Written by Jonathan Lee, January 12, 2020, 10:00pm. Tweet to: @Writerscube
Dead End Job: Ghostbusting with a Cartoonish Charm
Rogue-lite games have been continually trending with the excitement that comes from adventuring whilst traversing between procedurally generated rooms that you have no idea what’s waiting for you. But while we’ve seen quite a few titles with more serious themes and scenarios, developing studio Ant Workshop Ltd and publisher Headup Games decided to bring some welcome levity to the rogue’ish genre in December 13, 2019, with Dead End Job.
What’s in the Story?
Dead End Job revolves around a ghost-catcher named Hector Plasm (though you can rename your character if you wish). The story picks up when Hector’s old mentor Beryl ends up dead and not-quite-loving it. His old mentor appears to him as a ghost and implores him to save her soul from being a ghost forever. But to do that, Hector has to earn an absurd amount of money… like a million dollars.
The story is written by IGF nominee Xalavier Nelson Jr. and bears the tones of an old Saturday Cartoon episode. So, being a fan of the wackier days of cartoons, I fell in love with it. From the visual style, the game reminds me of the days of Ren and Stimpy, AH! Real Monsters, and the rest of what made Nickelodeon so insanely amazing back in the late 90’s. But what really keeps you tuned in is not just that cartoon nostalgic feel—it’s the pretty solid gameplay.
The Gameplay
The gameplay was very reminiscent of The Binding of Isaac because of how you move from room to room and attack enemies with projectiles. The action is all top-down, third-person as you maneuver Hector around obstacles and enemy attacks. With your trusty plasma gun and ghost-vacuum, you can weaken and capture the ghosts you fight in each room. For the most part, until you reach the final boss, this encapsulates the actual gameplay. But part of what keeps the action going and the game so enjoyable is the variety of enemies, areas, and pickups that you will encounter.
Enemies and Items
As you go through the city’s various districts, you’ll run into different kinds of rooms and settings, and take on all kinds of ghostly menaces. Also worth noting was how each variety of foe you faced had their own quirky ways of attacking, adding further challenge as you progressed. In the Business District, a few times I ran into one special enemy called the Office Assisthaunt. If you were alive back in the days of early Microsoft Word: Yes, it’s the Office Assistant come back to haunt us all after being put to rest those years ago. But what was even funnier was how it would throw smack at you with different turns of the usual phrases that it would rote off while you were using Microsoft Word back in the day.
The various ghost-puns that go into the special enemies are all cheeky and fun, and it added to the general charm of this game. But this also goes for the dialogue between characters and the naming of items in the game.
The pickup items in the game are also varied and helpful (or a little mundane, depending on what you pick up). As you play, you’ll have to figure out what items hurt ghosts, what can heal you, or what just looks really cool and flashy. (Hint: Pick up and use every item when you get Help Wanted objectives involving item usage.)
Final Thoughts on Dead End Job
Dead End Job makes for a fun break from the more serious side of gaming. The nostalgic and pun-filled details drew quite a few chuckles from me throughout my time playing. While I’ve beaten the game, I’m going through it again since I want to unlock more of the concept art. The concept art gallery was a nice touch, and I say that because it doesn’t happen as often nowadays. If you’re a fan of rogue-like games, and you’re looking for something with a sense of humor and a love for 90’s cartoon nostalgia, you couldn’t find a better recent title. So, is it worth a buy? I’d give it a yes! Check it out on Steam here!
