Mother Russia Bleeds

Mother Russia Bleeds brings an older genre back into the limelight, with clever boss fights, intricate stage design, and complicated storytelling themes.

This edgy revival of the scrolling brawler inherits the problems of its influences, and is both boorish and boring as a result.

This savage brawler has its moments, but swiftly moves from brutal to boring.

Playing by yourself is a fun time, but Mother Russia Bleeds shines as a co-op experience

If you're the kind of person who wishes it still was the eighties and likes the idea of revisiting a button-mashing romp, warts and all, you'll find a lot to like about this one. But even so, you might find it wearing thin after a while. After all, even the Age of Nostalgia must come to an end.

Mother Russia Bleeds is a bloody and charming affair. It is Splatterhouse by way of David Fincher. I wanted more when it was done. Devolver Digital and Le Cartel studio have laid the groundwork for a stylish and brutal world. Whether you are a fan of beat em ups or just good old fashioned violence, this is sure to scratch that itch for you. I went into this thinking it would be like Hotline Miami but in a different genre. Then I beat a pig to death with my bare hands. What I came away with was an experience produced by a company that knows its strengths without being afraid to try something new and for the most part, it works very well.

Mother Russia Bleeds is a proficiently-made side-scrolling beat 'em up that ultimately fails to drag this already limited genre forwards with any great new ideas of its own. Add in a wearyingly mature aesthetic and you're left with an oddly downbeat button-mashing action game; fans of the genre should wait for the forthcoming Streets of Rage 4 or download Capcom's superb Beat 'Em Up Bundle.

Mother Russia Bleeds succeeds in being a self-aware play on the edginess in video games.

Mother Russia Bleeds is an extremely violent and tough game containing strong drug references, and that means this release is not for everyone. The game is now available on Nintendo Switch, so you can take it for a spin in Portable or Tabletop mode or play at home by docking the console for some fun solo or multiplayer sessions. Let us know what you think about this game in the comments below!

Mother Russia Bleeds is a unique beat 'em up with some clever ideas at work. This title falls short of realizing them due to, framerate issues and some childish plot devices.