Know what the first thing I thought of when I saw RAD was? Toe Jam & Earl. The gameplay of this roguelike action-adventure, which is set in a twice-nuked future whose pop-culture sensibilities are permanently fossilized in the 1980s, shares a lot in common with that old Sega Genesis favorite. Combine that vibe with developer Double Fine’s signature playful sense of humor and near-endless variety from randomized mutation power-ups, and you get a surprisingly engaging just-one-more-run kind of game.
It’s bad enough when the nuclear apocalypse hits, but society eventually rebuilds and, in time, civilization moves forward. Cue the second nuclear holocaust — and you have to wonder why humanity can’t catch a break. By the time RAD begins, most of the planet is too dangerous to live in. And of course, even in the safe town you do have, the power goes out. So it’s up to the post-apocalyptic teenagers to venture out into the Fallow and try to get it back on and ensure the continued survival of the human race – no matter how much they have to mutate themselves to do it.
