Mullet Mad Jack Review

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Fast Facts

What’s the Madder?

Mullet Mad Jack is a frantic first-person shooter that boasts an anime art style. The game differentiates itself from other first-person shooters by incorporating a time limit that pushes players to take out enemies quickly. Does this game end up being worthwhile? Find out in this Rapid Review.

To begin my journey, I was shown an animated cutscene of my main character driving down a street in a red sports car. This cutscene was flashy, aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable to watch. These first few moments with Mullet Mad Jack intrigued me. However, it soon became apparent that the game does not have an in-depth story. Still, I appreciated how the developers inducted me.

Throughout the game, I experienced small snippets of dialogue and world-building. Some of these were animated cutscenes, which are very fun to watch. The anime style shines through and these sections are visually stunning. This art style makes Mullet Mad Jack unique compared to many games I have played in this genre too. I enjoyed it.

However, as mentioned above, the game’s dialogue – and even the story overall – are a bit lacking. In between stages, there are brief dialogue segments with one of the characters. These segments are never anything overly impressive. The overarching plotline is simple and the dialogue equally so. Sometimes, sections of dialogue are repeated word-for-word. Though this fits the context of the game’s theme, it is tedious. Granted, I was still more than satisfied with the story content in Mullet Mad Jack, as I do not traditionally look for deep stories in first-person shooters. As a whole, I found the world-building enjoyable, primarily due to the excellent cinematics. However, the writing itself did not impress me.

Diving into the Action

Instead, what truly stood out to me in Mullet Mad Jack is the action. I wielded powerful weapons and took out enemies as quickly as possible. The combat was action-packed and fast-paced. Though I often feel games can be fast-paced, Mullet Mad Jack differentiates itself from others in its genre by incorporating a time limit on the player’s life. Every second spent in the game depletes your health bar. You can earn time by taking out enemies though.

This is a riveting concept, and I thought the developers pulled it off expertly here. It was entertaining to have this added pressure on top of my gameplay. Still, initially, I was worried that a concept such as this would only encourage high-octane gameplay. 

However, these doubts were quickly dispelled after discovering that the developers included headshot bonuses. Therefore, it was easy to justify taking a little bit of extra time to line up a headshot and gain more time back. In my mind, this meant there were a multitude of strategies that I could pursue during any given level.

This is especially prevalent since the game functions very closely to a rogue-like. In the traditional story mode, most levels consist of ten floors filled with enemies. After each floor, you can get a temporary upgrade for your character. However, at the beginning of each of these levels, your upgrades are reset. Most times, even the pool of available upgrades is altered. I enjoyed how I constantly had to strategise over which different tools would be effective in handling my opponents and strategies that worked on one floor did not always work on the next. 

No Robillionaires were Harmed in the Making of this Review

Another reason I had to continually upgrade my strategies was due to the multiple different types of enemies. Though there were only a handful of different ones, they remained fun to fight against. Each enemy typically had specific gimmicks, which often encouraged one technique or strategy. Despite this, they were still a lot of fun to take out. As more enemies got introduced, I felt motivated to develop new and creative strategies with my upgrades too, which was enjoyable.

Another thing I enjoyed about the enemies was their visual clarity. If they had a head or a weak point, I always knew immediately where to aim. The interesting enemy designs merged with the visual clarity of the game and the rogue-like nature to encourage innovation and reward strategy. The boss fights were also enjoyable. Each was unique and was a welcome change of pace after nine floors of more traditional combat. These foes telegraphed their attacks well and worked wonderfully to keep me engaged, meaning that I enjoyed the boss fights a lot.

Dropping the HAMMER95

I also got to experiment with a decent variety of weapons throughout the game. From melee weapons to rifles, I had plenty of coverage going into these stages. The game makes these weapons feel incredibly satisfying. I enjoyed hitting headshots and found that even weapons with recoil were fun to play with.

However, what truly stood out is how Mullet Mad Jack encourages me to take control. I could use a pistol or a rail gun and play patient while hitting headshots, or I could run in with a shotgun or submachine gun.

Additionally, the game features consumable melee weapons that can be used in addition to the one primary gun. These not only instantly take out a foe, but fully replenish your health. Factoring in when to use these during the combat cycle was a lot of fun too. Though the weapons themselves were not overly unique, mastering them was rewarding.

Moreover, the developers added a lot of content to the game. Mullet Mad Jack features six different difficulty levels for the main campaign and an endless mode. Though sometimes the rigid level format could feel repetitive, playing through the story mode kept me on the edge of my seat. The addition of the endless mode made me feel there is plenty of content in the game for the price point. These selections were excellent for the package.

Setting the Scene

To complete the package, Mullet Mad Jack boasts a lovely soundtrack. It is retro yet upbeat and thoroughly enjoyable to listen to. I also thought the sound design was great. There was constant feedback from my weapons which made each encounter memorable and rewarding.

Additionally, I enjoyed the visuals. Apart from their aesthetic appeal, which was lovely, they did a great job of conveying information. As I mentioned before, enemy heads were obvious, and bosses showed their weak points. I could always figure out how much time I had left when it mattered most, as well as how much time I would get back from enemies after defeating them. The in-game text was always visible despite the many chaotic backgrounds too. To summarise, the game’s visuals were excellent.

On the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed Mullet Mad Jack. The combat is engaging and rewarding, strategising over different upgrades is a lot of fun, and the game provides a lot of content for me to explore. Though the rigid level layouts and story content could sometimes feel underwhelming, in general, Mullet Mad Jack provided an engaging experience that I enjoyed throughout. It is certainly a game I can recommend.

Rapid Reviews Rating

4.5 out of 5

4.5