The Bug Butcher Reviews

The Bug Butcher is ranked in the 75th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
9 / 10.0
Jan 18, 2016

I loved the responsive controls, and that's a big factor when examining an action-heavy game like this, but the presentation is also commendable. The art and sound design play pivotal roles. Bugs are squishy, just as you'd expect, while power-ups serve as a visual and auditory jolt of energy. The thumping electronic soundtrack is unrelenting, further helping to keep you in The Zone.

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9 / 10
Nov 15, 2018

The Bug Butcher is a spiritual successor that is very much possessed by its muse. This isn't a subtle nod, it is soaked in Pang and it's great because of it. The ability to play the game endlessly to beat your own score will keep you coming back. The fact that you can do it with a friend is just an even bigger incentive. The Bug Butcher isn't reinventing anything, but it is a damn fine version of a classic game.

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7 / 10.0
Jan 31, 2016

The Bug Butcher is a little, nice game. Its funny and cleverly designed, but too short and a little boring in the second half of the game.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Feb 17, 2016

The Bug Butcher is a really fun and really addicting arcade like shooter. While it won't take that long to play through all the levels, it offers a high amount of replayability and it's one of those games where every single point matters and you will be playing over and over again to climb those leaderboards.

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Oct 20, 2016

The Bug Butcher is a fun arcade title that has the player exterminating bugs at an increasingly frenetic pace until all bugs have been destroyed. The easy-to-operate game mechanic and variety of difficulties that are available make it fun for all skill levels, but the challenging achievement list and buggy saving could squash some players' enthusiasm like...well, like a bug.

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85 / 100
Jan 18, 2016

The art and animations all feel at home in the universe this studio has produced, giving a cartoony kid-friendly vibe that's violent but not over the top.

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Jan 29, 2016

I went into The Bug Butcher with few expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised by how well the classic arcade mechanics held up to today's standards. It's a challenging game that never feels cheap or unfair.

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Drew Leachman
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Oct 31, 2016

In the end, this is a decently fun arcade shooter, much like Galaga or Space Invaders. It has a neat art style and plays really well. All for ten bucks too. If you're feeling a little old school and want something that could last you around four to five hours, this is it. You'll get your money's worth out of it.

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Jan 18, 2016

The rough-around-the-edges menus and price might pose problems for some people, but The Bug Butcher breaks convention. The cute and vivid insects put phobias to bed, and because anti-hero Harry only fires his weapons vertically, the gameplay reinvents side-scrolling shooter mindsets.

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7 / 10
Mar 3, 2019

The Bug Butcher builds on the classic 1980s and 1990s 2D arcade shooters to bring a fun and addictive experience, riddled with humour, fluid animations and wide amounts of contents. An experience that is certain to please to all kinds of players and which is especially recommended to fans of the genre.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Feb 4, 2016

If this is the first efforts from Awfully Nice Studios, it's a damned good one. While the Bug Butcher won't win any awards for innovation, it definitely will with how much fun you'll have with the same. Simple, frantic, charming and fun are easily the four best words to describe The Bug Butcher. It's also nice to know that Awfully Nice Studios is constantly fixing bugs (No pun intended) that are found in the game, so it's also nice to see that they're committed to making this the best experience it can be.

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8.5 / 10.0
Mar 21, 2016

The Bug Butcher is a great game with entertaining gameplay and neat weapons that is only slightly held back by longevity issues.

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3.5 / 5.0
Jan 18, 2016

All these elements come together to make an arcade-style game that easily lives up to its Pang/Buster Bros.

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10 / 10
Apr 27, 2016

All in all The Bug Butcher is a distinct pleasure I keep finding myself going back to. It's got that great arcade feel and frantic pace you look for in a title like this, and is so deftly executed it could delight the most stridently anti-nostalgia gamer. But when you get right down to it, The Bug Catcher just makes it so darn fun to wipe out wave after wave of those gross bastard bugs, and that's really all I need to keep me happy for a good hour or two at a time.

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9 / 10.0
Jun 13, 2018

The Bug Butcher feels like Earthworm Jim and Alien Hominid met in an arcade to play Space Invaders and the residual DNA collected from their shared joystick and button usage was used to genetically engineer The Bug Butcher. Its frenetic pace and creative arsenal create a humorously fun experience full of equal parts mirth and mayhem. If you enjoy arcade-style side scrolling shooter, The Bug Butcher needs to be in your go-to rotation.

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Eric Zander
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Nov 1, 2016

The Bug Butcher is exactly what the name implies and more. Sporting 30 levels, each usually lasting less than 2 minutes, there is a strong urge to try "just one more time" to beat your high score. Fans of the Pang/Buster Bros series will feel right at home with this game.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
7 / 10
Oct 18, 2016

The Bug Butcher does a fine job of paying homage to the arcade titles that inspired it. Rather than attempt to be an inept clone, this shoot 'em up goes for a faster, more frenetic take on the concept. The variety of bugs and traps makes each level feel fresh, and there's enough of a difficulty curve to keep everything interesting. When played for score, this game becomes even more enjoyable. It's not quite as polished as it could be, but all things considered, Awfully Nice Studios delivered a quality product for insect-blasting enthusiasts.

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PS4Blog.net
the_nmac
9 / 10
Jan 2, 2017

The Bug Butcher is a great release that pays homage to the arcade-style games of ages past. It controls perfectly, offers a ton of great weapons, and lots of replayablitly. The game is perfect for both short burst of gaming as well as for longer sessions, making it a must-have for your PlayStation 4.

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GameSpew
Top Critic
6 / 10
Jan 26, 2016

Like an RPG, there must be ways of giving the player a customisable experience that you can continuously tweak and invest in. But this isn't the case here. It just doesn't have enough variety to separate itself from seeming like a free flash game

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91%
Jan 25, 2017

You know a game is fun when you're done writing a review for it, and you still end up going back to play some more. The Bug Butcher is an excellent arcade-style action game that is a must-have for PlayStation 4 owners. The bite-sized nature of each level makes the whole package highly addictive. You'll keep playing to get all three stars and to meet the combo requirement in a level… only to then aim at beating your high score, or beating the high score of your friends.

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