Story originally published on GamersInBeta.com
Fluster Cluck
Developer: LOOT Entertainment
Release Date: 10/21/2014
The Hype: Fluster Cluck by LOOT Entertainment is a local couch co-op game where up to four players engage in aerial combat to climb the corporate ladder. Players work for the “Chikkin Koop” and have their sights set on rising to the rank of CEO. In order to pull of this feat, players will travel to different parts of the world to locate unique ingredients. Items like cows, zombies, camels, and even your opponents can be captured by your ship. Once locked onto your ship’s transport beams, players will carry their findings to the CHIKKINIZE contraption to turn their ingredients into chikkins. The winner of each round will be the player who can make the most chikkins in the allotted time. Winning matches will level up your overall rank which will reward you with new characters, ships, and various weapons and gear for your ships.
In Reality: LOOT entertainment is banking on fans of the retro 64-bit era will be drawn to this dual-stick couch co-op shooter. Who this game really appeals to are families with young children who don’t want their kids playing the more mature online titles. At a reasonable price with a decent amount of content this title could be hours of fun for your children. For the average adult gamer who by now is used to playing a more polished experience, Fluster Cluck will not be the next game you platinum.
Gameplay: The main issue with this title is not the half-baked (or is it fried?) story. It’s the overall lack of execution on gameplay. Our main gripes come down to the controls and wonky camera angles. Flying your little spaceship is not as easy as it sounds. Often times it felt like our ship was being tossed about a wind current and therefore we lacked the ability to control the ship when sudden movements were needed. One would think engaging in combat could solve a lot of any games ills but unfortunately in Fluster Cluck combat is woefully unsatisfying. The only way you can tell if you’re actually making contact with your opponent is if their ship starts to catch on fire. We’ve played a decent amount of low budget indie titles where at least the shooting was somewhat spot on to make the experience somewhat enjoyable, sadly that is not the case here. The most egregious mistake has to be the wonky camera angles when in split screen. Often times your ship is so out of view that you have next to know idea where you are and where you need to be. LOOT Entertainment has a fun premise on their hands but gameplay is in desperate need of refinement before this title could be considered playable in co-op mode.
Conclusion: When it comes to developing on the PlayStation 4, Sony has opened their arms to any and all. A question I often ask my podcast co-hosts is do they prefer quality or quantity when it comes to their gaming library. Meaning the Xbox One has less options but maybe slightly more quality. Where the PlayStation 4 has a vast array of options for the ravenous gamer. A consequence of allowing most titles on your platform is you sometimes get mindless filler content, like Fluster Cluck. While there is fun to be had here, the overall experience is lacking next-gen polish and is diluting the overall “Greatness Awaits” experience.