Within the first five minutes of firing up Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon my wife and I were subjected to a cut-scene involving ‘The Devil,’ a demon prostitute pregnant with his love child, a drunk wizard, and a sex doll, before starting the game in the first level, aptly entitled ‘Suck my balls.’ Ahem.

Apocalypsegeddon features support for up to four players in co-op, but needless to say my good wife promptly refused to play the game with me and I was left trying to find alternative co-op partners. One week has gone by and I’ve finished the game and I am still looking! This is a real shame for two reasons, firstly, Apocalypsegeddon is a co-op twin-stick action game so it’s meant to be played with friends, and secondly, the game itself isn’t actually so bad once you get into it. In fact, you may even start to like it. Having soldiered on to the bitter end I am confident that if I had played with at least one other buddy that the game would have been even more fun than it was in singleplayer. Such a pity that the first cut-scene is enough to scare most people off.

Apocalypsegeddon is based on Comedy Central’s hit animated show Ugly Americans which, for the uninitiated (like me), requires quite a hefty paradigm adjustment to appreciate. Without going into too much detail, the show Ugly Americans is set in a truly cosmopolitan New York City. Essentially all manner of strange beasties and aliens have settled into New York City and it’s up to the Department of Integration to ensure that everyone gets along, behaves, and fits in. We’re talking zombies, demons, robots, yetis - you name it, it’s living in New York City - and it’s up to the Department of Integration to make sure everything stays living, get it?

In the game players can choose from one of four main characters (all with the same voice actors as the show) from the Department of Integration. Each character has unique attributes and abilities that can be further modified as players level up. Through a series of story vignettes, Apocalypsegeddon drives players through case files issued by the Department of Integration. Along the way, players will have to fight off crazed creatures and bosses as they slowly unravel an evil plot to bring about the End of Days.

Although the game carries with it a lot of mature content which will definitely take some getting used to (or at least requires the ability to suspend one’s sense of etiquette), once you are able to see through those rough edges you will uncover a game that shows a lot of promise and has clearly been borne out of some careful planning and hard work. Throughout the game players will unlock weapons which can be used in their BSU-2000 to annihilate everything in sight. There are thirty different weapons to use in the game, including baseballs, demon teeth, mating bones (!), letter openers and propane tanks. Each character also has their own rechargeable special magic ability to unleash on the unwitting villains.

Apocalypsegeddon reminds me a lot of the old coin-operated four player arcade games like The Simpsons and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but with a little less variety in opponents or platforming. Almost every level in Apocalypsegeddon is a linear excursion from left to right and there is no deviation vertically at all. This basic formula keeps the game simple, but also runs the risk of becoming repetitive too quickly. Thankfully the included arsenal of weapons goes a long way in keeping action fresh and interesting. Not only is there a decent assortment of tactical options, but each weapon also provides unique effects on different characters, with modifiers to character statistics, rate of fire, level of damage, and projectile arc. Each weapon in the hands of a different character will have a different effect and it’s this diversity that really livens up the gameplay. Finally, as with any game, having the fate of the world in your hands can be exhausting, so adopting and nurturing your very own Demon Baby will help players regain strength and exploit special abilities in combat.

The art-style in Apocalypsegeddon reminded me a lot of the old Beavis and Butthead depthless two-dimensional cartoons, and if you’re familiar with (and enjoy) that style, you’ll find the world of Ugly Americans as enjoyable as a walk through Central Park! The humour is mature with plenty of sexual references but I didn’t find the selection of words used largely offensive, which I suppose means most adults will feel they can get away with playing this game and not worrying about what nasty words their neighbour’s kids will pick up.

It’s not every day that a cartoon series fits the mould of a twin-stick action shooter as well as Ugly Americans does (in fact, I think the last decent ones were actually The Simpsons and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, come to think of it!), and once you know the background behind the world the game turns out to be quite a lot of fun. I certainly don’t expect everyone to embrace the concept of rubbing shoulders with demons or being beaten senseless by a manbird’s wobbly bit, but if those sorts of things don’t offend you then Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon has something worthwhile to offer you. 800 Microsoft Points is a good price, especially if you can convince some friends to try co-op.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and take a shower…

The Good: Wide assortment of weapons; unique character abilities and stats; good potential for co-op.

The Bad: Being beaten unconscious by a manbird’s yoohoo; subject matter may offend sensitive gamers.

Purchase: