Vblank Entertainment has released the “full reveal” trailer for Shakedown: Hawaii, its upcoming 16-bit open-world adventure and sequel to Retro City Rampage.
The developer also announced that it will publish physical PlayStation 4 and PS Vita versions of Shakedown: Hawaii. It recommends you subscribe to its e-mail alerts so you don’t miss when they go on sale.
Here’s an overview of the game, via its Vblank Entertainment:
Open World, New Parody
Where Retro City Rampage was a send up to video games and pop culture, Shakedown: Hawaii is a parody of mega corporations, white collar crimes, and the most comically egregious business practices that go alongside. It playfully satirizes business that’s so ballsy, you’ll be left saying, “I’m not even mad, that’s amazing!”.
Out of Retirement… to Retire the Competition
You play an aging CEO, stranded in a world he no longer understands, with a company that’s now a relic of the past.
Upon discovering that online shopping’s destroyed his retail margins, ride sharing killed his taxi business, and video rental stores… are no longer actually a thing… it becomes clear that keeping the company alive will require drastic measures. He’ll need to modernize the business! Unfortunately, the modernizations he chooses are exactly those comically egregious practices!
From the Boardroom to the Streets
Replacing the genre’s more commonly populated gangs and mobsters, are boardroom executives, formulating harebrained schemes to increase margins and boost profits.
But, whether you’re cornering the market on avocado toast or masterminding new hidden service fees, the missions ultimately unravel into the same carjacking, combat and shootouts you’d expect from the genre.
Collect ‘Em All
As things begin to turn the corner, our anti-hero sets his sights even higher. Perhaps it was his rival’s taunts, or maybe he attended one too many motivational self-help seminars, or it could just be his own insecurity and over-compensation complex. Whatever it was, he declares that saving the company is no longer enough. He’s going to own the ENTIRE island! He’ll destroy EVERY competitor! He’ll convince the world that online shopping’s a dying fad, taxis are here to stay, and dammit… get everyone renting VHS tapes again!
The entire island is up for grabs… or at least, will be once you ruffle enough feathers.
Through story missions, small jobs and your own acquisitions, you’ll gain ownership of properties and businesses. The revenue they generate can then be funneled back into more acquisitions.
Reality Check
Our anti-hero’s decision to spend more time on reality TV as a “CEO” personality, than as the actual CEO of his company didn’t help matters.
Even though he’s only reached D-list celebrity status, he’s still too recognizable to go on a rampage without a disguise. Luckily he owns a few costume shops in town.
New opportunities will emerge as your empire branches out into new market segments. With the disguise, you can begin sabotaging competitors, threatening those who threaten your brands, and collaterally “rezone” land.
Collecting Loose Change
With your trusty disguise, you can also begin shaking down shops for protection money, and use that to fund your “legitimate” corporate expansion.
These micro missions are scattered all over the island and successfully completing them will provide you with additional streams of income.
More on these shakedowns will be revealed in detail in a later trailer dedicated solely to their part in the game, so stay tuned!
Shakedown: Hawaii is due out for PlayStation 4, Switch, PS Vita, 3DS, and PC via Steam in 2017.
Watch the trailer below.