The Showdown Effect character trailer introduces a cast of action flick clichés

The Showdown Effect METAL

The Showdown Effect , the upcoming run-and-gun side-scroller from Magicka creators Arrowhead, isn't just about ludicrously exaggerated shooting sprees. It's also about ludicrously exaggerated shooting sprees punctuated by the best sort of cheesy action-movie one-liners this side of a Schwarzenegger quip.

Each character shown in Arrowhead's latest trailer combines all the properties of manly action heroes of '80s and '90s—including classics such as a cop on his last beat before retirement and a martial arts master who owns an antique store—and sets them against each other in multiplayer matches of silly, speedy shootouts. My personal choice? Teacher-come-time-traveler Dutch McClone, who Arrowhead describes as "Bruce Willis merged with that other guy." Sold.

Omri Petitte

Omri Petitte is a former PC Gamer associate editor and long-time freelance writer covering news and reviews. If you spot his name, it probably means you're reading about some kind of first-person shooter. Why yes, he would like to talk to you about Battlefield. Do you have a few days?

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