We've all had to deal with hellish neighbors at some point. This happens because they are, for example, noisy or chaotic - a neighbor who you don't get along with can be a nightmare. And if you don't have a troublesome neighbor, you have to decide whether you're really lucky or if you're one hell of a neighbor yourself.
Woody's neighbor
In Neighbors Back From Hell, Woody's neighbor seems like a pain in the ass. At the end of this less than five-hour adventure, you'll find yourself wondering if the tide has turned. Woody is fed up with the rowdy Mr. Rottweiler and has called in a film crew to follow him. It all seems a bit extreme.
Neighbors back From Hell Remastered
A remastered compilation of both the original Neighbors From Hell and its sequel, Neighbors From Hell 2: On Vacation, Neighbors Back From Hell rearranges your episodes into four bingeable seasons. You can tackle the episodes in any order you like in each season, and once you've fought your way through all four seasons, a final episode will open to wrap up the antics of the game's neighbor pranks.
Mr. Rottweiler's house
For the first two seasons, the action is confined to Mr. Rottweiler's house. Initially, you only have four rooms to explore, and you want to do so while Mr. Rottweiler goes about his daily business. For example, in the first episode, he just moves back and forth between the living room and the kitchen, enjoying a lazy day. But as the episodes progress, more and more rooms of the house are brought into play and its routines become much more elaborate.
The gameplay
The gameplay itself is best described as point and click meets stealth. On your undetected path through the rooms, you'll find useful items hidden from view, hiding in things like drawers and trash cans. Once you've obtained an item, your next task is to figure out where to use it to prank the hapless Mr. Rottweiler. For example, if you find superglue, you can apply it to the binoculars he's constantly peering curiously across the street with. Or you can use a permanent marker to blur out the picture of his mother he proudly displays in his hallway.
The pranks
Each episode has a set number of pranks for you to discover and complete, and you get a gold coin for each one you pull off successfully. However, you don't have to complete all of them to progress. Once you complete the goal in each episode, you can head right out the front door if you want. Sometimes it's a good option too, because if you've been caught red-handed by Mr. Rottweiler three times, your efforts have been in vain.
Mr. Rottweiler and his mother
Things get a little weird in the second half of Neighbors Back From Hell. On the edge of stalker territory, Woody follows Mr. Rottweiler and his mother to various locations on their vacations. As the episodes then take place in multiple locations like China, Mexico and even on a boat, the action becomes a little less repetitive but much more over the top. New game elements will also be added, such as: B. reusable items and a mini-game in which you have to try to keep an object in a circle for a certain time while it fights to escape.
Mr. Rottweiler's mother
Mr. Rottweiler's mother also becomes someone to avoid in the later episodes of Neighbors Back From Hell, making sneaking around even more of a hassle. Still, the difficulty level never feels too challenging, although some might feel frustrated thanks to the game's trial-and-error nature combined with the task of dodging both unfortunate subjects. There are handy icons in the bottom left corner of the screen that let you know what they're going to do next.
A remaster
Ultimately, it's the fact that Neighbors Back From Hell is a remaster of two games that are over 15 years old that stops it from overly impressing in 2020. While the graphics clean up nicely thanks to its Aardman-esque art style. The repetitive and formulaic gameplay feels firmly rooted in the past. Chances are, you'll also get tired of watching Mr. Rottweiler throw the same paddy after every prank you play on him.
Summary
Still, it's to Neighbors Back From Hell's credit that it still offers an original experience. Furthermore, it exudes the same sense of humor as British sitcoms of the 90s like Bottom with its slightly violent and wacky humor that is also a bit risqué at times. It's just a shame that the gameplay gets tiresome so quickly. If you have fond memories of the original titles and are keen to revisit them, chances are you're having a good time with Neighbors Back From Hell. Even newcomers could enjoy it. At least it's entertaining.
Neighbors Back From Hell is available for PS4, Xbox One, Switch and PC. We verified it on Xbox One X using a code provided by the game's publisher.
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