Find it, rob it, and keep it.
Dollar Dash is a new top-down maze game released by Kalypso Media Group & developed by Candygun Games. It will be available on XBLA, PSN and Steam on March 6th, 2013.
The premise: You are a robber who wants to grab as much loot as possible while keeping yourself safe, until the get away car comes to haul it away.
But, it’s not that easy.
There are three game modes (with 10 shared maps):
- Dollar Dash Grab the cash off the street or rob your fellow players
- Save the Safe Keep the safe as long as you can (the longer you keep it, the more cash you earn)
- Hit’n’Run Use your weapons to mug others of their loot
To aid your escapades, you have offensive (short/long range & AOE) & defensive weapons (bear traps, bombs … ) plus power ups (sneakers, force fields … ).
However, each offensive weapon is only identified via on-screen graphics. So, you will need to learn which one you grab by firing and wasting ammo; it would have been helpful to use an icon/audio cue for each one.
Additionally, your weapons only last for a short time (approximately 30 seconds) and randomly generate via a large yellow ? on the map. So, until you claim a new one – you’re defenseless (aside from a very short range melee punch)!
After multiple hits, you are stunned for a few seconds. If too much damage is taken (as indicated by the life ring surrounding your character), you will have to wait to respawn.
I am sorry to say, but this game is more confusing than fun.
Plus, it doesn’t help that the characters all look the same – aside from costume color Once you do manage to figure out which is your madly dashing madman within this frenetic confusion, you will soon loose track again. And since each match only lasts a few minutes, this adds to your frustration … and a quick loss.
They do try to differentiate players via customization with in-game disguises/ icons, which are purchased with your loot. But, since the game only has a top-down view, the only time you see the costume change is in the lobby!
While the main focus of the game is multi-player (local or online), it can be played solo. However, the AI is sorely overpowered. All AI players use the same weapons & power ups, but their aim is deadly! So, expect to lose a LOT (even on Easy mode)!
Therefore, the game’s atmosphere is geared more towards a party game (think of it as Mario Party : hyped up on Red Bull + 5 Hour Energy and a Monster Energy chaser!) … if you have the patience to track your character & use ONLY human players.
Any AI players used in co-op will have the same outrageous advantages as in solo play.
Lastly, the modes and maps start to meld together after a long gaming session, and due to the speedy matches, this repetition will lead to a game that quickly looses its steam. Hopefully, they will expand the variety with future DLC.
So in short, Dollar Dash is fun, if you’re looking for a fast paced with friends. However, if you want to play solo, you’d better have quick reflexes … and plenty of patience!
A copy of Dollar Dash for the Xbox 360 was provided to us by Kalypso Media Group for the purposes of this review
