MEATGRINDER

MEATGRINDER is a top-down action game that goes straight for pressure, speed, and gore rather than nuance. By our assessment, it is for players who want short, harsh runs and do not mind a style that is built to be abrasive. Its main strength is the immediate force of the action: there is no long setup, only fast movement and the need to react quickly. The downside is also part of that design, because this kind of game can feel blunt once the shock value and pace have done their work. In practice it is the sort of thing that feels loud even before the first enemy appears, and then stays that way. It sits in the harder, cruder end of the action-game shelf, and MEATGRINDER makes very little effort to soften its edges.