Bedlam (PlayStation 4) Review

By Luna Eriksson 06.11.2015

Follow the protagonist Heather Quinn on her journey through different games from various eras. Jumping between genres, feelings of nostalgia are a given in this love letter to old-timers in the hobby. Will that premise be enough for Bedlam to be a hit? Cubed3 finds the answer on PlayStation 4.

Nostalgia, action and genre-blending gameplay is what is offered on the table when Bedlam is started. The game starts off as the protagonist Heather Quinn is participating in a brain scanning experiment, which, unfortunately, brings her into the world of old-school video games.

This is an interesting approach in the FPS genre that opens up many doors for creative design and unique gameplay. Sadly, this aspect is not as utilised as it could have been. The old-school games in question are mostly knock-offs of classic FPS titles, but also some other classics like Pac-Man and Space Invaders, which serves as a great selling point for the title. However, the problem is that these stages offering gameplay that heavily differs from traditional FPS games are few and far between.

Screenshot for Bedlam on PlayStation 4

The traditional shooter stages are decently designed, though. There is nothing special about them beside the possibility to use laser weapons in a WW2 game, or a sword that shoots fire in a futuristic FPS setting, creating fun world-blending that is even highlighted by the protagonist herself. It is comical and fun, yet it does not bypass the very boring stage design, and the issue that while there are some checkpoints in the game, they are spread too far apart and easy to accidentally "erase" due to the fact that the option to restart the entire stage is above reloading from the last auto-save. It is a frustrating feature that is extremely annoying considering the length of some of the stages.

The biggest problem with Bedlam is its lack of multiplayer. An FPS without multiplayer nowadays is doomed from the get-go, as it is the main feature for many fans of the modern titles in the genre, and while Bedlam is certainly targeted towards fans of the old-school titles that did not always support it, they still see it as a positive feature and is one of few things that can help an FPS title to stay relevant for longer.

While Bedlam succeeds to deliver some nostalgia, it is still lacking on a fundamental level. While the story is better than most in the genre, and a lot of focus has been put on making it a unique experience for single-player, it is simply not acceptable to not have multiplayer and all of the frustrating features hidden in this title.

Screenshot for Bedlam on PlayStation 4

Cubed3 Rating

4/10

Subpar

Bedlam is, on many points, an interesting title. It has a fascinating story, nostalgia, and fun with universe memes. The world building around the game and the inclusion of old-school titles in the setting are features truly well-worked upon. Sadly, the same can't be said about Bedlam itself. It is by no means the most beautiful game in the genre, and the frustrating way checkpoints are handled makes for an annoying experience overall. The lack of multiplayer is also completely unforgivable, as the FPS market heavily revolves around it. If there is one single thing Bedlam does well it is to appeal to old-school gamers, but they will not enjoy the ride as much as they will feel obligated to finish it to get themselves some more nostalgia kicks. Gamers who have seen the industry develop over at least the last two decades are going to find marginal pleasure from this title, solely thanks to the Pac-Man-inspired stage and the overall retro feel. Such people are, however, better off picking up those old-school systems from their basement, giving said games a go instead of playing Bedlam, and everyone else will find no appealing aspects about this at all. An interesting concept that did not turn out as well as expected.