On Duty is an ultra-violent 2D shooter that plays a little like a side-scrolling Hotline Miami and has a delightfully OTT narrative that feels like it’s been ripped from a cheesy 80s action movie.
In On Duty you take on the role of a hard-boiled cop who doesn’t play by the rules. You’re on a case that has become extremely personal and sees you slaughtering half of the criminal underworld in your quest for justice and vengeance. It plays out is like a Lethal Weapon movie, but with a whole lot more bloody violence and a super cool synthwave soundtrack.
The levels in On Duty generally see you entering a building filled with enemies and using any weapons you can find to dispatch them all. Melee weapons are most effective against guns (if you can get in range) and guns are most effective at taking out melee weapons. When using melee weapons you can also carry out brutal finishing moves which can refill your health a little. The weapons (on the ground and in your enemies’ hands) are randomized each time you play so you have to think about the best tactics to use on-the-fly.
The gameplay in On Duty lacks the skill of the likes of Hotline Miami, with you feeling very much like a blunt instrument of brutality than a precision killing assassin, but it’s still a lot of fun. There’s a nice amount of strategy in deciding which weapons to use, dispatching enemies is very enjoyable and the story is a very entertaining parody of the 80/90s cop action movies. A bombastic bloodsoaked adventure full of OTT action.
Controls: WASD – Movement, LMB – Attack, RMB – Pick Up/ Throw Weapon
Available On: Windows
Gameplay Video: Here