Epic Dumpster Bear: Dumpster Fire Redux Review

Epic Dumpster Bear: Dumpster Fire Redux is a 2D platformer featuring a bear which has been driven out of it’s forest by an evil corporation that has decimated the forest. The aim of the game is to find the corporation and “take out the trash”.

The game’s story appears to be environmentally motivated as it mentions real-world environmental problems. I have to congratulate Log Games for taking this stance because raising awareness for real issues is often lost within the games industry. The story is delivered in sometimes single sentences between levels and doesn’t provide much satisfaction. Facts are relayed within the loading screens about bears, this was an interesting part of the game but feels like it was shoehorned in because they couldn’t think of something better.

The graphics of the game look unloved, there is no evidence of true artistic ability as seen in platformers such as Cuphead. The games store page does mention that it is based on the “classic 16-bit classics” but even then, the integrity of the art is low. Comparing Epic Dumpster Bear: Dumpster Fire Redux to games such as Metal Slug doesn’t give the developers of these well aged and finely tuned masterpieces the respect which they deserve. The backdrops of the game are basic and unoriginal and the platforms themselves include basic artwork which brings no satisfaction. I like the 3D style that the game has, it brings out the world in a way that the classic, flat, 2D design of platformers doesn’t give.

Combat is that of the classic style, jumping on enemies to kill them. There are pickups which can change how you defeat enemies and interact with the word. There is a soldier’s hat which allows you to blow up rocks and defeat enemies from a distance. A backpack (fart) powerup allows for double jumping which is useful for crossing extended gaps and wall jumping. I did come across some bugs with some of the enemies (namely the crocodile) where the collisions were flawed which prevented death.

The flow of the game is very good. Placement of enemies allows good timing and the traversal of levels in some interesting ways. One of my favourite ones was using the poles to project yourself along at an increased speed. Traditional platformer styles such as hidden areas feature as well as backtracking and sprinting. There has to be come credit here because the overall gameplay is enjoyable.

Epic Dumpster Bear: Dumpster Fire Redux costs £4.99 on the PlayStation Store. For this price you can expect that the game your buying is going to be a short game or a game that is of an undesirable quality when a developer is forced to release early or in an unfinished state. Epic Dumpster Bear: Dumpster Fire Redux is a game which should not have been allowed commercial release. There is an ongoing problem with online retailers not ensuring product quality and this is a brilliant example of one which slipped through the cracks.

Epic Dumpster Bear: Dumpster Fire Redux fails to hit the mark on what it set out to do. The concept is good, but the gameplay and visual style is basic and unoriginal. While some things work (humour and general gameplay flow), there are some major flaws.  Ignoring the visual style will certainly help the opinion of those that want to try this game out, but don’t expect it to be memorable or become a favorite. A disappointment set up for those wishing to relive the classic platformer genre. However, there is hope yet! This month’s PlayStation Plus program includes Rayman Legends which may be the better option if you’re looking for a game to scratch your retro gaming itch.

REVIEW CODE: A FREE PC code was provided to Brash Games for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to editor@brashgames.co.uk.

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