The Showdown Effect Demo

The 80s were packed with thrillers and action movies, sporting some of the most iconic Hollywood actors out there. The theme always seemed to be the same and there was no shortage of explosions, bullets, or pretty girls that got themselves kidnapped. Nowadays, movies seem to be more down to Earth, but that doesn’t mean people don’t miss the whacky days as well.

The Showdown Effect is an action-packed multiplayer game, featuring almost everything you might miss from the Stallone days, including rocket launchers, impossible fighting moves, and plenty of explosions. Even if the entire thing is in two dimensions, the graphics don’t really matter once the battle starts, since your primary concern is to stay alive and deal as much damage as possible to the other guys.

In essence, the characters you get to choose from are all packed with cliches and exaggerated characteristics, but they are certainly funny and efficient once the action starts rolling. They each got their own special moves and a variety of tricks up their sleeves, which means that it takes a while until you get to know them all as well as you can.

Given the fact that the game does not provide you with a single player option, you need to purchase this together with a couple of friends, otherwise you might not find enough people to enjoy it properly. However, once you gather enough pals, there are numerous game modes to try out and a lot of maps that make the confrontations that much more exciting.

As previously mentioned, the graphics may be in 2.5D, but that doesn’t mean they don’t look nice. In fact, they make the experience feel that much more unique, since up to eight players have to share a rather small map as they try to eliminate each other. The sounds are convincing and funny as well, with amusing effects to go along with the colorful visual style.

It’s the large collection of special moves and possibilities that make The Showdown Effect a title worth buying and playing, as well as the smooth gameplay mechanics. However, since very few people seem to be creating servers nowadays, you’d better consider buying it together with a couple of friends only.