In A World of Trash, Be The Dumpster Fire
HIGH The sound design rocks.
LOW So many bugs.
WTF Those zombies dressed as pigs standing still, doing nothing.
Dead Trash is another post-apocalyptic game. I say another because there are elements here that could promise a more thrilling experience, but Dead Trash ends up being an unremarkable work – and that’s fine. It doesn’t seem to be trying for something exceptional, just a simple FPS, and if that’s its premise then it succeeds… although just barely.
Dead Trash is a retro first-person shooter and reminds us of when the genre emerged, so it’s with nostalgia that we can observe 2D objects in 3D space and experience the entire campaign with little rendering, seeing almost everything pixel by pixel.
It clearly takes inspiration from titles like the very first Doom or Wolfenstein 3D, and like these classic games, Dead Trash also tries to recreate an oppressive atmosphere with thrilling shooting against enemies who deserve to be shot. In this case, anarchist gangs and zombies in a chaotic, post-apocalyptic world where our character needs to survive in ruined suburbs filled with crumbling houses and abandoned streets brimming with trash and nuclear waste.
This effort is named Dead Trash because many of the items we must pick up, like medicine and ammunition, are in trash bags, and trash bags are everywhere. Every street and corner has trash bags, and this is not mere decoration of degraded society, but a constant supply of items needed to progress.
The controls in Dead Trash are good. We can’t lock on to targets, but the aim is stable and the hitboxes are reliable. However, controls are just a basic starting point in crafting an FPS experience and many other aspects don’t feel up to snuff.
For example, the shooting distances are completely off (pistols have the range of a sniper rifle) and the cover system is awful – often when we hide behind wooden boxes or stone columns, enemy bullets pierce through and hit us). These details can be frustrating, and bring down the experience. Also, enemy variety is disappointing and few of the foes are memorable.
The difficulty curve is dizzying, and we’ll regularly end up in areas full of enemies jumping and shooting. It’s a little rough, but what can really add frustration at times is darkness – particularly in the first area – and the way that enemies that hide in it and take potshots from miles away. It’s common to arrive in an area where enemies are shooting and we don’t know where the shots are coming from. Since the cover system doesn’t work most of the time, this brings the entire FPS experience down a notch. I understand that the developers used darkness as an element to increase suspense, but, it’s more accurate to say that it’s an impediment to enjoyment.
On the other hand, I found the level design good. The campaign is linear, but each section leaves room for a bit of exploration that is rewarded with healing items, new weapons, keys to hidden paths, and weird encounters. I’d also say that the overall pace of play is solid, and the soundtrack is easily the best thing in Dead Trash, adding haunting and spooky ambiance for a more thrilling experience.
Dead Trash is in an early phase and needs to be polished with updates. It still has many bugs, like when our character dies it doesn’t trigger a game over screen, and sometimes the reload doesn’t happen and we need to press many buttons hoping for a reaction or, ultimately, we just have to restart. Plus, I’ve been stuck in two areas, enemies get bugged on some objects (like tires and pillars) and they don’t crouch to pass through small tunnels, as their bodies get caught. However, this review is based on the official launch version, so we can only hope that improvements will come.
Although rough around the edges, Dead Trash is exactly what it sounds like – a dumpster fire of suspenseful moments, shooting, and post-apocalyptic death everywhere. For those who are feeling nostalgic and need something short and edgy, Dead Trash might be the ticket as long as expectations are tempered.
Buy Dead Trash – PC
Rating: 5.5 out of 10
Disclosures: This game is developed by Crowhill Studios and published by DOSMan Games. It is currently available on PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the PC. Approximately 4 hours of play were devoted to the single-player mode, and the game was completed. There are no multiplayer modes.
Parents: As of press time, this game was not reviewed by the ESRB. This game contains violence and presents visceral themes with horror moments. It’s about killing people and monsters by shooting fire guns and using hand weapons. Although the game is very pixelated, we can still see the blood, bodies exploding and hear the screams of suffering. This game is not recommended for kids below 10 years old.
Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: There is no dialogue in this game, and the only text that appears is in the transitions between levels, where we have a comic book style transition. These texts cannot be altered or resized. Playing the game without sound can be challenging, because there are sound cues that alert us that an enemy is approaching in the darkness. If we don’t hear these sounds, we can’t anticipate enemies, and our gameplay has to be slower and more cautious. In this sense, it is not fully accessible.
Remappable Controls: Yes, this game offers fully remappable controls.
His love for videogames started at the age of six, when he received his first console -- a Megadrive (or Sega Genesis, as it is called in the USA). From Sonic and Super Mario to modern triple-A titles, he's played over a thousand games. After so much experience in digital universes, André now considers himself a specialist in serious and educational games.
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