Review: Screencheat Unplugged

Game: Screencheat: Unplugged
System: Nintendo Switch
Developer/Publisher: Samuari Punk
Age Rating: 7 (UK & EU) | 10+ (US)
Price: £10.79 | €11,39| $16.37
Release Date: 29th November 2018

Review copy kindly provided by Samuari Punk

Screencheat: Unplugged is a four-player multiplayer FPS/Party title. From my time with it, I can see the appeal of the game for a younger audience. My 12-year-old son loves it! I’ve mainly watched him play it in preparation for this brief review. For that reason, the final result is his rather than mine, but I shall endeavour to add my opinion too.

Let Battle Commence

The main concept behind Screencheat: Unplugged is simple. Four players must battle it out to accomplish the set objective of each match. Match rules depend on which game mode has been selected either by the player or by random. So Death Match by default requires five kills to win whereas Gold Rush challenges each player to gather the most coins before the time runs out. There are 11 game modes in total, 10 of which are unlocked by gathering XP from each play session. As well as new stages, players can also unlock new weapons, maps, and a selection of extras called Mutators which mix up the gameplay even further.

The game also includes a plethora of customisation options which allows players to change time limits, score requirements, limit weapon selections etc. If players should want to get even more technical, then advanced game mode settings have you covered. Serious players can modify this game to their liking and save their settings which can be reloaded via the main game mode menu.

But what’s different?

What makes Screencheat different from other FPS titles is that each combatant is invisible to each other. The only clues a player can obtain about the whereabouts of others come by looking at each other’s screens and watching for weapon trails. The idea is fun and executed well except trying to squeeze four-player multiplayer onto one Switch handheld screen can be troublesome to look at. My Son while playing commented on how hard it was to play in handheld mode. The game is far better suited to TV mode which seems logical due to the type of game Screencheat is.

An Old Man’s Opinion

Screencheat is fun, but it isn’t able to keep my attention for long. I’ve played both single and multiplayer modes, but after 5 – 10 mins, I’m usually happy to move onto something else. This doesn’t mean that Screencheat is a bad game. I can imagine it becoming a favourite for young FPS fans. My main concern about its success is that titles such as Fortnite can be downloaded for free through the eShop.

Another interesting element about the game is its visual presentation. Screencheat looks okay visually, but I find the mutated character designs somewhat strange to look at. Seeing human-like bodies with dog heads and shark fins is slightly surreal. The major plus, however, is that the game plays well and both my sons love it.

Concerning violence, the game is very mild, but some parents may not appreciate their children playing something that emphasises scoring in terms of kills. Such descriptions wouldn’t cause to many problems to the majority, but it may be offensive to some.

A Young Man’s Opinion – Written by my Eldest Son (12)

I think that Screencheet is a very fun game to play with friends and family and should be considered a recommended game for Nintendo Switch. I have played Screencheat with my Dad and my brother and have really enjoyed it. I definitely recommend it for it isn’t none of that Fortnite rubbish 🙂

In Conclusion

I’m not super excited by Screencheat Unplugged myself but I’m not part of the audience for which the game was designed. I would personally give the game a not sure rating, but I’m going to allow my son to provide it with the final grade. He enjoyed the game so much that he originally wanted to give it Two Thumbs Up, but after a brief chat, he’s decided to give it a Like it a Lot.