This Kickback Slug review is based on the Switch version of the game. It is also released on: Steam.
Many of us fantasized how it would be to roam the galaxy like Han Solo, being a smuggler or an adventurer in space, the final frontier. but have you ever thought about how to make an actual living in space? In the end everyone needs to make a living. If there is anything like a interstellar community out there, there must be space capitalism as well. Kickback Slug: Cosmic Courier sheds some light on those blue collar aliens out there, just trying to make a living.
Intergalactic FEDEX
The game kicks off with a fun introductory bit of cinematic animation. It introduces the characters, Slippy the slug and Mr McFLy, a fly, and the main quest at hand; Delivery intergalactic parcels! While on delivery your space lorry seems to have a bit of problem with the warp drive, resulting in the ship to lose all its parcels. Unfortunately your employer has a tight grip on its operations, ordering you to retrieve the parcels, that are now spread out over various planets, and deliver them ASAP.
Every planet has a number of levels for you to navigate and find the parcels and the warp portal to your ship. It is not as easy as it sounds, as the slug can not really move. Luckily Mr McFly hands you a phaser gun that you can as a propulsionary device to move you into any direction you want. You can use the gas propulsion or the guns kickback to move around.
Switch in Space
Now it is up to you to move through all the environmental hazards the planets serves up. The gun is tricky to use and to make matters worse, the narrow levels are filled with gates and switches you need to figure out before your can reach the portal. The portal itself needs to be activated by an inconveniently placed switch somewhere within these levels. Usually, on the opposite site of the map. Because these switches are sometimes hard to reach, the game offers you an opportunity to trigger a timer which negates the switch and gives you a time limit to reach the portal without ever using the switch.
Every level has a stray package you can retrieve. I say ‘can’, as it’s completely optional. Finding packages rewards you with a sneak peak at the contents of it. Not much of a dopamine triggering gatcha, I have to say.
Gun juggling
Traversing the stages with your plasma gun is really tricky and, more importantly, at times infuriatingly ‘finger twisty’. The switches much times requires you to levitate idly in order to get a good line of fire to shoot the switch. But in order to shoot you have get your gun in front of you to hit your target. This often results in Slippy dropping like a brick and your target disappearing out of the screen with little time to hit it. Most of the time, using the timer is a way less frustrating option. That makes two out of two main goals of the game completely optional.
The bosses are a real dud. They all have some quirky unique character trait, but in general they are all fairly lackluster. Some require you to sit it out in one spot, occasionally firing your gun at the boss’ weak spot. A tactic that feels like watching paint dry.
Panic attack
Using the gun itself is mildly annoying, and using the slightly reasonable timer, just invites you to shoot yourself to the other side of the level without much thought and skip most of the hassle. At certain points the game is just so obnoxious on how to trigger the switch. It’s having you to juggle yourself in front of the switch and then fall before you can shoot and immediately get back up there again and again. I ended up almost having a sort of attack where I lost my breath and had to hit pause to compose myself, as I was bouncing up and down trying desperately to trigger the switch.
After restarting the level, it immediately happened again. That made me decide to quit the game all together. I could’ve gone for the timer, but at the point I get gasping for air, I think it’s better to stop. I’m getting too old for this sh!t, I guess.
Disclaimer
In no way I want to blame the game for triggering some sort of hyperventilation attack. It clearly must been a set of circumstances that triggered it at that specific time.
Despite its endearing MS Paint-like drawn opening sequence not much attracts me back after my first run with the game. The level design is either way to easy or way to hard. Successfully juggling Slippy never results in a sense of achievement but rather a sense of relief when you dealt with the level's specific puzzle quirk. Although mechanically solid, Kickback SLug: Cosmic Courier ideas sounds better on paper, than to actually play it.
Pros:
- MS Paint style pixel art intro is quite funny
- Quite a bit of content, with additional bonus levels after completing the game
- Accessibility features and alternative ways to finish levels
Cons:
- Lackluster level design and environments
- Difficulty is all over the place
- The gun is not fun to control and use
- The bosses aren't any fun
