But the best bit of the game is when you come up to a door, as you have to breach them by… well… smashing it with your boot and then the fun begins. Some also come with different attachments like sights and laser markers, all giving you a little edge in a firefight. You’ll also unlock and find an array of different weapons like sub-machine guns and shotguns as you move from level to level. Your main goal is to clear each room of bad guys – it’s that simple. Though there are a number of backgrounds you’ll find yourself battling in, from a warehouse to a casino. RICO: London is once again an FPS slug-fest with a strong dash of roguelike thrown in, as each level is built from scratch before you head in… meaning no two level’s layouts are the same. As tales go it’s ok and frames everything up nicely with more than a few passing nods and winks to movies like Die Hard. So you grab your partner and head into the night to become the world’s biggest party pooper. It’s not going to be a quiet celebration though as a hot tip-off tells you there’s an arms deal going down as well that night. This is once again an arcade affair as you fill the boots of a cop who is on “crowd control” on New Year’s Eve at the millennium. Well, Ground Shatter is back with a sequel – RICO: London which aims to offer more of the same, but with a Cockney accented governor. It let you enjoy the thrill of… well booting in a door, which you did a LOT in what was really a popcorn fuelled corridor shooter with a fun doorframe smashing mechanic. If you must play this, wait for a sale, otherwise, this is an easy pass.Games let you do lots of amazing things from fighting hordes of monsters to pushing supercars to their limits, each game lets you do something different and Ground Shatter’s RICO was no different. And for £25, you’d expect a meatier experience. It’s mindlessly and numbingly repetitive to a point after a go-round of the first floor, you’ve basically seen it all. I was actually hyped and looking forward to playing RICO London mostly due to its unique visual style, unfortunately, any excitement or hype pretty much died when I first started playing. You’ll drown it out pretty easily when you’re focused on wiping everyone in slow-mo. The soundtrack is a mindless, boring, uninspired rock-like score.

Each area thankfully looks different whilst remaining in the same building, but each area can also overstay their welcome. It’s done with a stylish XIII visual aspect making players hope for a real sequel rather than a half-assed, dumbed-down remaster from 2021. The game’s visual presentation is definitely one of RICO London’s strongest points. It can easily take 3-4 bullets to the head before being rewarded with a headshot. Additionally, enemies are bullet sponges. I sincerely feel this is a missed opportunity to make an XIII-like game (let’s just forget about that horrible remaster from 2021) with a deep story and maybe more gameplay variety like stealth or puzzles. Bust a door open, shoot as many guys as possible in slow motion and if some remain, kill them at normal speed. The game’s biggest problem is its concept it’s linear, very repetitive gameplay. There are a handful of challenges that can be attempted solo or in co-op but still don’t change the core formula of the experience. When completing areas, you can purchase items to help you on your way additional shots, and regain some health among other things.

You also begin the game with two adrenaline shots that can revive you when downed. Thankfully, you can find health packs peppered throughout each level. And obviously on the flip side, even with a reasonable distance between you and an enemy’s grenade, you’ll still suffer a lot of damage. You can throw them in the middle of a group of enemies, yet they all manage to escape unscathed. You can also pick throwable weapons… which feel utterly useless. Dead enemies will drop additional ammo and/or new guns for you to pick up. Players can use two weapons at a time a simple handgun and a machine gun both of which are filled with limited ammo. RICO London is a stylish FPS shooter where the goal is busting down doors and shooting enemies in stylish ways in order to get the highest score possible. As with any good rogue agent, she goes in guns blazing trying to take down the bad guys. RICO London’s story (and I use that term loosely) is set during New Year’s Eve 1999 in London where Detective Inspector Redfern finds herself at the scene of an emerging arms trade at the foot of a high-rise tower. Ground Shatter, Numskull Games, Rico London, Shooter

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