Captain Wayne - Vacation Desperation

I play a lot of boomer shooters. Some good, a lot bad, and some that are just blatant ripoffs of better games ran through AI to make lines "distinctively different," and botching basic mechanics. Like moving. Or driving a motorcycle. Or being named Bru-- I digress. Playing a lot of Boomer Shooters means that I played a lot of the good old boom-shoots, like DOOM. I play a ton of DOOM mods as well, and a lot of the standouts I'm happy to say, became full games themselves. Games like Rekkr, Hedon, and now, Captain Wayne. Unlike most DOOM engine games, though (at least old school DOOM), Captain Wayne plays like modern DOOM, has animated cut scenes, and feels like playing through an anime. After a heist where the good Captain stole a crown, Captain Wayne finds himself being chased by Detective Sterling Steel Press. He also has his ship stolen by the King who wants his crown back. Captain Wayne goes out on a bullet-filled quest to get back his loot, avoid arrest, and save the world from a deadly weapon. Simple plot, right? That works to it's benefit, since Captain Wayne works better on a smaller scale. He's not Geralt of Rivia; he's a different type of foul-mouthed protagonist. One that drinks booze and eats chum (yes, THAT chum) while using his arm as mostly every weapon in the game. He also has a penchant for going fast. Captain Wayne has the ability to jump kick. It's more than that, though. His jump kick gives him more momentum in air, allowing him to clear large gaps while gaining speed upon landing. It can take a while to get used to, as the fast he goes, the harder he is to control. Imagine trying to steer a brick going full speed. It's like that, but bouncier. Once you get the handle of it, it's a ton of fun. Cutscenes are animated on a purposefully "cheap" scale, and add both humor and context to the game. It adds to the feeling that you're playing a crossover episode of Lupin III and One Piece, while still keeping it's individuality. Captain Wayne's voice work especially is well done. However, certain character, namely the King and Sterling, have either mechanical sounding voices or a slight muffle that makes them hard to hear or understand at times. That doesn't mean you can't still kick booty, though, just that you may miss some of the story if you have hearing sensitivities. I got Captain Wayne for half the asking price, and I feel like I stole from the developers. The game is also on the short side (it took five hours to beat the main story), but also comes with a horde mode. Truth be told, I hope more Captain Wayne comes out soon. It's a fun game with some challenging mechanics, but nothing to cause frustration.