Loaded
Sega Saturn
Nostalgia Factor:
Nobody talks about Loaded these days, but I remember this game being a big deal when it was first released. It was all over the gaming magazines. One video game magazine in particular (the name of it eludes me) had an article on the game that must have been about 15 or 20 pages long. I remember reading every single word of that mammoth article, and thinking to myself: wow! I have to play this game. The only problem was that it was a PlayStation game, and I only had a Saturn at the time.
A year or so later, a version of Loaded hit the Saturn. The Saturn was always late to the party. I went out and rented this game. I don't remember much about my time with it aside from the basics. It was a shooter. It was very gory and over the top. It was difficult. It had a heavy metal soundtrack. I had fun with it. That's really all I remembered about the game. In fact, the thing that stuck out to me the most was the song "RSVP". I think it was the first time I had ever heard that phrase before.
Now that I have a Retropie and I know how to emulate games, I've been taking this opportunity to revisit a bunch of childhood games that I haven't had the chance to play in 30 plus years. Loaded is one of those games. Time to give it a shot and see if it as fun as I remember.
Story:
This is one of those games where you have to own the instruction manual if you want to get anything out of the story. Nothing is explained in-game. There are cutscenes, yeah. But do they tell you what's going on? No. Instead, the game begins with a typical 90s CGI scene where it is just the characters walking around, shooting, and doing non-sequitur things while upbeat music plays. When the song ends, the title screen pops up. That's about all you get for an in-game story.
You can kind of figure out what is going on through context clues. You have a choice of six different characters, each one looking crazy AF. You've got a weird clown, a muscular man in a mask and a tutu, a Harley Quinn wannabe, etc. When you pick your character, you find yourself in a futuristic mental hospital or prison complex. As the game progresses, your character breaks out and boards a starship which takes him to another world. This is never explained in-game, but your character is in pursuit of "FUB" - a villainous megalomaniac who is responsible for you being locked up. Once you find him and get your revenge, the game ends.
I probably don't have all the details 100% correct. I am only going off what the game tells me. I'm sure if you read the manual or look at the Wikipedia page for this game, it will give you a better plot summary. But like I've said many times throughout the history of this blog: I don't do my research. I review games based on what the game tells me. Which, in the case of Loaded, is not much.
Chaos reigns supreme in this game. It's a shooter that takes place from the overhead perspective. Everywhere you look, there are enemies. Stages that take place indoors are much more manageable than the outdoor stages. In the indoor stages, enemies don't respawn. You can slowly and methodically clear your way through these levels. That's really the way to go when you are playing this game. If you just rush into a room full of enemies with guns blazing, you are going to find yourself dead, fast. In outdoor stages (and even some underground ones), you are constantly being bum rushed by creatures like wolves and spiders. They seem to spawn endlessly. I found that the slow and methodical approach doesn't work here. Best bet is just running through as quick as you can, occasionally taking the time to finish off any enemies that are following you.
The game starts with a choice of six characters. They all have different stats. I remember this game being difficult when I was a kid, so I made sure to pick someone with good defensive numbers. I ended up picking the rabid clown. Other characters are faster, but have a weaker defense. Other characters have stronger weapons, but less mobility. It's all a trade off. I picked the character I thought would work best for me and I rolled with it.
When the game starts, you have two basic weapons: your default weapon and a screen-clearing special weapon. As you make your way through the game, you will find power upgrades that make your default weapon rangier and more powerful. If you die, your weapon goes back to its weakest level. And you'll probably be dying a lot in this game. Other item pick ups include ammo, special bombs, health upgrades, and extra lives. I've heard this game compared to Gauntlet in the past. While I have played Gauntlet, it was a looooong time ago (I'm talking 1980s). I can't really confirm if these comparisons are accurate or not.
Most stages consists of a simple goal: find the level exit. Other stages have you collecting hidden items scattered throughout the level (like gas containers to fuel your ship) and then finding the level exit. Some stages are super long. Others can be beaten in minutes. There are 15 stages in total. The maps are pretty big. I always took my time to fully explore them. Well, not always. I tended to rush through the levels with the endlessly spawning enemies. They are super annoying, and honestly the worst thing about this entire game.
This game can be beaten in a day or two. It is difficult and you die a lot, but luckily the game is fairly generous with its health items and its extra lives. You also get five continues. So regardless of your skill level, you should be able to beat the game.... given you've picked the right character. After I beat the game with the clown, I came back and gave the tutu guy a try. Let's just say it didn't go well. He has a flamethrower as his default weapon, and the range on that thing is terrible. I died and had to use a continue on the first level with this guy, when I didn't even die at all when using the clown. So finding a character that works for you is definitely key here.
One comparison I have to make is to Doom. This game almost feels like a Doom title, but from an overhead perspective instead of first person. The levels are maze-like, you have to find red, blue, green, and yellow key cards to unlock new areas, the action is chaotic, the heavy metal music is always booming, and there are enemies everywhere. My main criticisms are: the repetitive nature of the game, the levels with constantly spawning enemies, and the fact that you can't really see too far ahead of you when you are walking around. Oftentimes enemies pop up and deal damage to you before you can even react to them. You can zoom out a little bit, but that doesn't do much in terms of visibility. The only thing that helps is constantly firing your weapons ahead of you when you walk. But even that strategy has its setbacks, as your ammo supply in this game is finite.
Graphics:
This game may not look like much by today's standards, but back in 1996 it looked fantastic. The thing that stood out to me the most was the lighting effects. Dark hallways will light up green when you fire a green weapon. Explosions cast light on the environment. Enemies explode in chunks of gore, and their remains stay on the ground for you to walk over. You can even destroy most things in the enviroment.
The characters don't look like much. The stages often look same-ish. There are pixels and jagged edges everywhere you look. Everything looks kind of dirty and sloppily designed. But in a way it adds to the "grungey" feel of the game.
Maybe it is not the most pretty game of all time, but at no point did I feel like my enjoyment was hindered by the game's graphical fidelity.
Sound:
The music is one of the highlights of this game. Each stage has a techno-futuristic track attached to it. Most of these songs sound like something you'd hear in a Wipeout game. Other stages have more of a fast paced, metal soundtrack, like a Doom game. Other stages have actual songs with lyrics in them. My personal favorite is still the RSVP song. Crazy that this is the thing I remembered the most about the game after 30 years had passed.
The sound effects are good, too, but they don't really stand out much. The music steals the show here.
Here is a short 3-song playlist of some of my favorite tracks from the game:
Overall:
This is a tough one for me. I liked the game. I had fun with it. I definitely consider it to be an integral part of gaming history. But it does have its flaws. And can I recommend it to others? I don't know. I feel as if people that have no history with the game won't be able to appreciate it like I do. This game is nearly a perfect encapsulation of "you had to be there."
It's definitely an above average game. It has a lot going for it. So I can't in good conscience give it anything in the C range. But at the same time, I can't see myself giving it anything much higher than that. A score of B- will have to suffice.
Hopefully another 30 years doesn't pass before I decide to revisit its sequel, Re-Loaded. I have a story to tell about that one. Until next time!
THE GRADE:
B-
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