Rating of
4/5
The Swift Kick of Justice
Chris Kavan - wrote on 12/24/22
Local co-op comes in a lot of different forms and if I were to tell you that I was expecting much from Door Kickers, I would be lying. I come across all manner of games when going through the Steam list and at least this was good enough to catch my eye. An indie gem, if you will, that like a proverbial diamond in the rough, surprised me with just how fun it was even if the apparently Romanian developers are not exactly household names.
Looks and Stuff: With an arcade sensibility, Door Kickers is a 2D action with platforming elements that has you kicking down doors and taking out enemies in a variety of self-contained levels. Early levels might be a few rooms in a few houses but as you go along the levels get more elaborate with security doors, elevators, hidden rooms and a wider variety of enemy types. One memorable level late in the game took place entirely on a plane that, while a bit troll-like, was an unexpected surprise. Given this, the sprites are vibrant, there is some limited voice work and a decent variety in level design and presentation. No game-breaking bugs, a fine soundtrack and rock solid controls mean this is winner for an indie title.
Story: As this is an arcade-like experience, there is no over-arching story besides beat this level and do X thing (save hostages, defuse bomb, kill all enemies, arrest this guy). For a game of this type, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.
Gameplay: Door Kickers, as the name implies, means you will be kicking down plenty of doors. You play as a police man (or team if you want another player) taking down loads of nameless enemies with your provided weapon. I stuck with the shot-gun toting heavy, while my partner played the boxer-wearing sniper who ate stale twinkies to gain temporary invincibility (he was supposed to be a retired officer dragged back into service). It seemed like a good combination and worked for us. Not all levels are just killing enemies - some require you to rescue hostages, defuse a bomb or arrest a target. Each level awards three stars - if you die or kill a hostage you lose a star. We re-started many a level in order to obtain perfection but the game never felt too punishing even on the worst of levels. As you earn said stars you also get point to improve your character and unlock new gear. Some points are shared while others apply only to your specific character but you will unlock all of them relatively easily. It's also important to check out how gear works - we nearly made it all the way through the entire game before discovering how useful the humble smoke grenade made certain scenarios so much easier.
The game provides a surprisingly robust line-up of enemy types - some simply shoot you (with a variety of weapons from pistols to shotgun to full auto machine guns) but you have ultra-quick melee enemies that can take you down fast, suicide bombers, enemies who will take hostages (and kill them if you're not careful), enemies that can remote detonate bomb vests, Molotov cocktail-hurlers and even mini-boss types that have heavy shields and flame-throwers. The game does a good job of mixing things up (especially when it comes to hostages and not killing them) and makes you think things through. Luckily the game also lets you build up points during a level - this lets you heal yourself and get back body armor and, at the highest level, call in a sniper team to take out three on-screen enemies. Plus it doesn't affect the stars you earn so you aren't penalized from taking advantage of said abilities. Still, some of the most fun is just running around and taking down the bad guys and maybe finding a hidden doughnut along the way.
Replay: With an abundance of classes, different modes and the ability to climb leaderboards (if that's your thing), Door Kickers has plenty to provide after the first time around should you so desire.
Final Verdict: For a quick co-op experience, it has a lot to offer.
Presentation: 4/5
Story: N/A
Gameplay: 4/5
Replay: 4/5
DLC: Unknown at this Time
Overall (not an average): 4/5
