14 DAY TRIAL // The band might not be known outside of the underground, but we are always ready to play our hearts out, even if it is just a rehearsal. The song is a little angry and a little bleak but Gordy is slashing dollar bills with her guitar like there’s no tomorrow.
She’ll still have to deal with the bills and the many people who don’t believe that the band can have a shot at success. But at least the song is decent and there’s freedom in this rhythm-driven gameplay. Certainly a lot more than during the long shifts at the local burger joint.
Tomorrow is another day that will start with some washing and plant watering. There will be new people to meet and more songs to play as Gordy and her three bandmates navigate life and search for a chance to show the music world what they can do.
Dead Pets Unleashed is developed and published by Triple Topping. I played a preview version on the PC using Steam. The title is a narrative adventure built around a punk band and its leader, with a lot of mini-games to drive gameplay.
The narrative features a punk band named Dead Pets and its leader Gordy. In true punk fashion, they have been grinding but are unable to make it big. The big twist is that the narrative takes place in New Void City, a city that’s home to demons and other weird creatures. They have restaurants, coffee shops, and dive bars and have to deal with very real problems, including money, relationships, and the pressure of conforming to societal expectations.
As Gordy, gamers will have to move through city locations throughout the day. At home, she can change her outfits, chat with people on the phone, water a plan named Satan, and more. There’s also a burger joint where she takes shifts as a waitress. The perspective shifts and the game quickly introduces mechanics to seat customers, take orders, and clean up. An eldritch monster seems to be handling actual burger production.
There’s a music store to visit and a place where players can assemble their favorite hot dog. And, more importantly, when Gordy can get everyone in the same place, the band will play. Here the game shifts to classic and relatively simple rhythm game mechanics.
Dead Pets Unleashed is pretty relaxed and has a lot of variety while also commenting on plenty of real-world contemporary themes. I like both the writing and the shift between types of mini-games. And I love the main character's attitude and how the game reflects her inner life, especially via character intros and interludes.
Dead Pets Unleashed has a very unique visual style that blends some cool monster designs with punk sensibilities. Everything in this city is both grimy and somewhat charming. The user interface works well with the many mini-games but I want a little more clarity on the consequences of player choices. I liked all the songs the band played during the preview, which is a great sign for such a music-focused title.
Conclusion
The mini-games work well, although they might become repetitive in the long term. Dead Pets Unleashed is not afraid to tackle some hard subjects and I really want to see what kind of ending I can create for Gordy and her friends when the full game arrives.
A preview key was provided by the publisher
