LBR received a Nintendo Switch review code from Flynn’s Arcade to review Attack of the Karens.
Attack of the Karens is a roguelite bullet hell from indie developer Studio Primitive. It has retro music and art design, in-game comedy consistent with the title, and flexible difficulty levels.
In Attack of the Karens, players pilot a ship to defend the city from spoiled women that were turned into giant cyborgs by an alien pathogen. You’ll need to upgrade your ship, both during and after each run. Your mission is to survive long enough to defeat all four unique Karen bosses.
Attack of the Karens first launched in September 2023 and is available now on PC via Steam. A new Nintendo Switch port releases this week on March 21st. Here’s the original gameplay trailer from Studio Primitive:
Attack of the Karens has a legitimately funny theme. Although many of its jokes aim for low-hanging fruit, the approach doesn’t wear out its welcome.
The devs wisely indulge enough strangeness for the enemies and titular Karens to really stand out. The dialogue and obstacles feature amusing references to entitled behavior. Even the background art includes little nods, such as the word “manager” crossed out on an enemy vehicle.
There are also some unexpected enemy and bullet paths. It’s a side-scrolling game, but the enemies can still appear directly behind you.
Each enemy and obstacle telegraphs their attacks, but their behavior is still fun to learn. Various combinations of enemies drive you to discover unusual positions, and even remaining still can be helpful at times.
The settings are a bit limited, so the environments could become tiresome. But the upgrades are very flexible and easy to earn. So, you feel a constant sense of progress, however many runs you take.
Upgrading the ship allows you to play the roguelite you want. You can freely build up its defenses and movement to concentrate on evasion. Or, you can upgrade attack power and rate of fire to barrel through.
There are also a range of difficulty modifiers. Not just a static curve from easy to impossible, but specific nerfs so that you don’t have to lose the entire intended experience.
This will help newcomers, and possibly make it easier to play Attack of the Karens on the go with your Nintendo Switch. This is a cozier bullet hell, especially compared to similar titles. But you can still add modifiers to make runs downright extreme.
The old school art design and music are also a real delight. The soundtrack is catchy and upbeat, without adding another layer of pressure.
Final Thoughts
Attack of the Karens is a straightforward bullet hell, and a little light on content. But its theme is truly amusing, and the gameplay is friendly. The result is a lighthearted romp, more interested in charming you than punishing you. Its flexibility and premise should win over most fans.
Score: 7.5 / 10
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