Badass Inc. Demo

The future is usually portrayed as gray and grim in most scenarios, since it’s either a machine uprising, or a nuclear holocaust. Blade Runner popularized the futuristic neo-noir genre, but there are many other interesting depictions out there. It’s not always death and despair, however, since it is also possible to add a bit of humor to the equation.

Badass Inc. is a retro 2D adventure game with a humor-infused story, one that involves killing people with laxatives and anti-personnel mines on the toilet. It plays a lot like a point-and-click game, but you do not actually get to use the mouse. Instead, you move like in a regular sidescroller and interact with the objects that allow you to do so. The game is merely a preview as of right now, but it should turn out great if this demo is any kind of indication.

As mentioned before, the story is as fun as it gets, although it may not appear like that in the beginning. You play the role of a classic “badass”, constantly smoking and making witty remarks. Given the fact that you are an assassin, the police are your enemy, which practically guarantees a shootout whenever a uniform is in sight. Still, most of your time is going to be spent examining random objects for clues.

The puzzle-like elements in the game can be approached like in any other adventure game: by looking and touching everything in sight. Keys and keycards are hidden all over the place, and you can even order an anti-personnel mine from Amazon over the Internet. As far as the combat is concerned, it’s basically a cover-and-shoot approach, although much simpler than in most games featuring this mechanic.

Visually, the neo-noir/futuristic vibe is conveyed using bright colors and the usual sci-fi concepts, such as flying cars and incredibly tall skyscrapers. The pixel art is great, even if the retro style might not be everyone’s cup of tea. A nice sound effects help with the atmosphere as well, although the soundtrack is kind of lackluster at the moment.

In the end, Badass Inc. is one hell of a preview at the moment, and it would be a blast to see a lot more of it in the future. The story is incredibly funny and engaging, while the mechanics are functional and nicely integrated to fit with the overall atmosphere.