Door Kickers: Action Squad is not a new game but it is an extremely fun game. It was released by Killhouse Games back in September 2018 and it was critically acclaimed by everyone. Now the game has finally made its way to consoles and it brings the door-kicking mayhem with it to all consoles of the current generation. This review of Door Kickers: Action Squad was made on the Xbox One version of the game.
Let’s start with a brief introduction of the game before we jump in the details about how the game actually plays on the consoles. In Door Kickers: Action Squad, you play as a member of a SWAT team whose main goal is to knock down some doors, rescue the hostages, try not to kill the hostages themselves and kill the bad guys holding them hostage. The game is a retro 2D scroller which has a tiny aspect of tactical combat thrown in the mix as well which really makes the game an extremely fun experience.
The game offers a wide variety of modes to jump in. If you are looking forward to non-stop mayhem, you can jump in the Infinity Tower which offers randomly generated non-stop scenarios which keeps you busy for a long time. If you want to play the normal episodic format of the game which also serves as sort of a campaign of the game, you can jump in the Classic mode where you can choose your favorite episode and complete different missions to earn stars, level up and unlock additional gear.
In the Classic Mode, you can also jump in some challenges which are based on the normal missions such as Hostage Rescue, Clear Enemies and such however they come with additional challenges such as completing the mission with a specific class or finishing it within a time limit. The end mission of every episode is a boss fight where you have to apprehend the episode boss. My favorite mode is the Zombie Invasion Mode which is played on normal unlocked episodes but during each mission, zombies will spawn on the level and eat whatever comes in their way.
Door Kickers: Action Squad offers six unique classes for you to choose from. Each class comes with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. This not only allows the players to choose and level up their favorite class but it also adds a tactical advantage when the game is being played in co-op. For example, Recon boosts team damage and highlights enemies for the team to kill. Similarly, the Assault can engage enemies in long-range while Breacher takes down runners as it excels in close-range.
Players can choose different classes in co-op and have the best possible combo of defense and offense if they play it right. Door Kickers: Action Squad might not be a serious tactical game but it packs those mechanics in such a brilliant way that you will never notice that they exist when they always do. The game offers you the freedom to play it however you want. Want a casual run? Go for it. Want to rescue hostages in a more tactical style? Play cautiously. Nothing is stopping you.
As you play more and more with your favorite class, it will continue to level up allowing you to purchase more skills and make your current class better and better. Some skills when purchased affect the full team however some skills are exclusive to the class. If you are not that good at the start, do not worry. Keep playing because leveling up will eventually allow you to make your class better with more health and perks ultimately making you better at the game. If you feel weak at the start of the game, you will eventually level up and unlock enough skills that will make you really good at playing the game. You can try to change your class every time however choosing a main really benefits in the long run as you unlock more and more skills for that specific class and make it better.
As you complete more and more missions, you will earn stars that can be used to purchase better weapons and additional gear for your class. For gear, you have two slots in which one is for armor and one is for tactical gear. You can only equip one weapon for each class however each class comes with a variety of weapons to unlock and equip. You can pick your loadout which suits your playstyle the best.
You will also have access to an Ultimate ability for each class which has to be charged first by killing enemies. While playing the game, you can get additional bonuses such as refill or health, armor, extra life or your Ultimate. These work in the same way as Killstreaks of Call of Duty. The more you kill enemies, the more points you accumulate and keep accumulating and you will get access to your Ultimate ability. You can choose any one of the bonuses once you have enough points to redeem it.
At the end of each run, you are graded according to your performance in the game. Rescue all hostages, kill all enemies, do not die and you will nab yourself a perfect three-star performance. These stars are later used to purchase and unlock more gear and weapons. Apart from using stars to purchasing gear and weapons, you will also earn experience at the end of each level. Once the meter is full, you will level up and earn skill points which can be spent in the Skill Tree to purchase different passive bonuses for specific classes or the entire roster of classes.
Coming to the gameplay of Door Kickers: Action Squad, your early runs will not be too good however once you’ve gotten the hang of the fire, reload, jump and door breaking combo, you will be landing yourself some serious times in all levels. Like I mentioned above, the game does not require careful tactical planning however the gameplay becomes pretty fast if you get a good grip of the controls which automatically makes you play your best. Enemies come in various shapes and sizes however all of them follow their standard playstyle making them predictable in nearly all situations giving you a huge gameplay advantage. Although, if you are not careful, an early death will await you because those crazy, knife-wielding runners chop you down almost instantly if you let them near you.
Door Kickers – Action Squad can be played solo however the game really shines when it is played in co-op mode. Bring a friend for local couch co-op fun or join their game online. If you do not have a friend to play the game with, you can join random people online to play the game with them. However, if you prefer, you can easily end the game in solo mode as well however I would seriously recommend that you at least once try the game in co-op because it is tons more fun in co-op than it is in solo.
Final Verdict
Combining retro-visuals with ultra-fast co-op focused gameplay, Door Kickers: Action Squad is one of the best casual shooters we’ve played this year. Simple mechanics, retro visuals and an upbeat soundtrack really makes it an excellent game for pick and play short sessions. Whether you are a solo player, couch co-op lover or an online gamer, Door Kickers: Action Squad offers tons of fun in different ways, cool weapons and lots and lots of door kicking. Highly recommended!
Final Score: 9.5/10
