Shakedown ditches much of the minutiae of business strategy, focusing on the most approachable and understandable parts of empire-building. Unexpectedly, the business side of things emerges the winner. It's a combination that could go sideways fast, but under Provinciano's light touch, the two disparate pieces marry well. Not only will the CEO find himself carjacking and tangling with police he'll also find time to purchase buildings, manipulate the housing market, and manage a portfolio of assets and income streams. Quite unlike Retro City, Shakedown injects into its sandbox formula a significant simulation element. Like Retro City, Shakedown is a top-down open-world action game, similar in perspective and mayhem to the early Grand Theft Auto titles. The ways in which it pokes fun at rule-bending multinational corporations, market manipulation, and slavish consumerism is clever, topical, and thoughtful.Įqually thoughtful is the gameplay loop that sustains the narrative. It's not quite as laugh-out-loud funny as its spiritual predecessor, but Shakedown: Hawaii is far more subversive. Their goal: embrace the cynical strategies that define the modern business world. In order to rebuild his empire, forestall a hostile takeover, and maybe-just maybe-bring the entire island under his control, the CEO recruits his screw-up son, a South American "fixer", and all the unscrupulous business people he can find. Having invested in VHS tapes, taxi services, and diet soft drinks, the CEO can't imagine a world of streaming television and Crüzer (a nod toward Uber). It stars an aging, out-of-touch CEO, whose company Feeble Multinational is nearly bankrupt. Where Retro City was a send-up of pop culture, Shakedown sets in its sights the world of big business. Deployed inside an urban open-world and buttressed by some accessible, engaging business simulation mechanics, it's a solid follow-up to Provinciano's 2012 8-bit gem Retro City Rampage. Shakedown: Hawaii, the latest from independent developer Brian Provinciano, takes advantage of the properties unique to video games and delivers a cutting, comprehensive takedown of big business and all the cynical methods associated with it. Not only can a game use irony and humor to highlight a political vice or social stupidity it can make you an active participant in the misdeed. Continued abuse of our services will cause your IP address to be blocked indefinitely.Video games are a medium uniquely primed as a vehicle for satire. Please fill out the CAPTCHA below and then click the button to indicate that you agree to these terms. If you wish to be unblocked, you must agree that you will take immediate steps to rectify this issue. If you do not understand what is causing this behavior, please contact us here. If you promise to stop (by clicking the Agree button below), we'll unblock your connection for now, but we will immediately re-block it if we detect additional bad behavior.
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