GARAGE: Bad Trip

Review

How would you feel waking up in a fetal position in a dark, confined place? I reckon it would be scary. You then realise that the restricted area you are in is, in fact, a car boot. To make it even worse, you have a rotten headache and you have no recollection of the events that found you here! The good news is that you manage to find a piece of steel while using your hands to scan the inside of the car boot door, and you use it to open the boot and free yourself. Despite your pounding headache, you realise that you are in a garage.  Your gut feeling is telling you that something even more drastic than your present circumstance is in the air! That is exactly what happened to Butch in Garage: Bad Trip!

GARAGE: Bad Trip is a top-down action game where you take control of Butch, who was recruited by a resistance group called The Moles, to fight a corporation that creates what we know as the Zombie Apocalypse.

As you start the game, Butch finds himself in the garage with low health and no weapons whatsoever, and the only way for him to defend himself is to punch and kick enemies, who at this stage are zombie rats! As you progress through the chapters, Butch will encounter other types of enemies, such as human zombies (including military), double-headed zombie dogs, speedy four-legged creatures (not dogs) and at the end of some levels, bosses, which include enormous zombies who throw rats at you, as well as the General Dreadnought and the professor Demikovsky in the thirteenth chapter. Boy, this Demikovsky is a hard one to kill, and to be honest with you, I have not found a way to pass him at this stage.

During this incredible game, Butch will talk to a couple of members from the resistance, Anaconda and Daddy (both are mole code names).  This is part of the story where you, as a player, will get to understand what happened to Butch, and to the whole world.

The levels are well-structured, and the difficulty increases continuously as you move from one chapter to the next. Butch will also find weapons within the stages, such as guns, M16s, grenades, shotguns and plenty of others. Some of them are unconventional, like the energy bomb which, when it explodes, sends electric bolts towards enemies and turrets. Some of the zombies, as well as some of the corporation military personnel, will drop ammunition after being killed, which is one way to stock up on ammo. The other way is to search all the desks, or kick boxes and wooden crates, but beware as they might conceal rats. Other items, such as candy bars and energy drinks, can also be dropped by zombies and will restore your health (slightly) and stamina (for a few seconds). The other item that will restore your health is the medkit.

There are plenty of rooms to search in this game. The rooms with highlighted green doors are easily accessed by kicking in the door. The red doors require a key to be opened. Some of the rooms will have a monitoring system, most of which are operational; they will give Butch clues about where the military enemies are positioned within the next room, as well as where keys are located.   

The other thing I like about this game is the variety within the levels. Some will have mines, lasers and switches to activate, as well as other surprises. Oh, if you notice any numbers either on the floor, on containers or on other items, make sure to write them down; it might help you to open safes.

I really like the pixel artwork and the fluidity of the game. The soundtrack and sound effects are splendid, in my opinion, and the controls are responsive. I can’t say anything negative here apart from being a bit frustrating at times.

Review written by THE CPT FROGGY for Zeepond.com

GARAGE: Bad Trip Steam Store Page