MOP: Operation Cleanup Review
With global warming being an ever increasing problem in the 21st century, Mexican game publisher Ensenasoft have developed MOP: Operation Cleanup – a game where players can vicariously clean the world from rubbish and imposters, while simultaneously having fun.
In order to save the world, players must take on the role of a unique model of robot; MOP, who has been engineered for the specific purpose of tidying up the polluted environment. MOP itself is a rather sweet little protagonist, reminiscent of Rayman or Disney’s Wall-E.
Operation Cleanup is an apt title for the game, considering your main and only objective is collecting garbage through an arcade-styled platformer. It is described on the PlayStation store as an “action game”, but unfortunately that action element was hard to find.
On loading up the game, you’re greeted with an interesting start menu, and I was initially impressed. The haunting background music is that of an eerie horror game like Calendula, and the aesthetic of deep pinks and purples gives this dystopia a sickly sweet edge.
You are then thrust straight into the first world, where I was surprised to find that the player does not control the whole movement of MOP. Instead, MOP moves forwards freely, while you merely press X to jump, double jump, jump on enemies, and slide down slopes at the appropriate times.
Each level starts with an initiative. Every initiative will include collecting all the rubbish, but as you progress you’ll be faced with extra challenges as power ups become available, enemies appear, and lava becomes an obstacle. There are five worlds in total, each with 10 levels, meaning the game itself doesn’t necessarily have a huge amount of playtime. However, the game offers plenty of replay value by making it a challenge to 100% complete each level, even when starting out. Once you have mastered how MOP works, there is a certain urge to go back and gain a better ranking for each level – especially the first few you’ve undoubtedly initially struggled through.
The feature of MOP: Operation Cleanup that stands out the most is its strange – and somewhat frustrating – control system. It’s hard to let a game take all control of motion and speed right out of your hands, especially when it leaves you with nothing but one sole button to press for the entirety of your playthrough. Admittedly, this adds a new and unusual challenge element to the game – one most of us wouldn’t be used to – and for that I have to give credit where credit is due. Having said that, it can be ultimately too simplistic for most players and will likely lead to the gameplay becoming boring after a very short amount of time. It disconnects the player from the game, and left me feeling less in control of the character I was supposed to be playing.
On the other hand, though, the game is very aesthetically pleasing. Set in some sort of dystopian future, the mix of dark purples and neon pinks gives MOP: Operation Cleanup a pleasant aura, despite the bleak polluted world it represents. There’s a sharp contrast between the trash-covered streets and the constant glowing sunset in the background. Unfortunately, the atmospheric music and calming colour palette don’t really save the game from being a little on the monotonous side. In addition to the incredibly simple controls, there is no real narrative to the game at all. The game offers up absolutely no context in regards to the setting and gameplay; I had to dig up extra information by looking on the developer’s website. Though pretty to look at, there is no depth to MOP: Operation Cleanup and that makes it feel like a hollow shell of a game; as if it’s somehow incomplete.
Don’t get me wrong – I enjoyed my time with MOP. It’s a very unique platformer and an interesting concept. It is just lacking… something. There is no real spark or energy to it, and if I’m honest it feels more like a mobile app than it a PlayStation 4 game. I would say it’s a game for younger people, but the bleakness of collecting rubbish may not be totally suitable for impressionable children, so who is this game aimed at?
It feels as if the developers didn’t really take a lot into consideration when creating MOP: Operation Cleanup; it’s unfortunately very hit and miss because of this. Sure, the game looks beautiful, but it lacks structure, any sort of narrative or depth, and it doesn’t always take the player into consideration. Ensenasoft took an interesting concept, but sadly missed the mark with it. It’s a prime example of new generation games being style over substance.
