A 1969 arcade blood bath
Deathwish Enforcers Special Edition is a side-scrolling shooter set in 1969, where an evil crime syndicate is trying to take over the streets of San Francisco. You play as part of the city's elite police force, the "Deathwish Enforcers", and your job is to bring down the scum on the streets and take the fight to the syndicate's leader, Big Boss X. The run takes you through drug filled streets, undead filled cemeteries, and biker gangs, with 7 levels of arcade shooting in total. It is a parody of beloved 60s and 70s classic action films, heroes and villains, and also a parody of Sunset Riders. Expect a gritty, non-stop blood bath with cartoony pixel graphics, fast-paced arcade action, and a retro soundtrack from Gryzor87. You can pick from 5 elite squad members, with Maxwell Bondage added in this Special Edition, and you can power up your weapon or clear the screen with a special. Suspects can also be beaten up for power ups.
Playing together
The game supports up to 4 player local co-op, so a group can sit on the couch and run the levels together. Everyone picks a squad member and pushes through the side-scrolling stages as a team, sharing the shooting and the specials. Remote Play Together is available as a Steam feature, which lets people join in from their own setups. The controls are built for controller and the design is pick up and play arcade action, so there is not much to learn before the group starts shooting.
Before you start
This is an arcade style game and it is short by design. A single run takes about 40 to 60 minutes on easy, and the game is meant to be played multiple times rather than once. The Special Edition speeds the gameplay up to match a certain other arcade classic. The tone is a parody with a lot of blood, so expect a gritty and violent presentation alongside the humor.