it was missing was multiplayer action, and this was disappointing. Even if the developers stuck with couch cooperative gameplay, this would have scratched that itch.
Justice Sucks is good brutal fun.
Though Samurai Punk went a little OTT with the gore and violence, I still think it works. Its core concept is brilliantly addictive, and I adored how challenging each level was. Furthermore, I believe they have improved on their first title. Accordingly, I loved it and I recommend you buy it here! Can you save your family and exit the TV realm? Suck, clean, and maim your way to victory.
