Big Way Games’ BDSM: Big Drunk Satanic Massacre is a shooter RPG with a satirical twist. Far from the doom and gloom you’d expect from a game with such a heavily demonic setting, BDSM‘s great sense of humor makes for an outrageously fun premise.
Set in the depths of Hell, the corporations have taken over, meaning that the Great Inferno has become less fire and brimstone – and more meetings and managers. You play as Lou, Satan’s schlubby, inebriated son. It’s up to you to grab your guns, take a hearty swig of “Milk”(read: booze), and blast everything in your line of sight.
Like a Drunk Out of Hell
With an evil clown as your nemesis and Hell’s hottest babe in need of rescuing, BDSM‘s story doesn’t lack for originality. Neither do the locations. You play through fast food production lines and even a seedy red-light district.
An action RPG, BDSM gives you a variety of extravagant guns to blast away your enemies (usually hordes of fellow demons). You can’t stay still for too long without getting mauled, meaning you spend most of your time running around. This lets you pick up cash and refill your stock of health-replenishing Milk.
As well as the main mission, you also find optional side-missions, such as the early example of freeing imps. While you don’t have to do these, they do grant you extra skill points. These can then be funneled into paths that give you more health, ammo, or an extra Milk slot.
Unleash the Rage
The controls can feel a little clunky at times, particularly in turning Lou around and aiming. Because the game is still in the early stages, some rough patches are expected. Hopefully, the directional controls see some improvement in the game’s final release.
Although you don’t begin the game with it, the gameplay’s enjoyability picks up immensely once you get Rage. With this, you can unleash an immense beam of destruction that kills everything in its path for a limited time period. You then have to recharge this ability by continuing to kill enemies.
Part of what really sells BDSM is its original visuals and setting. In appearance and attitude, Lou is reminiscent of Hellboy, and the whole game has a similar style in its grungy, mechanical underworld. Peppered with neon lights and three-breasted statues that function as checkpoints, the underworld feels like a place where you can have fun while you’re damned.
The fantastic thumping, metal-inspired soundtrack is another great addition to the world, marrying well with the ceaseless high-octane action.
A Lot of Soul
Despite the early game crunch, BDSM is filled with a ton of enjoyable little quirks that keep you invested in the world and story. Lou is a highly enjoyable protagonist. His brash, hedonistic personality seeps out not through just the writing, but his actions as well.
Picking up any items lying about will elicit comments like “I saw it first!” The vending machines that dispense your healing booze could probably be activated by the push of a button, but Lou takes the swifter approach of a headbutt, every time.
As with the combat, there are a few early installment rough patches. Some on-screen suggestions never leave the screen and refuse to close. When you swig your milk to heal the enemies just stand there and wait for you. This is understandable, as you need to be able to complete the drinking animation. Still, it certainly feels odd that suddenly the hordes trying to kill you all want to take a three-second breather.
Big Drunk Satanic Massacre shows a ton of promise already, with its fantastically fun premise. The game has a truly interesting take on a devil-themed story mixed in with a hefty dose of humor.
On a mechanical level there’s definitely room for the game to tighten up, and we’ll have to wait to see what improvements the game undergoes before its release on September 26 [As of September 19, Cliqist was informed that the release date has been moved to October 10, where it will release on PC, PS4, and Switch.]. If you think BDSM could be your vice, check out the gameplay trailer below.
