Info about Door Kickers: Action Squad:

Official game description:
**Door Kickers: Action Squad** is a crazy old school side-scroller action game that puts you in the role of a SWAT trooper and sends you to deal with the bad guys in Nowhere City USA.  
Choose your gear, then kick the doors down and face the action. Adapt and react by the seat of your pants, and if needed - restart without a care and rethink. Master weapons recoil and time your reloads, use distance and cover to your advantage and use the in-game Strategic Abilities to decide for yourself when healthpacks or gear refills are needed, or if that team-mate of yours is worth saving. Or just save up the Points earned and unleash your Ultimate to waltz through that tricky final room.  
And when it gets too hard, bring over a friend to help.  
**
Quick Points:
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*   High detail retro graphics  
*   6 playable characters, each with unique gameplay and level up options  
*   Unique in-game Strategic Abilities system  
*   84 non linear levels to complete  
*   60 weapons and gear items  
*   20+ enemy types and 4 mission objectives  
*   Zombie invasion mode allowing you to play the game again in a new way  
*   Couch and Online Cooperative Multiplayer
**

Release date: Sep 10, 2018

Categories: Side-scrolling Shooter, Tactical Shooter, Cooperative Multiplayer, Retro, Character Progression, Run and Gun

Feature scans:
- Proton/Linux: score 10; verdict: Works Well; summary: User feedback consistently reports that the game runs flawlessly on the Steam Deck (Proton) with no Linux-specific issues or workarounds required.
- Steam Deck: score 85; verdict: Broken multiplayer experience; unplayable online despite decent single-player performance; summary: The game suffers from severe multiplayer performance issues including crashes, stuttering, and frame drops, along with long load times and inaccessible menus, though solo play on the Steam Deck is generally praised.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: The Windows <8GB VRAM cohort experiences severe performance issues, including long loading times, crashes, and unplayable stuttering in multiplayer.
  - Sample size: 22 (4% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows <8GB VRAM (negative, 17 reports): Game takes 3 minutes to load with white screen, frequent crashes during multiplayer character selection, severe stuttering and slideshow-like performance in multiplayer, making gameplay impossible.
  - Caveats: 22 of 603 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $2.00 - $4.00
  - Reasoning: The majority of reviews indicate that the game's full price is too high, and that it is only worth buying on sale. Many reviewers mention specific sale prices around $3, with one suggesting $3.99 as a fair price. The lower bound is around $2 based on mentions of sale prices. Therefore, the community considers a fair base-game price to be between $2 and $4 USD.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 6.0h
  - Story completion: N/A
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides clear playtime for full game completion (6 hours for 3-star all levels, 22 hours for maxed characters and all levels including DLC, and 'less than 30 hours' for 100%). Session length is very short (minutes per level), but no explicit single session length is given; I infer minimal sessions. Story completion is not explicitly distinguished from game completion. Endgame modes are mentioned but no playtime is given.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The fun arrives immediately in co-op, but solo players may face a few hours of fun before repetition sets in around hour 5.
  - Stance: Mostly positive
  - Anchor: Co-op session with a friend
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: co-op disconnects; level repetition after a few hours; single player can be tedious; trial and error combat; overpriced at full price; map size increases tedium
  - Unlock drivers: co-op partner availability; unlock progression; character variety; short session play; low expectations; nostalgic appeal
  - Conditions: co-op availability; solo vs co-op preference; level repetition tolerance; price sensitivity; multiplayer connection stability; grind tolerance; difficulty scaling; low expectations
- Player Archetypes:
  - Co-op Comrade (buy)
    - Motivation: Shared social fun and cooperative challenge.
    - Playstyle: Synergistic role-based play with local or online partner, focusing on operator combos and teamwork.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: co-op enthusiast; party gamer; couch co-op fan
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Solo Tactician (sale)
    - Motivation: Mastery and personal challenge through tactical depth.
    - Playstyle: Methodical, strategic, and focused on perfect runs and unlocking achievements solo.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: solo player; tactical gamer; strategy lover
    - Reference games: Door Kickers
  - Retro Run-n-Gunner (sale)
    - Motivation: Instant gratification and nostalgic arcade fun.
    - Playstyle: Fast-paced, guns-blazing, arcade-style action with less emphasis on careful planning.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: retro gamer; arcade fan; action junkie
    - Reference games: Broforce; Metal Slug
  - Value-Conscious Bargain Hunter (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Getting fair value for money spent.
    - Playstyle: Cautious, evaluating content length and replayability against cost.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: bargain seeker; price conscious
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Co-op mode is excellent (weight 0.97): Players consistently highlight the cooperative mode as a core strength, noting it works well locally or online and creates fun, chaotic moments with a friend.
- Excellent soundtrack and audio (weight 0.29): The soundtrack and sound design are widely appreciated, with comments highlighting excellent music that enhances the retro atmosphere and creates a satisfying audio experience.
- Diverse operatives and classes (weight 0.29): Multiple distinct operatives with unique abilities, roles, and playstyles are available, offering variety and encouraging experimentation across different classes.
- Variety of enemies and traps (weight 0.24): Players enjoy the diverse range of enemies and traps, which require different strategies and keep combat engaging and challenging.
- High replayability (weight 0.24): The game has high replay value due to multiple classes, builds, slightly changing enemy placements, and a fun cooperative mode that encourages revisiting content.
- Gameplay is satisfying (weight 0.23): The core gameplay loop is described as polished, satisfying, and simple yet enjoyable, providing a solid foundation for the entire experience.
- Great value for money (weight 0.19): Many reviewers feel the game offers good value at its price point, with several recommending it especially when purchased on sale.
- Overall high quality game (weight 0.19): The overall game quality is rated highly, with many calling it an excellent shooter and a very well-executed title across multiple aspects.
- Thoughtful level design (weight 0.19): Level design is considered thoughtful, with multiple approaches and some challenging but fair layouts, earning consistent praise.
- Balanced and accessible difficulty (weight 0.18): The difficulty is considered moderate and not too hard, making it accessible and easy to pick up and play for a broad audience.
- Great casual timekiller (weight 0.16): The game is described as a casual, simple, and easy-to-play title ideal for killing time and relaxing.
- Beautiful pixel art graphics (weight 0.16): The pixel art style is praised for being beautiful, detailed, and well-executed, contributing positively to the game's visual appeal.
- Better than Broforce (weight 0.13): The game is frequently compared favorably to 'Broforce,' with many considering it a great tactical alternative that maintains similar action-packed fun.
- Recommended class choices (weight 0.1): Specific classes like the Assaulter with low recoil and the Breacher with shotguns are recommended for their effectiveness and versatility.
- Varied mission types (weight 0.1): Missions are varied and diverse, offering different objectives and scenarios that prevent the gameplay from feeling repetitive.
- Clever game mechanics (weight 0.07): Some players note clever and interesting mechanics that add depth to the gameplay, making it more engaging than typical shooters.
- Extra modes add variety (weight 0.07): Additional modes like zombie mode are appreciated for adding extra variety and content beyond the core game.
- 80s action movie vibe (weight 0.07): The game successfully evokes an 80s action movie atmosphere, adding to its charm and distinct thematic identity.

Common complaints:
- Class balance is poor (weight 0.29): There is a severe class imbalance, with Breacher and Assault being overpowered while Recon, Shielder, and Agent Fergie are weak or nearly useless. Players note that Breacher is the only viable solo pick and that the game lacks balance among classes.
- Solo play is very difficult (weight 0.27): Many players find solo play boring, difficult, and not enjoyable for extended sessions. Feedback emphasizes that the game is hard to play alone and lacks endurance, especially compared to co-op.
- Inconsistent difficulty spikes (weight 0.23): Difficulty is inconsistent: the game is generally too easy for some players, but has extreme spikes and frustrating unfairness in later chapters and DLC. Many describe the difficulty as extreme, frustrating, or not fun.
- Many weapons are useless (weight 0.23): Many weapons feel useless or are just duplicates with stat changes, and the gadget variety is poor (only flashbangs are consistently useful). Weapons lack meaningful differences, leading to samey gameplay.
- Repetitive level and mission design (weight 0.22): Levels and missions become repetitive quickly, with repeated map parts and mission types (e.g., hostage rescue). The lack of variety in mission design leads to boredom and low replay value.
- Frequent crashes and loading bugs (weight 0.19): Frequent technical issues include stuck loading screens, game crashes, freezes, and other errors. Players report prolonged load times, inability to launch, and random crashes that ruin progress.
- Missing story and lore (weight 0.18): The game lacks a story, mission lore, or any narrative depth, making it feel shallow. Players miss having comic-style story unlockables or character introductions, which reduces engagement.
- Wants more content and characters (weight 0.18): Many players wish for more content: more characters, operators, levels, and DLC. The game feels lacking in quantity, with few maps and no new modes, leading to a short playtime.
- Clunky movement and missing mechanics (weight 0.18): Movement and mechanics are clunky: getting off ladders is painful, controls are uncomfortable, movement is slow, cannot aim upward or strafe while shooting backward, and cannot close or blow doors. These feel like basic missing features.
- Uncomfortable controls and bindings (weight 0.16): Key bindings and controls are problematic, especially on PC: players cannot rebind reload or use mouse buttons, and the keyboard experience is mediocre. Controller mapping is also limited.
- Co-op connection problems (weight 0.14): Co-op sessions suffer from random disconnects and lobby kicks, and private matches have connection issues. Network stability is a problem for many players, especially in multiplayer.
- Missing language support (weight 0.14): The game lacks localization for several languages such as Portuguese, Ukrainian, Polish, and Chinese. This prevents non-English-speaking players from fully enjoying the content.
- Region gap and workshop issues (weight 0.13): The game has region-gap issues that cause lag, a loud trailer sound bug during hosting, and problems accessing Steam Workshop. Some players cannot use Workshop despite trying multiple methods.
- Feels like a mobile game (weight 0.13): Some players criticize the game for feeling like a mobile port, with an airplane level that breaks realism, poor graphics, and a price ($14) that feels too high for a mobile-like experience. The presentation is considered barebones.
- Gadget balance issues (weight 0.11): Gadget balance is off: smoke grenades are overpowered, while flashbangs can damage the player or are otherwise weak (except when used as recon). Grenades take too long to explode, making them unreliable.
- Performance issues and stuttering (weight 0.11): The game suffers from stuttering, lag, severe frame drops, and overall poor performance on multiple levels. This affects both online and offline play, making it feel unpolished.
- Flashbangs are weak and situational (weight 0.1): Flashbangs are underwhelming because they can only be thrown after opening doors and have a delay, while other grenades are not useful. However, recon units find flashbangs better than their own gear, indicating gadget imbalance.
- Achievement bugs cause frustration (weight 0.1): Achievement tracking is hindered by bugs: game crashes reset sniper kill counters from 900+ to 0, and the 1000-kill achievement takes longer than expected. These bugs frustrate completionist players.
- Annoying suicide bomber enemies (weight 0.1): Suicide bombers and bomb-pack enemies are poorly designed: they are too fast, instantly kill players, and feel unfair. Their inclusion makes levels frustrating rather than challenging.

Gameplay feedback:
- Strong co-op support (weight 0.45): Players strongly emphasize the availability of local and online cooperative play for two players. The game supports both same-screen and network co-op, which is a key feature for many.
- Retro side-scrolling tactical shooter (weight 0.42): The game is consistently described as a 2D side-scrolling tactical shooter with pixel art graphics, reminiscent of titles like Broforce and Rainbow Six in 2D. Its retro style is a defining characteristic.
- Diverse character classes (weight 0.41): The game offers multiple unique characters or operator classes, each with distinct abilities, weapons, and equipment. This variety in playable roles is a major draw for players.
- Diverse mission objectives (weight 0.23): Missions include objectives like hostage rescue, bomb defusal, and enemy elimination. Hostage rescue has specific mechanics where hostages can be harmed by player attacks, adding tactical depth.
- Multiple game modes (weight 0.23): The game features multiple modes including a campaign, an endless tower mode for score chasing, and a zombie mode. This variety in gameplay modes adds replay value.
- Character progression system (weight 0.15): Skills can be upgraded using points earned from leveling up, and equipment is unlocked via stars. This progression system adds an RPG-like layer to gameplay.
- Enemy variety and mini-bosses (weight 0.12): Players note the presence of different enemy types and mini-bosses throughout the game, which adds variety to combat encounters.
- Similar to Broforce (weight 0.1): The gameplay is compared to Broforce, a known run-and-gun title, indicating a similar chaotic and action-packed style.
- Many levels available (weight 0.09): The game includes a large number of levels, with feedback mentioning around 40-50 levels. This provides substantial content for players.
- Moderate difficulty level (weight 0.09): Players find the difficulty level to be moderate and reasonable, suggesting it is balanced for fun without being overly punishing.
- Star rating system (weight 0.09): A star rating system (1-3 stars) is based on mission completion, no casualties, and rescuing all hostages. This encourages replay for higher scores.
- Short session lengths (weight 0.08): The game is noted for having short play sessions, making it suitable for quick gaming bursts. This accessibility is appreciated by players.
- Interactive door mechanics (weight 0.08): A specific reference to a 'Door Kicker' mechanic or the ability to kick doors is mentioned, highlighting a unique interactive element.
- Tactical police theme (weight 0.08): The game is described as a tactical police or SWAT-style game, aligning with its theme of special forces operations.

Performance notes:
- Game crashing and progress loss (weight 0.13): Several reviews report crashes on launch or during gameplay that cause progress loss, making the game unstable for some users.
- Multiplayer connection unreliable (weight 0.12): Multiple players experience frequent disconnects, co-op crashes, and general lag in multiplayer, pointing to unstable netcode.
- Steam Deck performance positive (weight 0.09): Users report that the game runs smoothly and plays well on the Steam Deck hardware, indicating good compatibility.
- Runs on low-end PCs (weight 0.05): Players with lower-end PC hardware report that the game runs without issues, suggesting broad hardware support.
- Loading freeze at 60% (weight 0.05): A loading freeze at 60% progress stops the game from starting, indicating a specific bug in the loading process.
- Frame drops in online mode (weight 0.05): Frame drops occur specifically in the online mini-game mode, suggesting performance issues unique to that activity.
- Remote Play together stable (weight 0.05): Remote Play Together connection is reported as stable, providing a positive co-op experience for distant players.

Recommendations:
- Better value on sale (weight 0.38): A significant number of reviewers suggest waiting for a sale to buy the game, implying the full price may not be justified.
- Great for genre fans (weight 0.31): Reviewers consistently recommend the game to fans of retro side-scrollers, pixel art, and tactical shooters like Broforce or Door Kickers.
- Best in co-op mode (weight 0.27): Multiple reviewers emphasize that the game is best enjoyed with a friend, often highlighting local co-op and casual fun.
- Specific class tips (weight 0.26): Reviewers provide specific class recommendations, such as Assault and Breach combo, Shield Maiden for poor aim, and Breacher for solo players.
- Co-op is essential (weight 0.2): Many reviewers recommend the game for co-op play, noting it is only decent for single player and can be repetitive alone.
- Great timekiller game (weight 0.2): The game is described as a perfect timekiller for short sessions, ideal for relaxing or passing time without needing deep narrative.
- Play with a buddy (weight 0.15): Reviewers specifically recommend playing with a friend using a controller, underscoring the cooperative dynamic.
- Good value and length (weight 0.15): Reviewers mention the game offers good value, well worth the money, and can provide 20-25 hours of fun.
- Solo play is fine (weight 0.14): While the game is playable solo, some reviewers note it may not be as enduring and is better enjoyed with a friend.
- Highly rated 9/10 (weight 0.08): Two reviewers give the game a 9/10 or 9 out of 10 score, indicating high satisfaction.
- Not deep tactical game (weight 0.05): The game does not offer deep tactical planning like the original Door Kickers, which may disappoint some players.
- Best with gamepad (weight 0.04): Reviewers note the game is best played with a gamepad, implying keyboard controls may be less optimal.
- Controls may be divisive (weight 0.04): One reviewer advises that if you cannot stand the controls, you should consider getting a refund, indicating control issues.
- Replayability with friends (weight 0.04): Replayability is noted to be conditional on playing with friends and enjoying a casual atmosphere, like drinking beer.
- Use workshop for speed (weight 0.04): One reviewer suggests using the workshop EXP map to level up faster, implying progression can be slow.
- Great for long-distance play (weight 0.04): For friends in long-distance relationships, buying the game (especially on discount) for online play is recommended.
- Positive Chinese review (weight 0.03): One reviewer asks for a recommendation in Chinese, implying a positive view of the game.

Other player notes:
No miscpoints

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.24): Players enjoy the game for its fun and challenging gameplay, rich co-op potential, and nostalgic arcade shooter style. The smooth co-op experience, creative door interactions, and map freedom with multiple routes contribute significantly to this positive feeling.
- Frustration (weight 0.2): Frustration stems from technical issues like severe frame drops, stuttering, and server disconnects in co-op, as well as design problems such as unfair later stages, slow movement, and useless gadgets. The grindy progression system with separate leveling per class and tedious large maps with random civilian deaths also provoke this emotion.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.15): Players feel satisfaction from a clever difficulty system that challenges without frustration, satisfying shooting mechanics, and clean art that clarifies gameplay. The co-op support works well, and actions like kicking doors or killing multiple enemies with one grenade provide a rewarding experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.11): Excitement is driven by the high power of characters like the FBI female agent and the breacher, who enable one-shotting enemies. Unique classes, fun tools, and discovering class switching and mods add to the thrill, along with speedrunning for platinum.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Disappointment arises from poor class balance, with Recon and Agent Fergie being weak compared to Assault and Breacher. Repetitive weapon duplicates, reused map parts, and formulaic hostage rescues without gratitude also contribute to this feeling.
- Joy (weight 0.07): Joy comes from playing co-op with friends, sharing laughter and completing missions together. The overall enjoyment and satisfaction from the game are amplified by cooperative play.
- Affection (weight 0.07): Affection is felt for characters like the shield maiden, whose cute repair voice and leg kicking animation endear players. Distinct playstyles and strengths of characters such as Assaulter, Breacher, and Fergie also foster this emotion.
- Amusement (weight 0.04): Amusement is derived from chaotic co-op fun involving counter-terrorism and dodging things like grandma's cane. Kicking doors and rescuing pixel hostages who seem to crave death provides lots of laughter.
- Annoyance (weight 0.04): Annoyance is caused by frequent disconnects during co-op and hostages moving into danger after rescue. The tedious achievement requiring 1000 sniper kills also frustrates players.
- Pleasure (weight 0.02): Pleasure comes from polished and enjoyable gameplay, complemented by a surprisingly good soundtrack. The overall experience feels satisfying and well-crafted.
- Addiction (weight 0.02): Addiction is sparked by the enjoyable retro style and the satisfying feel of weapons like shotguns and rifles. Players find the game engaging and hard to put down.
- Disgust (weight 0.02): Disgust is triggered by annoying melee enemies that rush at the player and suicide bombers. These elements disrupt gameplay and cause irritation.
- Amazement (weight 0.02): Amazement comes from the simple game being surprisingly entertaining, with well-executed pixel art and gore. The quality of these elements exceeds expectations.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Boredom sets in from later levels feeling repetitive and forcing the use of strong characters. High stage repetition leads to a loss of interest over time.
- Enjoyment (anticipated) (weight 0.02): Players anticipate that co-op would make the game more enjoyable. The expectation of shared play enhances their positive outlook.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Surprise occurs when the game exceeds expectations, revealing itself as a cool tactical shooter rather than just a retro Broforce clone. This unexpected depth impresses players.
- Love (weight 0.02): Love is expressed for the game being the best in the platformer specops milsim genre. It satisfies a specific niche with quality execution.
- Slight disappointment (weight 0.02): Slight disappointment arises from only two classes being truly playable. This limits variety and reduces replayability.
- Endorsement (weight 0.02): Endorsement is given because the game offers good quality and is cheap during sales. Players recommend it for its value.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): Nostalgia is evoked by playing with a boyfriend, reminding players of past local co-op experiences. This emotional connection enhances enjoyment.}