Turbo Overkill | Feature

Publisher(s): Apogee Entertainment
Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, TBA
Console Release Date(s): TBA

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One of the most exciting things for me to try out at PAX East 2024 was an early hands-on build of Turbo Overkill on PlayStation 5. Developed by Trigger Happy Interactive and inspired by classics such as Doom, Quake, and Duke Nukem 3D, Turbo Overkill has you play as Johnny Turbo as he returns to his hometown and finds everyone possessed by a rogue AI and its associated army.

The biggest difference between the PC version and the upcoming console build is just how slick everything feels, and how it is clear Trigger Happy Interactive really wanted to plus all the gameplay by making this the best possible version of the Turbo Overkill. The original PC build was designed to have you go as fast as you can through each area while solving combat puzzles and killing enemies, and they have tweaked the PlayStation 5 build to remove any potential slowdown spots in the game. I slid around a lot on my chainsaw leg (it is a weapon too!) and I ended up relying on that ability to repeatedly kill as many enemies as possible in areas where I had to kill everyone to proceed. Combat flowed so incredibly well, whether I was shooting or attacking through movement, and I had the biggest silly grin on my face during the entire demo.

Turbo Overkill | Combat Gameplay
Turbo Overkill really emphasizes going as fast as you can while shooting and sliding into enemies to kill them, and it feels perfect on the PlayStation 5. (Images courtesy of Apogee Entertainment.)

Turbo Overkill | Combat Gameplay

As I alluded to, Turbo Overkill is a game designed to have you move fast, and that was perfectly showcased on the PlayStation 5. I was throwing myself from ledge to ledge, rooftop to the ground, and through tunnels and everywhere you could imagine as I tried to go as fast as I could while slaughtering anything that got in my way. It felt a lot like a 2024 version of Mirror’s Edge at times with how fluid and satisfying it felt to platform and move my way around the level while running and gunning.

Turbo Overkill | Weapon shooting enemies
You can also augment the weapons you use in Turbo Overkill to kill enemies, which really helps to customize the game to your gameplay style. (Image courtesy of Apogee Entertainment.)

Something that not every PC-to-console port does well is setting up converting a PC/mouse control scheme over to a controller without sacrificing any of the gameplay quality in the process. Thankfully, there was no such issue here for Turbo Overkill. The controller controls felt incredibly natural, and I would have been hard-pressed to tell you that this was not a game designed from the ground-up for the PlayStation 5 by the time I was done with my demo.



Did you play Turbo Overkill on PC? Are you excited for the upcoming console release?

Let us know in the comments below!

Quentin H.
I have been a journalist for oprainfall since 2015, and I have loved every moment of it.