Fluster Cluck Reviews
This top-down arena shooter runs afoul of fun.
An unambitious party game that can't quite live up to the potential of its unusual premise
I don't think I could ever find myself recommending Fluster Cluck to anyone; it's probably the worst game I've ever played. It's fails in so many departments, and like In Space We Brawl, pales in comparison to other local multiplayer games currently out on the PlayStation 4.
Fluster Cluck seemed like it might be fun and have potential as a party game, but I would honestly be more embarrassed to load this up and try to convince people to play it. Some people may be attracted to its simplicity and quick nature, but the frustration will quickly set in as the floaty controls, lackluster design, and poor explanation of the gameplay become apparent. You can buy a lot of things with $9, but Fluster Cluck shouldn't be one of them.
If I was to walk up to someone and ask "Have you played Fluster Cluck?" I'd probably get the strange eye, which pretty much sums up my thoughts on the game as a whole.
I cannot recommend Fluster Cluck except as maybe a child's first couch co-op experience. If your 8 to 12-year-old is having a three-person sleep over and has no other PS4 games, then perhaps. Beyond that, give Fuster Cluck a hard pass.
Fluster Cluck is an overall disappointment, a game that tries to recapture the magic of local N64 multiplayer sessions, only to lay a giant, stinky egg. Between the broken gameplay, lackluster AI and poor presentation, this turkey falls flat on its beak.
When stripped down to its core, there's really nothing special about it.
Regardless of game mode, Fluster Cluck is a shallow experience with barely enough there to keep you playing more than a single match. The music and sound effects repeat often, forcing me to turn the volume down after a dozen matches. LOOT has already stated they will be looking into Share Play for taking the local multiplayer online, so it is encouraging to see a studio support their product post launch.
If you like repeating gameplay to get the controls of a bland party game down, this game is for you! Otherwise, wait for a better party game that will surely hit the PS4 sometime soon.
From top to bottom, Fluster Cluck is dreadful. The gameplay is basic, but the uninspired map designs, weak weaponry, and confusing scoring system ruin the fun. The campaign feels like it drags along despite being so short, but the dependence on grinding to open up more levels is infuriating. Multiplayer makes things a little better, but the paltry map selection and pittance of modes saps away that fun rather quickly. The lack of online multiplayer cripples the potential audience even more. Even the presentation is weak enough to give the player the impression that this title was done as quickly as possible with no regard for quality. As it stands, Fluster Cluck is up (down?) there with Basement Crawl as one of the worst multiplayer console experiences to date. There is absolutely no reason to grab this one, especially at its rather high price point.
I love that games like Fluster Cluck are leading the charge of local, social, multiplayer, and I hope it continues indefinitely. Being able to experience actual living room mayhem again as you did back in the day when friends would come over for epic SNES and N64 sessions is still a blast 15 years later.