Loaded

"Simple And Violent...."

Here we have the game known as Loaded. A cross between Gauntlet and Smash TV. It is filled to the brim with blood and gore and lots and lots of shooting. It is extremely simple to pick up and play and has extremely huge levels. Lets get more in-depth with this rather old PlayStation title.

GRAPHICS: 5/10

Keep in mind this title was released for the PlayStation in 1996. So nothing here is eye-popping or mind-blowing at all. The camera is overhead and you guide your character through the big areas. The lighting and explosion effects are nice, but the fire effects are outstanding. Your characters have little design to them though because like I said prior you are viewing them from overhead. So there is no need to go into drastic detail. The drawings of your characters are neat though, seen in the selection menu. You have a homicidal flamethrower wielding drag queen and a muscular psychotic hulk equipped with a rocket launcher and a teddy bear. Sporting a child's mind and a rather disturbing mask. The blood effects are pretty solid for it's age as are the burnt bodies after you toast them to a crisp. The levels are complex and detailed quite well having crimson splattered on them along with graffiti. And some walls can be blown up to reveal secret areas.

SOUND: 7/10

The music presented here is great, a mix of techno and rock keeps you hype as you litter the area with guts and body parts. The splatter and exploding effects are done exquisitely, they sound very realistic. The growl effects and sounds of the bad guys screaming are excellent as well. Weapons sounds are loud just like they should be and get the job done. This area was covered great.

CONTROL: 10/10

Extremely simple control here, feels like an old Genesis game. You just move around and shoot. Mostly none of the rest of the buttons are used on the controller here. You should be able to jump right into playing this like a pro the second you start.

GAMEPLAY: 7/10

You simply run around mindlessly shooting up bad guys into bloody piles of gore. It is fun but if you continue to play for long amounts of time it can get very repetitive. So I would suggest taking a break and starting again later to keep the play fresh and fun. This way you can enjoy ranking up your murder score by butchering legions of foes. It also supports two players, so you and a friend can go on a killing spree together.

OVERALL: 7/10

This game is most likely extremely hard to get by now. Finding it used is probably a tough task but if you happen to see it, I suggest picking it up. It shouldn't be expensive and you can enjoy the carnage alone or with a buddy. Look out for the sequel also, it is called ''Re-Loaded''. It provides the same mayhem as this but misses the piece of the puzzle which made this one really great.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/06/03, Updated 11/10/08

Game Release: Loaded (US, 1996)