#SHAKEDOWN HAWAII CHARACTERS PC#

Outside of completing story missions one of the first ways players learn to earn a steady but smaller source of income happens to be in the form of the titular shakedowns.

After a set amount of time passes in-game a day will pass and depending on the player’s current income stream their business will gain that amount of money that can then be invested in various ways, or paid out to the player as a salary that can be as paltry or as exorbitant as you wish. You see, while players have their own pocket money that can be used to purchase clothing and eventually character upgrades this money is seperate from their overall business pool.

It is worth noting that the lock on system in the combat is a bit finicky at times and considering the amount of random civilians and other vehicles around, the game can often struggle to target specifically what you wish to aim at but this is only a small problem in the end as ammo rarely feels like an issue and even if the police get a bit riled up, a quick escape in a car, which handle quite well, or run to a mission is all it takes to lose them. Players will find various mission markers that trigger cutscenes in the aforementioned story and, at least in the early parts of the game, introduce various mechanics and ways to make money.Ĭombat in this game has a nice arcade style feel to it with players easily gaining access to a wide array of weapons running anywhere from baseball bats and handguns to scissors that can cut off hair and even spread-shot guns that can annihilate anything in their path. Free-Roam is of course an option separate from the Story should the player choose but there’s no real reason not to take part in the game’s story mode at the same time as various collectible and the crazy challenge missions are still available in this mode. Shakedown: Hawaii adopts the old school top-down approach to the action as players are tossed into a world that is almost immediately available for them to explore. Not only is it often hilariously over the top given what the CEO’s plans end up being and the backlash that he can end up facing (or simply getting away with), but the story often is a witty bit of social commentary on the marketing business as a whole and those looking for a game that is more than willing to let humor take the wheel need look no further than Shakedown: Hawaii. Sure the direct references have been toned down to basically winking at the player since we all know exactly what they are talking about in most situations and obvious memes are now non-existent but if anything that makes the comedic nature of the storyline all the better. Thankfully the writing for the story mission is as witty and humorous as one could expect from the developer of Retro City Rampage. Sure it is funny a few times seeing the CEO’s son attempting to be a gangster and failing at it but the best parts of the narrative come when playing as the CEO himself. That being said, this dynamic of allowing for three characters to have a story and be playable on the fly doesn’t really work the best in Shakedown: Hawaii as the other two characters besides the CEO end up feeling a bit flatter in comparison.

The CEO isn’t the only character in this game however as his son, an “aspiring” DJ who hasn’t booked a gig in a decade, is trying to earn street cred and the CEO’s own personal fixer also end up being playable characters. Not one to just let his previous dynasty crumble into nothingness the CEO immediately consults with his top men and figures that the best way to get back on top will involve some rather underhanded tactics that involve mostly criminal behavior, some rough game show appearances, and violating pretty much every law protecting consumers from predatory business practices. After hearing that his company is nearly bankrupt the CEO learns that online shopping, video streaming, and more modern day conveniences have put his previous businesses underwater. The aging CEO of Feeble Multinational may have written an autobiography about how his company runs itself while he’s at the beach but unfortunately over the years new technology has caused that business to run itself into the ground. Is this entry worth your time or was this one best left retiring? Story

Now VBlank Entertainment has returned with a new open world game in that same vein in the form of Shakedown: Hawaii. Taking a relatively played out genre and putting a new spin on things is a great way to draw attention and when Retro CIty Rampage blew onto the scene back in 2012 it proved that top down action games in an open world still have plenty of life left in them.

#SHAKEDOWN HAWAII CHARACTERS PC#

Platforms: PS Vita, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC (Reviewed)

Shakedown hawaii characters