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BEDLAM
review | XBOX ONE
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Publisher: Standfast Interactive.
Developer: RedBedlam. Released: October 2015. Genre: FPS. Other versions: PS4; PC. Posted 6th March 2026. By Shane Battams © 2026 |
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Bedlam would offer another attempt at parody in the video game space, this time taking a crack at 90s first-person shooters and the trends that emerged from them. It’s always a difficult tightrope to walk, with genuinely funny games like Blood Dragon contrasting with misfires such as Eat Lead, but with Bedlam, there’s more beneath the surface. A tie-in to the novel of the same name and with author Christopher Brookmyre returning to write the adaptation, the game was intended as a trilogy, and certainly, it has the humour to make it work. Unfortunately, some notable technical issues and unbalanced gameplay spoil these genuinely entertaining moments, making it harder to recommend, even at a cheaper digital price.
Bedlam places you in the role of Heather "Athena" Quinn, a fierce Scot who ends up trapped in a 90s video game she has nostalgia for. She hopes to escape, but soon finds that it’s not as simple as merely reaching the exit door, as the journey sees her travelling through a litany of shooting games. Along the way, Brookmyre pokes fun at boomer shooters, online gaming trends, and even big-hitters such as Grand Theft Auto. It’s admittedly a wild and memorable ride, with a plethora of jokes that often hit the mark. This is undoubtedly due to the excellent voice acting, mixing biting wit with personable accents that stand out. Particularly, Quinn shoots insults and sarcasm like bullets, and feels like a perfect vessel for this outlandish journey, delivering an uncompromising and humbling commentary on the treatment of female gamers in an oft-male-dominated industry.
Bedlam leads players through a sequence of classic FPS-inspired parody levels, with cool writing but sub-par performance
This chaotic nature also translates to the level design. Bedlam offers a hurricane of locations and game styles, starting with you entering a garish throwback to the likes of Quake, with blocky textures adorning the levels. Unlike modern shooters, you cannot aim down the sights, but instead gain laser weaponry and RPGs. Later levels see you trekking through a Medal of Honor parody that mocks WW2 shooters from generations past, and also allows the use of iron sights. You’ll also encounter a Pac-Man-inspired arcade machine, a 2D shmup, and even a fantasy RPG setting. The only sore spot, creativity-wise, is the Matrix-esque computer levels, which are majorly dull in comparison. Although not every level hits the mark, there’s a lot to like in the diversity of weapons and levels, almost reminiscent of a TimeSplitters game. Laser shotguns, crossbows, Gatling guns and fire-encased swords are just some of the armaments to get your mitts on, and they prove enjoyably wacky.
Unfortunately for Bedlam, things start to fall apart as you progress. Earlier stages prove quite enjoyable, offering a dig at Doom which plays well. Once you hit the World War 2 era, however, performance becomes very choppy despite the game looking intentionally dated. As stages modernise, with detail levels consequently increasing, the frame rate often struggles to pass 20FPS, causing issues with responsiveness. It doesn’t help that the shooting feels trapped in the past, ironically, and while it proves a fit for earlier stages, it becomes a problem as the game stages modernise and throw more chaotic action your way. The archaic health and armour pack system, which again works in the early stages, remains throughout the game even in the modern stages, and with some foes donning seriously overpowered weapons, some sections will inevitably have you playing through gritted teeth.
Unfortunately for Bedlam, things start to fall apart as you progress. Earlier stages prove quite enjoyable, offering a dig at Doom which plays well. Once you hit the World War 2 era, however, performance becomes very choppy despite the game looking intentionally dated. As stages modernise, with detail levels consequently increasing, the frame rate often struggles to pass 20FPS, causing issues with responsiveness. It doesn’t help that the shooting feels trapped in the past, ironically, and while it proves a fit for earlier stages, it becomes a problem as the game stages modernise and throw more chaotic action your way. The archaic health and armour pack system, which again works in the early stages, remains throughout the game even in the modern stages, and with some foes donning seriously overpowered weapons, some sections will inevitably have you playing through gritted teeth.
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The game’s twenty chapters will take around six hours to finish, with the campaign proving the only appetiser as there is no competitive multiplayer or extra modes. The former is especially disappointing considering the outlandish weaponry, which could potentially have made for some frantic deathmatches. Worse are the numerous bugs, which begin to affect the game: one glitch leaves your character permanently unarmed, another leaves the audio muted, and the game is also prone to full-on crashes. Notably, utilising the manual save system causes more stuttering issues, which leaves its use feeling counterproductive. The low-budget nature of the title excuses some of its performance issues, but the quantity of bugs is poor, tarnishing the positives.
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Bedlam perhaps comes off as a bit hypocritical in poking fun at older shooters, as while these relics may have their quirks, a notable lack of polish and balancing issues leave this effort feeling inferior. Admittedly, the humour is spot-on and benefits from a game voice-cast, while the varied settings and weapons offer some whiplash-inducing variety. However, when noticeable bugs and performance issues don’t break the immersion, cheap deaths and enemies most certainly do. Even at a modest £7.99, those curious will be better waiting for a sale, and you’ll need plenty of patience.
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VERDICT
"Bedlam offers some spot-on humour and whiplash-inducing variety, but a notable lack of polish and balancing issues leave it feeling inferior to the outdated shooters it spoofs." OVERALL: 5/10 |
CLASSIC NINETIES FIRST-PERSON SHOOTERS REVIEWED
Doom (1993, PC)
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Heretic (1994, PC)
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