Sakeworld | PS4 Review

Some games are merely forms of art and entertainment coded by developers who are into creating fun fantasy borne escapism for their audiences. Others are passion projects, or lifelong dreams made manifest through the medium. In Sakeworld's case it is a heartfelt tribute to a son who lost his life during a police chase gone wrong. An innocent victim caught up and killed during the criminal activities of others. Jack Phoenix was his name. In life Jack was an artist, and loved the rap scene as this game clearly shows. This is made more evident through his father's use of his son's artwork in-game, and the recruiting of real life rappers who contributed to this unique take on the classic brawler genre. 

Filled with over 26 artistically patchworked stages brought to life through Jack's wild imagination we find the populated streets La Brea invaded by otherworldly beings with five rappers in the locale taking up arms to clean the streets of the menacing Martians. As either Trippie Redd, Chief Keef, D Savage, Rucci, or Yung Bans you're mission objective is anything but ordinary. Leading you to places where the very fabric of reality has been distorted, and the rabbit hole you find yourself diving down more deeply disturbing than Alice's adventure in Wonderland.

Getting Started ...

Oddly enough, "Sakeworld" loads up upon startup with an in your face privacy terms and agreement clause. For whatever reason the player has to agree to these terms of service to be able to play the game. Once done you have full access to the game's main mode of play, a boss rush mode, and a tutorial. The tutorial is a must in order to grasp the complex mechanics tied to combat, and item usage. 

As one of five rappers you have several options in regards to arsenal, and abilities. This includes three basic attacks tied to punching and kicking as well as meter charged abilities tied to the combined trigger buttons plus DPad combos that can be called in to deal extra damage to onscreen foes. Also included in the mix is the game's assist feature wherein each rapper has a distinctly different deity they can call on as a special summon. Assists like the Grim Reaper, a plague doctor, and even a patch-eyed prostitute which will contribute to the chaos through buffs or damage dealing. Lastly, item and weapon usage is also a crucial component to combat. You can pick up and toss exploding grenades as well as use acquired guns or melee weapons to deal damage to the various enemies you'll encounter. Stuff that is limited in use, but can be cycled through on the fly.

The Stages ...

The stage layout, and progression in Sakeworld is fairly straightforward and par for the course. It is a time rewarded endeavor in which clearing the stages of enemies, sub-bosses, and bosses with minimal damage taken is top priority. This requires the expert use of blocking as well as careful maneuvering through the lanes to avoid impact from enemy attacks all while you dish out death to the delinquent denizens. As you attack and down said enemies they'll drop street creds/coins and weapons or items that can aid in completing the skill based undertaking. 

Aside from being timed, successful playthroughs also reward the player according to alphabetically graded performance standards, or gameplay mastery. Giving you, at the end of a playthrough, an S - F ranking for your tallied efforts. The "S" ranking being the highest achievement, and gated by three additional task based requirements. Things like breaking crates, using street cred, or dealing with the cops. 

While that all might sound simplistic, hidden within Sakeworld are bonus areas, and enemy mini-games that will increase your score, and street cred acquisition when taken on. Taking you to places like Hell via a deal with the Devil, or to an alien invasion site where clearing out all aliens is key to completion. You'll even find a nod to Diablo's goblin with a loot toting elf that can be attacked for premium item drops. There's even a small Russian running around with a time bomb that must be stopped by pressing "X" when he passes by. Even ladies of the night can be treated with respect by pressing "X" near them when prompted gifting their own bonuses in kind. Leaving the cops as scared sh*tless pig headed individuals that will run when approached gifting the played rapper a health item.

The Extras ...

Outside of the gameplay loop lies some bonus features including an accessible mock MP3 player menu filled with soundtrack songs created by the onboard rappers, and other contributors to the cause. It's a way to enjoy the music that plays in-game without having to play the game while listening. There's no doubt in my mind though that if you were to upload gameplay of this game it would get copyright flagged to Hell and back because of the lyrical nature of the rap songs that are included. Mind you this game also does not censor words like the "N word", "GD", or "P***y". It stays true to the music, and that in itself might get you a channel strike. Which is a shame considering how impressively the art was put together to create this world of Jack's.

The Verdict ...

Sakeworld is not gonna be a game for everybody. There is definitely a certain demographic the father was going for. It is very mature by design, and plays into the "Hood" theme quite strongly. This game also has violence out the wazoo. Gun violence, and violence in general. Enemy-wise it has grotesque and horrific character designs with stereotypes included as well as some foul mouthed rap songs that play out in full as you fight against them. 

If you can get past all that there's a very interesting world to explore. In fact it's Jack's style of art that makes this game as great as it is. It is very impressive how his father was able to put his artwork together to make this rather lengthy brawler. Mechanics-wise it's fairly solid as well, but not so easy to grasp for those more familiar with the traditional brawler format. It will definitely take some getting used to for most players. All in all it's not a bad tribute, regardless, and does bring needed attention to the subject of the senselessness of crime. That and careless police pursuit. It additionally pushes respect, and the love for the neighborhood while being a bit edgy in doing so. Perhaps to a fault as vigilante justice is not the best answer to cleaning up the streets in real life.

A Final Word ...

My condolences to Jack's father, and the loved ones of all those who have died from similar causes. Pursuit of a suspect in a police chase should always be done with precaution, and stopped when innocent people are put at risk. There is no excuse for forcing a criminal into causing accidents or hitting pedestrians. No excuse at all.