Hello ladies, gentlemen and those of a non-binary nature, my name is Daibhi and this is the Gamerhub community. We all love things that drive us back to our nostalgia. Be that playing the latest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game, laughing at whatever Mr T inserts himself into next or simply emulating and playing old games on our cell phones. Fortunately for us, there’s a giant market of indie games prepared to indulge our every nostalgic whim. Want to play Tetris on a modern console? There are loads of versions at various price points for you. Personally, I loved Super Punch Out on the SNES, as I got to play this game a lot as a kid. Fortunately, this arcade boxing genre is still going around and that’s where Punch Club comes in…
Round 2!
I make no secret of my love for simulation and retro games in my reviews, and I am absolutely delighted with this one. The geniuses at Lazy Bear Games make really good games like the Punch Club franchise, and the first game absolutely rocks. I took part in Twitch Plays Punch Club in 2016, so I was happy to see the sequel. Punch Club 2: Fast Forward does a lot of what the first instalment does, with some welcome improvements. More on that later, because that’s not what comes here. Punch Club 2: Fast Forward hasn’t exactly had the warmest welcome from some people, but honestly, they’re wrong. They’re just wrong. This game might just have been the most fun I’ve had reviewing in a long time. I used Thumb Soldiers to improve my gameplay. This has helped me review this better. Honestly, this game absolutely freaking rules.
The people behind Punch Club 2 Fast Forward
Lazy Bear Games are a video games development outfit from Vilnius in Lithuania. They’ve been around for 12 years and were founded by Nikita Kulaga and Sviatoslav Cherkasov. Originally called GameJam, they’ve been behind some really great games over the years. Fairy Kingdom HD, Rabbit Must Die and Graveyard Keeper all belong to them. They’ve won awards for their games and it’s not surprising. All of their games have a story-driven focus, with excellent gameplay and a lot of nostalgia. If you want to play their games, I’ll put the link at the end. If you want to tell them we sent you, contact them here and tell them on Twitter.
What is Punch Club 2: Fast Forward?
Punch Club 2: Fast Forward is really two types of game mashed together and pretending to be one. On one hand, it’s a role-playing adventure game where you have to work out what happened to your Dad. On the other hand, it’s a sports management simulation game set in a dystopian future not unlike Blade Runner. This game is a bit of slog to complete, but the jokes and references make it worth it.
Gives a whole new definition to beating meat….
To gain energy needed to perform tasks, you can watch a film with your uncle. All the films are references to different movies from the 80’s and 90’s. Some of these are obvious, some not, but the captions are always hilarious. Just like Punch Club, the sequel is chocker with jokes made to make me feel old. The graphics also do some lifting in this department. Speaking of which…
Punch Club 2’s Graphics
Here’s the elephant in the room- I really, really like this game. Like, I would quite happily put this game on a Top 10 list if we did those on this site. It’s great fun, but by christ, it makes you feel old! This is where the graphics come in. This isn’t the sort of game where you can see wrinkles on characters’ faces. Then again, does every game need to have that level of graphical quality? Probably not. This game is graphically very similar to the Streets of Rage franchise, and games of that era. That’s not underselling it either. I can’t help but hum the franchise’s theme music as I play this game. It owes more than a little in that regard. But there is one thing this game has that most others of this genre don’t…
All these moments, lost in time. Like tears… In the rain
The maps, the world around you look stunning. Forget manky old gyms and decrepitation, this game is set in a world that looks a lot like the only good Blade Runner film. Yes, you start in a suburb, but as you play through, this game really opens up. Robot police with senses of humour that gives Claptrap a run for his money? Check. [Side note- Read Galadrius’s review of the borderlands film here] Fancy bantering with a guy that might be supplying your mum with illicit brownies? Check. Every single background is painstakingly drawn. You can spend hours looking for jokes in the details. It’s gloriously funny. The funniest part for me is spotting the references in every background. Seriously, when you get this game, spend some time doing this: I guarantee you’ll laugh.
Punch Club 2: Fast Forward’s Gameplay
The gameplay for Punch Club 2: Fast Forward isn’t exactly what you’d expect if you’ve played the first game. For a start, this game has a lot more plates to juggle. Keeping an eye on your energy, your fighting style, and the time can be torturous. However, once you get to grips with it, this becomes not that much of an issue. The real thorny issue is working out which discipline you want to learn first. Juggling that around with a job and keeping your mum sedated is the issue that can really take a toll. This might be unbalanced, but it’s nowhere near the level that the first Punch Club has it. There’s also the matter of the Fast Forward bit of the title.
No shoplifting now…
The Fast Forward section is a bit like Ronseal. To the non-Brits reading this- it does exactly what you expect. This helps pass the time and allows you to get more stuff done in the day cycle. The only downside is that is costs you in motivation, and it adds a layer of complexity. However please bear in mind that using Fast Forward makes things quick but ups the difficulty. You need the right stats to get to where you want to be and solve the mystery. As I said in the beginning of this review: The gameplay is good, but it’s not too accessible for noobs to the genre.
Punch Club 2: Fast Forward’s Accessibility
This is where we get to some of the negative aspects: Punch Club 2: Fast Forward doesn’t have that much in the way of anything taxing. That being said, the problems come with how the game presents itself. Getting help to navigate this game is a real issue, and I ended up using forums in a few points. For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I can’t tell you where. The boss battles require some inside baseball, which is why I looked online. This game really could use some better help information at easily accessible points. If you’re playing this on the PlayStation 5, use the sensor pad in the middle of the controller. If you’re using an Xbox though… good luck is all I have to say on the matter.
Where to get Punch Club 2: Fast Forward
This game is available on multiple platforms so:
Overall Thoughts
Punch Club 2: Fast Forward is a brilliantly funny game with plenty of nostalgic beats that make you long for the days of Punch Out. While you don’t get to knock out Mike Tyson in this game, there is plenty of story, wit, and adventure to be had. The game has moments that will make you pull your hair out at times, and plenty of moments where your ribs will hurt from laughing. The story is engaging, and I’ve done my best not to spoil any of it. The difficulty curve is sharp, but not so much that you want to give your controller flying lessons. While the gameplay takes some adapting to and the accessibility is left wanting, the rest of the aspects are very well done. It’s well worth your money getting this game, and honestly, you should. More AAA games should be as fun as this, because honestly, what a way to welcome me back!
I give this game 3.9/5 Joysticks.
For The Gamerhub, I’ve been Daibhi, and you are all legends.
Now, let’s give mum some more of those “brownies”.
