Bad Mojo: Redux follows the bizarre adventures of Roger Samms, a rundown bar tender and former etymologist with plans to start a fresh and happier chapter in his life. Stuck without the funds to do so, Samms foolishly embezzles a million dollars from his former employer and decides to make a break for Mexico.

However, immediately before escaping his depressing lifestyle for good, an argument with his obnoxious landlord triggers a memory from his early childhood: that of a bug-like locket given to him by his late mother. Not wanting to leave it behind, Samms hunts it down.

The locket, as it turns out, has mysterious powers that transform our protagonist into a cockroach. Insects can’t drive cars or navigate their way to pastures new, so Samms must discover a way to return himself to normal. He duly attempts this guided by his mother’s oracle – a testing journey that unravels astounding parallels between his insect life and human life.

Bad Mojo’s controls are as simple as they come, relying only on the keyboard's four arrow keys and the occasional use of the mouse to solve puzzles and relay other related commands. Each character test requires an organic rather than a conventionally ‘puzzle-based’ approach, which is rather refreshing. Most tasks involve overcoming blocked obstacles rather than complicated IQ test conundrums and the use of a thousand scraps of paper. Each is cleverly staged so that its completion leads succinctly onto the next piece of storyline development and a new gameplay area - no confusing and frustrating backtracking here, you'll be pleased to discover. Highlights include Spiking Eddie's Beer and The Spider Challenge.

Graphically, Bad Mojo: Redux is an interesting specimen. The whole game is played from the top-down perspective of cockroach Samms, offering the type of viewpoint rarely adopted in most types of videogames. Given the abundance of dirt-filled and grimy environments set throughout the adventure, it’s certainly easy to revel in the numerous 'gross out' moments. For example, you’ll pass over a mould-filled work surface or a carpet filled with razor blades and a bloody, decomposing rat. Nice. While not the most technically demanding title, there are moments during the game’s voice acting where audio glitches occur or the sound manages to get knocked out of synch, which is rather disappointing.

Despite only being a short adventure, Bad Mojo gives the impression that its creators have lovingly packed the experience with as many points of interest and interaction as possible. Indeed, there are four possible endings to the game depending on how the narrative climax is reached, along with many, many quirky clues and attention-grabbing pieces of scenery dotted around the begrimed locations.

Bad Mojo was a cult hit among PC and Mac owners when it was originally released back in 1996, and it’s pleasing to say that Redux shows that it has stood the test of time very well, indeed – even if it has undergone a slight graphical overhaul. In its reliance on clever (and rarely illogical) challenges, brilliantly tongue-in-cheek melodramatic acting, and a focused narrative goal, this budget release still manages to impress. Proponents of all-muscle PC gaming perhaps won’t agree, but for a title that oozes imagination and originality, Bad Mojo: Redux is filthily good fun.

GamerSquad Verdict: 82%