Troublemaker Review (PC)

A group of opponents is standing in front of me, ready to attack all at once. They are, of course, underestimating my abilities. A quick flurry of light strikes makes them spread out a little, giving me the space to focus my blows on just one of them. A heavy attack throws him on his back and I have no problem kicking him while he’s down to eliminate one enemy from this brawl.

I keep my guard up to deal with two dudes who seem really sure they can hurt me and then I launch one of my special moves, hitting almost the entire group at once. Another opponent is eliminated, leaving only three to engage with. They have only managed to eliminate around 10% of my health.

The fight is easy to win and now their leader is ready to challenge me. He poses a bigger problem because his own moves deal much more damage. Countering is essential and I am also ready to use my extensive inventory of beer to keep my health up. It’s a good thing I made sure to spend some money to make sure I don’t run out. This fight will be pretty long but I am confident of a win.

Troublemaker is developed by Gamecom Team and published by Freedom Games. I played it using Steam on the PC. The title is a third-person brawler set inside a high school, with an interesting cast of characters.

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Our main character is Budi, a kid who got in trouble in his old neighborhood and is shipped off to a new school. He is also a good fighter, which helps him solve a wide range of problems but also brings more trouble his way. The story is set in Indonesia and there are plenty of references and jokes that probably won’t make sense to a non-native player.

The game’s tone is a strength, blending the brash nature of young people trying to prove their worth in a school setting. Everyone loves to talk about everything, even the guy whose job is to deliver items and attribute boosts. A lot of “bro” is thrown around and there’s plenty of cursing. Don’t expect innovation in narrative but I mostly like the energetic nature of the dialogue. There are also some genuinely emotional moments toward the end of the narrative.

Because Budi is a goof fighter, everyone wants to get him into situations that need to be solved using punches and kicks. There are some sections of the game where players move freely around the world, talking to people, and engaging in mini-game. But, most of the time, they will move through predetermined paths, probably while talking to someone, on their way to another meeting where someone will challenge the hero.

The fighting system will be familiar to most gamers who played a third-person beat ‘em up before. Budi has a light and heavy attack and he can block enemy attacks. All these actions consume his limited energy reserve, so it’s a good idea to avoid some strikes and disengage to refill it. A gauge fills up gradually, giving gamers the option to launch a more powerful special attack (the names are hilarious).

The game throws both solo duels and group combat at the player. It’s important to carefully manage both energy and health and don’t be afraid to use items to improve one’s chances. Richard, the quip-ready vendor, is always there and he’s also the guy where players can improve their stats and unlock new special moves. It all costs cash obtained by defeating people.

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Players can get through the first few chapters of Troublemaker relatively easily, even if they rely mostly on button-mashing to win fights. As the narrative moves forward and as bigger groups are thrown into a fight it is important to always Space when needed. Get enemies on the floor as often as possible and take advantage of the free hits.

Fights against opposing gang leaders, especially in the end game, can be annoying, mainly because of their big health bars. It takes time to whittle them down, even with upgraded punching power and improved energy recovery. It would have been better to make them more threatening on the offensive via a more varied set of moves.

Troublemaker’s mini-games aren’t too appealing and the exploration element is limited. This is not an open-world game with brawler moments. It’s a mostly linear experience centered on combat in small arenas. If the combat is not appealing in the first 90 minutes, getting through the experience will be frustrating. But I like the game’s spirit and the way it mixes deadly serious fights with moments of hilarity and even some emotional beats.

Troublemaker’s presentation mixes the modern world of 2018 with a more stylized approach. The school grounds are relatively small and classmate and enemy models are not too detailed. The more dialogue-driven sequences are entirely static, with characters popping in and out of the scene using the visual novel approach. The game also has more abstract animated cutscenes, designed to hype up the bigger fights and enhance the main story moments.

The same approach of doing a lot with limited resources is evident in the sound design. Protagonist Budi and some of the other core characters talk during certain sequences and the voice actors do a good job of mixing goofiness with bravado. During the visual novel portions, they only deliver exclamations. The soundtrack is pretty good but I wanted more oomph for the fight effects.

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The Good

The Bad

Conclusion