It has always been a matter of debate as to whether the makers of DOOM knew what they were doing when they were creating the game. There is no doubt that it’s one of the most iconic games of all time, but 30 years later we’re trading demons for bad style instead. It takes the classic concept of the “boomer shooter” game and adds tons of personality to it to make Fashion Police Squad an endearing new entry in the genre. Your role is Sergeant Des of the Fashion Police Squad, a team that fights crimes like socks with sandals and drab business suits. Over the four-hour campaign, you’ll chase down a lead to solve the fashion crime wave plaguing the city. There’s no seriousness in the game, as you might expect.
Play through 13 stages blasting at enemies, while looking for pickups and secrets – depicted by posters of Des in various garish outfits. While there are some enemies that cannot be hurt by some weapons, there are others that can only be hurt by others. I know that this would not be a problem if you were using a PC, because you have hotkeys for switching, but it is a bit complicated when using a controller, although it does work in theory. In spite of this, it does have some interesting mechanisms, such as the grappling hook in the belt whip and the slide mechanism in the water gun.
Although Fashion Police Squad is by no means perfect, it offers a lot of personality and great ideas, so it’s definitely worth a look for anyone who enjoys retro-styled first-person shooter games. As we look forward to seeing what this team will come up with next, we are very excited.
