The Company Man has been around on PC and Switch for some time. But having just landed on PlayStation and Xbox consoles, fans of classic 2D action games might want it on their radar.
Comparing The Company Man to something like Mega Man might seem like an odd comparison. At a glance, the two games couldn’t seem less alike. Mega Man’s a classic action platformer with futuristic levels and timeless pixelated visuals. The Company Man, on the other hand, has a crisp modern art style and… stars an office worker? Yet when it comes down to gameplay, these two have more in common than you might think.
Under its surface, The Company Man operates just like any classic 2D action platformer. You can run, jump and attack, and the main task at hand at any one time is to, well, survive. And hopefully defeat the enemies that stand in your way.
What sets it apart, though, is its setting. As if its title doesn’t give it away, The Company Man casts you as an office worker stuck in a corporate nightmare. Your weapon is a keyboard (!) and your enemies are your colleagues and your bosses. As you work your way through the floors of the office, you’ll encounter new enemy types, unlock new attacks, and maybe, just maybe, reach your dream of being CEO. If you make it that far, of course.
Like its classic counterparts, The Company Man is designed to be tough. The challenge here is not in its platforming, but in the enemies you come across, with even standard foes putting up a fight for players who aren’t prepared to jump, dodge and be nimble on their feet. This isn’t the sort of game you can just brute-force your way through. You need to be quick to respond, only going in to attack when there’s a window of opportunity. And if the standard enemies don’t pose a threat to you, the bosses surely will.
If basic but challenging combat is your bag, then you’ll hopefully get a kick out of The Company Man. It really does stand out with its unique setting and themes, and it is refreshing to see a completely different take on a very old, tried-and-tested genre. It’s not going to be for everyone, but if you enjoy 2D action platforming games, we think it’s well worth picking up.
The Company Man is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Switch and PC priced around £15.99.
