Story Mode & Mechanics Unveiled
Tuesday July 11th, 2017
‘Shakedown: Hawaii’ was first announced a year and a half ago. I’ve been busy at work ever since, and it’s come a very long way. It’s a new game (not Retro City Rampage 2), so a lot of new tech, tools and assets had to be built. During that time, I’ve trickled out teasers, but they’ve only given you a peek at the art style, music, and the destructible environment. Today, the game’s finally fully revealed – its theme, story, protagonist, and… business acquisition metagame!
Open World, New Parody
Where ‘Retro City Rampage’ was a send up to video games and pop culture, ‘Shakedown: Hawaii’ is a parody of mega corporations, white collar crimes, and the most comically egregious business practices that go alongside. It playfully satirizes business that's so ballsy, you'll be left saying, "I'm not even mad, that's amazing!".
Out of Retirement... to Retire the Competition
You play an aging CEO, stranded in a world he no longer understands, with a company that’s now a relic of the past.
Upon discovering that online shopping's destroyed his retail margins, ride sharing killed his taxi business, and video rental stores... are no longer actually a thing… it becomes clear that keeping the company alive will require drastic measures. He'll need to modernize the business! Unfortunately, the modernizations he chooses are exactly those comically egregious practices!
From the Boardroom to the Streets
Replacing the genre’s more commonly populated gangs and mobsters, are boardroom executives, formulating harebrained schemes to increase margins and boost profits.
But, whether you’re cornering the market on avocado toast or masterminding new hidden service fees, the missions ultimately unravel into the same carjacking, combat and shootouts you’d expect from the genre.
Collect 'em All!
As things begin to turn the corner, our anti-hero sets his sights even higher. Perhaps it was his rival’s taunts, or maybe he attended one too many motivational self-help seminars, or it could just be his own insecurity and over-compensation complex. Whatever it was, he declares that saving the company is no longer enough. He’s going to own the ENTIRE island! He’ll destroy EVERY competitor! He’ll convince the world that online shopping’s a dying fad, taxis are here to stay, and dammit… get everyone renting VHS tapes again!
The entire island is up for grabs... or at least, will be once you ruffle enough feathers.
Through story missions, small jobs and your own acquisitions, you'll gain ownership of properties and businesses. The revenue they generate can then be funneled back into more acquisitions.
Reality Check
Our anti-hero’s decision to spend more time on reality TV as a “CEO” personality, than as the actual CEO of his company didn’t help matters.
Even though he’s only reached D-list celebrity status, he’s still too recognizable to go on a rampage without a disguise. Luckily he owns a few costume shops in town.
New opportunities will emerge as your empire branches out into new market segments. With the disguise, you can begin sabotaging competitors, threatening those who threaten your brands, and collaterally “rezone” land.
Collecting Loose Change
With your trusty disguise, you can also begin shaking down shops for protection money, and use that to fund your “legitimate” corporate expansion.
These micro missions are scattered all over the island and successfully completing them will provide you with additional streams of income.
More on these shakedowns will be revealed in detail in a later trailer dedicated solely to their part in the game, so stay tuned!
Now We're Rolling!
So there it is! That’s Shakedown: Hawaii!
Now that we’re past the teaser stage, look forward to much more frequent and meaty trailers, showcasing specific missions and characters, the world and shops, character customization, plus more of the soundtrack (composed by the incredible Matt Creamer, AKA. Norrin Radd).
There’s no release date just yet, but Shakedown: Hawaii will be hitting Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, PS4, PS Vita and PC+Steam!
Physical Copies
By the way, I'll be continuing the trend and self-publishing physical copies of Shakedown: Hawaii as well!
http://vblank.com/20170711_shakedown_trailer.phpRetro City Rampage was too retro for me (but tbh, I only ever played the demo) but this looks totally up my street what with it keeping the look but adding more gameplay variety and other modern gaming elements to it.
No release date as yet.