Shakedown: Hawaii Reviews
A brisk free-roaming action game with a clicker-ish heart.
Bite-sized missions and an engaging empire-building layer make Shakedown: Hawaii a great destination – whether you have minutes or hours to spare
Despite that, I’m left with a sense of unfulfilled ambition. Shakedown: Hawaii presents itself as a unique real estate-centric twist on open-world action, but it seems satisfied to stick with a cheap rental.
VBlank Entertainment's second GTA parody isn't the close-to-perfect sequel we expected, but it's still a decent game. Despite all of its numerous shortcomings, there's still some fun to be had when you're not toiling through menus, but it's hard not be disappointed when you consider VBlank's previous work; hopefully, like Retro City Rampage, we'll see a better DX version in the future. As it stands, Shakedown: Hawaii is full of potential, but it's overshadowed by monotony.
It may not reinvent the wheel for classic Grand Theft Auto experiences, but it’s nice that it keeps that spin going.
It's a small price to pay for low-stakes arcade open world antics. Shakedown: Hawaii might play similarly to Retro City Rampage, but it takes place in a markedly different world. It's more than enough to warrant giving both games a shot, and a worthy successor to a now-seven-year-old game.
More than a "more of the same", Shakedown Hawaii improves almost everything it takes from Retro City Rampage and introduces new mechanics. Not everything works as it should, but it never lacks ambition. Moreover, his 16bit style is super cool.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Despite some repetitive mission design, Shakedown: Hawaii manages to entertain in much the same way as its predecessor. It swaps out pop culture references for jibes at the modern world, and it's an angle that slots right into the GTA-esque design. The business management aspects are what will keep you hooked, with each day bringing you more and more cash to splash. Its brand of action is simple but satisfying, and there are plenty of ways to enjoy the game if you're after some breezy open world antics -- just don't expect it to blow your socks (and sandals) off.
Shakedown: Hawaii builds on its predecessor by improving its visuals and music massively. It does keep the unique humour, story and over the top action though, while the city building systems are a welcomed addition and I feel most players will enjoy what's on offer. You get quite a bit of game for your money and there is a lot to do in this uncanny little title.
Shakedown: Hawaii does many things right - its sense of humour, the 16-bit inspired graphics and the appeal of its game world are undeniably part of this group. Then there are other things which the game does not succeed in the same way, such as when it comes to keep up its pace interesting and compelling, mostly due to how repetitive its missions become and to the lack of sense of progression between the objectives. All factors considered, Shakedown: Hawaii is still a fun and enjoyable game, which could have been even better.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
If you really like the open-world, GTA-style games and haven't grown tired of really old graphics technology, there is some fun to be had with Shakedown: Hawaii. Otherwise, you might want to look for a more robust game to squeeze some more life out of you Nintendo 3DS.
Regardless of how "intense" it is (or isn't) Shakedown: Hawaii is still a fun, beautiful game, and I enjoyed my overall experience with it.
Shakedown: Hawaii energizes its open-world satire with the transparent and ruthless cynicism of modern commerce. Its antihero's flagrant and invincible dishonesty would go beyond parody if it weren't kept in check by the player's underhanded complicity. I want the money numbers to go higher, too. And I'll destroy or ruin anyone in Shakedown: Hawaii's lush pixel paradise to see it through.
Shakedown: Hawaii has a lot to do and see, and maybe even more to say.
Shakedown Hawaii one-ups Retro City Rampage in almost every way, and is most certainly a must-play on the Nintendo Switch. Heck, it's a must-play on every system, because Vblank made sure to put it on just about everything. If you like things that are fun, you're not going to have much bad to say about this one. It would have been nice to pick from a man or a woman main character, but that's about the largest complaint I can levy. Go get this game.
Shakedown Hawaii gets you into a business trip around a 16-bit world that sometimes leaves much to be desired.
Apart from the slight foibles I’ve mentioned, however, Shakedown: Hawaii is a solid experience, full of fun segments and a ton of laughs.
A bittersweet sucesor to an indie classic. Shakedown: Hawaii is a fun game that pokes fun at capitalism and unethical business practices that, in the end, falls flat.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
I'm not mad at Shakedown: Hawaii, just disappointed. Vblank demonstrated a deep understanding of mechanics-based story cohesion in its last release, but that seems to be forgotten here. The disconnect between plot and play in Shakedown leave both shallow and underwhelming.
There’s no doubt that if you’re looking for a pretty mindless sandbox where you can enjoy blowing things up, getting into gunfights, and generally being a menace Shakedown: Hawaii provides you with ample opportunities for just that...