Mullet MadJack Review - Nostalgia-fueled Frenzy

The amount of quality indie titles that have launched in May is already overwhelmingly large, so I'm here to urge you to add another game to that list: Mullet MadJack. With a name as awesome as "Mullet MadJack," you're in for one wild, non-stop ride in this nostalgic, 90s anime-style first-person shooter.

Players take the role of the eponymous Mullet Mad Jack, a "moderator" that kills robobillionaires. You're also out to save a damsel in distress, but you're going to have to climb high into a skyscraper filled with those darn robobillionaires and drones -- and they're armed to the teeth. Thankfully, the gameplay itself is as fun as the premise behind the story.

Slay Robobillionaires in Mullet MadJack

Mullet MadJack is a potent combination of Ghostrunner meets Bulletstorm. We have the fast and frenetic gameplay of Ghostrunner, combined with Bulletstorm's stylish, FPS mayhem and lethal environmental hazards. Of course, Mullet MadJack has plenty of other tricks up its sleeve, making for one bombastic and fresh experience.

Ghostrunner combines parkour and one-hit-kill gameplay, making for an extremely fast-paced adventure. Similarly, Mullet MadJack's robobillionaire enemies can kill you fast, so you're constantly on the move and aiming to kill as many of them in a myriad of stylish ways.

The main thing you need to take into account is a 10-second limit to your life. Life is not measured by traditional means, but rather through this constant countdown. Seconds can only be replenished through slaying robobillionaires in different ways; conversely, you can lose seconds by succumbing to their attacks.

Mullet MadJack is a giant race to the finish line as you climb floor by floor through increasingly difficult sections of a skyscraper. Each floor grants players an upgrade that'll help them survive and replenish those precious seconds of life, and by the end of it, you ought to be armed well enough to defeat the boss at the end of each chapter.

Gear Up to Get the Job Done in Mullet MadJack

With these upgrades, Mullet MadJack has some roguelite elements to it. You get more and more powerful each floor, but if you die, you'll start at the beginning of the chapter and you'll have to gain these upgrades all over again. There's a reasonable amount to choose from, so your build is likely going to vary each chapter, though I did wish for a bit more variety.

Upgrades can range from new weapons like an uzi or fire katana, to environmental invulnerability and more. The most essential power-ups were the ones that granted extra seconds based on the way you killed certain enemies -- that's where those Bulletstorm, environmental kill elements come in.

The sprawling complex of rooms within the skyscraper is filled to the brim with ridiculous traps and hazards, like dangerous spinning fans, lasers, acid, and more. With certain upgrades, knocking an enemy into fans would grant more seconds. The best way to do that is with your kick, which is always a blast to use.

There's also one that gives you an extra second for shooting robobillionaires in the crotch or head, so cater to your playstyle. Again, though, there isn't a huge range of upgrades to choose from, which does lead to a feeling of repetition. Mainly, there are only a few weapons to choose from and you're more than likely to prefer one or two over the rest.

While weapons can be upgraded further, Mullet MadJack needed another two or three to really break up more of the repetitive moments. That's where this otherwise brilliant game suffers, is in its variety. Environments introduce more and more hazards as you go on, but does little to shake up the gameplay beyond its frantic rush to the finish.

Since I mentioned bosses, by the end of most chapters you'll have fight one. These are way easier than climbing the tower itself, though it's probably by design. Failing right at the boss and resetting your progress in that chapter would be really disappointing, so they feel more like a part of the story to experience rather than a challenge to overcome.

Mullet MadJack - A Visual Ode to 90s Anime

The levels themselves also look pretty darn similar throughout, so you get a feeling of deja vu constantly. It's not a matter of getting lost -- you just run straight and get to the next floor -- but some visual diversity here and there would do some good for Mullet MadJack.

But despite that, Mullet MadJack is a very strong game in terms of visuals. It's deeply inspired by 90s anime and the vaporwave aesthetic, and the over-the-top colors and zaniness of the characters and story reflect that. It is undeniably one of the most stylish games I've played all year.

So while I do love its overall art direction, things can get a little chaotic on screen and leads to some visibility issues. It's fast, there are explosions from fire extinguishers and vending machines and and enemies going on everywhere, and the UI will throw words in your face at any moment.

I can see this as being a bit overwhelming for some players as it was for me, but it also adds to the overall charm and personality of Mullet MadJack. I appreciate the way this game deviates from the norm and does something a bit different, even if it's at the expense of some visual clarity.

Complementing the visuals is an exceptional, nostalgic synthwave soundtrack. When you combine these tracks with some truly cinematic cutscenes, Mullet MadJack looks and sounds cool as hell, plain and simple.

Mullet MadJack | Final Thoughts

It's a pretty short game when all is said and done, but there are a few extra bits that I appreciated nonetheless. First, there's an Endless Mode, so if you're trying to tackle the leaderboard, you can contend with other players and aim for the top. It's an appreciated feature, but again, it does suffer from some of that same feeling of repetition.

There's also a mode that goes through the "unboxing" of a fake physical copy of Mullet MadJack. Man, I remember loving physical PC copies with their fancy boxes and surprisingly robust booklets inside -- and this little segment was a nice way to vicariously relive that nostalgia once again.

It's quite evident that Mullet MadJack is a lovingly crafted game that comes from a place of love of the 90s and classic anime. Even though it's a shorter experience, each moment is full of non-stop action. Take this baby for a spin and you'll have the time of your life.

Mullet MadJack was reviewed on PC with a code provided by the publisher over roughly 6 hours of gameplay. All screenshots in this review were taken by the reviewer during gameplay.