If I had a nickel for every first-person shooter that featured an angry protagonist with guns who kicks bad guys in the face at high speeds, I would have two nickels. Which doesn’t sound like a lot, but you know the rest. It’s just that for all of its cavorting and all-out audio-visual assault on your senses, it’s hard not to think about Mullet Madjack while playing Free Lives’ Anger Foot. The differences are stark – retro sci-fi versus gang-infested wasteland, randomly generated levels vs. handcrafted locations and rogue-like upgrades vs. earning stars to unlock an arsenal of deadly sneakers.

Yet, here I am, kicking and shooting but having a little less fun. Don’t get me wrong – Anger Foot can be an enjoyable first-person shooter that takes a relatively simple concept and stretches it in unique ways. An occasionally unclear damage system, lack of checkpoints and random occurrences aren’t enough to outright ruin it, but they do sour the experience.

"You can kick everyone regardless of what they’re doing or what they have to say. It doesn’t provide any benefits, but you can do it."

The story is equally simple and surreal, with extensive amounts of gonzo. Set in Shit City, where crime is supreme and unchecked, Anger Foot finally completes his collection of Preemo Sneakers. The moment is ruined by GooCop, however, who steals them away with the help of the Violence Gang. Since there are four pairs of sneakers and four corresponding gangs, Anger Foot sets out to run roughshod over each one, feet first.

At some points, you can converse with random civilians. They’ll provide information on just how extensively messed up the city is and, more importantly, why they like it. One shopkeeper says he hasn’t been looted in days – not with a sense of relief but worry that no one likes him anymore. Speak to a pair of friends, and one will sadly outline how they were mugged on the nearby staircase last week. The other will then joyfully chime in about how they recently mugged someone on the stairs. Go up the staircase, and you’ll meet who else but the muggers, who promise excellent rates.

Alternatively, you can kick everyone regardless of what they’re doing or what they have to say. It doesn’t provide any benefits, but you can do it.

The real meat of Anger Foot is in its rundown residential buildings, harrowing rooftops and shadowy sewers where gang members hide. Shit City leaves up to its name, with its grunge aesthetic and cartoonishly disgusting hygiene. I’m not a fan of the more juvenile aspects, but the attention to detail is commendable, especially with the environmental destruction and sound effects.

"The level design further embraces the carnage by planting explosive barrels and cylinders throughout, triggering even more chain reactions."

The objective is fairly simple – eliminate everyone and get to the end. Keep doing this until you eventually fight the boss of that territory and repeat. It starts simple enough – every regular enemy falls to a single kick. You have an extensive range with the same, which allows for kicking several enemies at a time. Jump and kick to plant both boots into an enemy’s face.

However, there is some more nuance behind this impromptu boot camp. There are several firearms available, albeit with limited ammo. When a weapon runs out, you can throw it, stunning an enemy (or a group, if they’re bunched together enough) and providing ample opportunity for a follow-up kick. Each weapon has unique properties, from the handgun and its precision to the SMG with its higher magazine and spread or the shotgun with massive front-loaded damage. There are several ranged threats, so knowing when to kick something in the face versus shooting it is in some situations.

Anger Foot can also kick down doors, flattening any enemies in their path. Facing three doors into a room and wondering which one to open? Kick them all down to take out a threat or two early instead of charging straight in.

It’s possible to kick explosive enemies and grenades, wiping out entire groups. The level design further embraces the carnage by planting explosive barrels and cylinders throughout, triggering even more chain reactions. There are some bizarre discoveries, though, like a toilet style with four bowls facing opposite to each other. Or a room full of toasters with bread cooking. It’s enough to give you pause before returning to the kicking.

"The sheer number of enemies with firearms in some cases also makes it easy to die, though they can shoot each other in tight enough spaces."

Further aiding Anger Foot on his journey is the rest of his shoe collection. By completing levels and optional challenges, you gain stars, which can unlock new shoes with significant benefits. One pair grants ammo on kicking enemies – perfect to complete an objective that requires killing enemies without throwing away your gun. Another turns enemies’ heads big, and while it may seem humorous, it’s also ideal for completing challenges that require headshots. Those who want to take a firearm-less approach also have tasks to get through levels using only kicks, no shoes or running through without killing anyone.

Despite the over-the-top style, Anger Foot can be quite unforgiving. There are no checkpoints – dying places you back at a level’s beginning. It can be exhilarating, as you learn the placements of enemies and rampage through even quicker, optimizing your aim, strategies and kicks to return to where you died. Beating the timer is essential in many cases, but taking things slow can also be advantageous in Anger Foot, especially when you need time to heal.

That brings me to one key issue – damage. Sometimes, two shots from an enemy’s handgun are enough to take you down, but that’s not always the case. Maybe they’re doing less damage from farther away. Maybe they’re not – it’s hard to tell at some points and not worth risking. The sheer number of enemies with firearms in some cases also makes it easy to die, though they can shoot each other in tight enough spaces.

SMG-wielding foes only need a single burst to down you, which I’m fine with since they often have a delay before firing. Why are the goofy alligators able to one-hit kill with their melee attacks, adding to the frustration when kicking a group of enemies doesn’t down one who then gets a lucky shot in? Your guess is as good as mine.

"The pulse-pounding action and aggressively pulsing soundtrack, combined with the bizarre setting and fun combat, make for a unique first-person shooting experience."

The lack of checkpoints further exacerbates this, but it’s worse when you factor in the environment. I can appreciate bits and pieces of doors getting in the way while moving or the fact that shooting an enemy that’s about to explode will leave a corpse that’s prone to detonate. The finer details become less appreciable when a random moving cylinder kills me after a firefight because I moved towards the exact spot where it did.

Learning a level, taking down its threats through various means and optimizing one’s run is fun. Random nonsense isn’t. On the bright side, there are options to dial down the difficulty, making enemies and/or bosses easier to deal with or turning off death altogether. I also appreciated the extensive aiming and control options and the boss fights can be endearing, though far from the most mechanically demanding.

Though it only goes slightly above and beyond its selling point – that of angrily kicking dudes in the face – Anger Foot is enjoyable. The pulse-pounding action and aggressively pulsing soundtrack, combined with the bizarre setting and fun combat, make for a unique first-person shooting experience. While some aspects of the default difficulty could use some fine-tuning and checkpoints, at least for the standard levels, would be appreciated, it’s still a unique odyssey of kicking first and not bothering with questions later.

This game was reviewed on PC.