Arcadegeddon: Save the arcade in this multiplayer third-person shooter

As a fan of multiplayer shooters, Arcadegeddon was one of my personal favorites to be revealed during today’s PlayStation State of Play. Developed by Illfonic, the studio behind Predator: Hunting Grounds, Arcadegeddon is a colorful, third-person multiplayer shooter with just a straight up fun premise.

You’re trying to save a local arcade from being destroyed by the faceless mega corporation, Fun Fun Co.

"Gilly, the owner of a local arcade, is trying to save his business from a faceless mega corporation. To do so he takes all the top arcade games and connects them all to make a super game. Unfortunately, the mega corporation, Fun Fun Co. hacks the game and injects a virus. You and your friends need to save the game and the last hometown arcade."

Arcadegeddon has a cartoonish look to it, and it’s supposedly influenced by things like the Muppets, Gorillaz and 90’s punk rock — so it’s a millennial’s nostalgic dream. The graphics won’t blow you away, and it doesn’t look like the gameplay really brings anything new to the table. Admittedly, it looks a bit stiff.

But as I said, I’m a sucker for multiplayer shooters that I can play with my friends. And Arcadegeddon looks to deliver that. You explore multiple biomes either solo or with up to three friends, defeating enemies and bosses, finding hidden chests, and playing mini-games.

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There are only three biomes available in Early Access, but Illfonic plans to release at least five by 2022, which is when the game is slated to officially launch out of Early Access. Each of the biomes have a distinct look and feel and range from settings like the neon-pulse-like electrical grid of Nerve Center to the Mystic Isles, a tropical getaway island with an ancient magical presence and temples.

To add a little motivation to your gameplay, there are nine different gangs in Gilly’s Arcade, each with their own unique style and set of challenges for you to complete. By completing their tasks, you can unlock Surge Gauntlet Abilities and cosmetics.

Of course, I can’t not talk about the guns. There are seven different weapon classes and about 28 different weapons in Arcadegeddon during Early Access. This is in addition to 25 hacks and eight Surge Gauntlet Abilities that you can acquire as you play the game.

Arcadegeddon very much reminds me of Knockout City. It’s a budget-friendly title, available for just $19.99, and it doesn’t try to be more than what the studio intended.  Arcadegeddon is currently in Early Access on PlayStation 5 and PC (Epic Game Store).