Released by the infamous Color Dreams, *Raid 2020* presents a grim, neon-soaked vision of a cyberpunk future that has long since passed our current reality. Playing as the trench-coated Agent Shadow, players are tasked with navigating a dystopian sprawl to dismantle a global drug cartel. While the premise leans heavily into the sci-fi tropes of the late eighties, the execution feels as unpolished and gritty as the back alleys the protagonist traverses.
The gameplay is a frustrating masterclass in poor hit detection and stiff animation. Moving Agent Shadow feels like guiding a refrigerator across ice, with jumping mechanics that lack any sense of weight or precision. Whether you are in the side-scrolling segments or the confusing overhead perspectives, the combat is consistently hindered by flickery sprites and enemies that can soak up an absurd amount of damage before disappearing.
Visually, the game suffers from the typical garish color palettes and jittery scrolling associated with unlicensed NES titles. The backgrounds are repetitive, and the sound design consists of an ear-piercing loop that quickly outstays its welcome. While there is a certain charm to its ambitious attempt at world-building, *Raid 2020* ultimately collapses under the weight of its technical shortcomings and lack of basic playability.
