*Sources of screenshots are listed in their respective file-names.

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Once upon a sun-kissed morning,
I awoke from peaceful snoring,

Only to find my bathwater cruelly sucked away.

“Need Water? Visit My Spa!” the Count said,

And as I searched my groggy head,
I remembered what my grandfather always used to say:

“If you wake up one sun-kissed day, and find your water stolen away,
The solution is simple! Do not delay–use your buggy to blow everything away.”

So that’s how I spent that memorable day–blowing every single thing away.

Okay?

Pressure* mixes the funky attitude of a game like Joe Danger with a steampunk setting, and wraps this combination in cartoon visuals. Developer Chasing Carrots calls this unique style “steam-funk.”

The gameplay is typical vehicle combat–fast and intense (and in this case also family-friendly). Up to two players (online or local) can use weapons ranging from Tesla coils to soap cannons to get their bathing water back.

Coins earned for performance in-game are used to buy a number of weapons and vehicle upgrades. This allows you to tailor your buggy to your style of play.

Pressure’s greatest innovation (and the element that keeps the action so fast-paced) is…”pressure.”

As players advance through levels, their steam pressure gauge is constantly going down. The only way to get pressure back is to destroy enemies or cross checkpoints. Since there is no pressure penalty for boosting or shooting, players will find themselves blowing up the enemy, terrain and occasionally themselves while driving at breakneck speeds.

If you still aren’t fast enough, a humongous metal grinder will begin chasing you through the level.

Amazingly, even while featuring over-the-top cartoon violence, Pressure shows a great deal of restraint. A great example of this is when the villainous Count is defeated by crashing into a pool of lava.

We later see him during the ending credits–sullen, but safe and sound.

Unfortunately, Pressure’s difficulty spikes suddenly during the game’s third act, featuring narrow tracks and several ramps along with more dangerous enemies. Players may need to adjust their characters/playing styles to survive.

Conclusion:

Pressure’s “steam-funky” fusion of family-friendly cartoon style and bombastic vehicle combat is a fantastic pairing.

Potential Concerns:

None to my knowledge.

Buy Now! (PC)

*This title was received for review. See our statement of ethics here. ________________________________________________________________

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