Meet Bob, a gun for hire, currently working for a large corporation known as Holocorp. These guys will, for reasons unknown at the time, pay a small fortune for a sample of some alien creature’s DNA. Hardly the worst gig ever, and the pay is definitely good, so… time to help Bob kick ass, take names and make some moolah. Welcome to the jungle!
Now, before I get into the nitty-gritty, keep in mind that this write-up is based exclusively on beta 0.9.4 of Greedy Guns. What this means is that everything is liable to change between now and its release. Probably won’t, but don’t be surprised if it does. Beta is after all beta.
That said, it is quite the polished pre-release build and one that not only looks great but also runs at a consistent 60 FPS all the way through. I was able to run ‘n gun as Bob, blasting left and right, mowing down all kinds of different alien lifeforms, not a care in the world. Sure, some did fire back, but even that posed little to no threat, as a quick double jump was enough to get me out of harm’s way easily.
Across green hills and muddy terrain I went, eagerly blasting foes left and right, picking up the coins they left behind, not knowing until much later exactly what purpose my ever-growing wealth would serve (spoiler: more guns!). Soon enough, these bastards started flying towards me from every direction, popping out of the ground, and even hiding inside spiked shells. Spiked shells which hurt like hell, in case you’re wondering.
Still hardly an issue though, courtesy of quick reflexes and my trusty gun. A gun which got a rather nifty replacement, as I stumbled upon the first of several ‘shops’. Gone was the slow, heavy-hitting pistol, replaced with one capable of more rapid spraying – so much better! Oh and since I was loaded at this point, decided to grab the grenade launcher too, because why not? Kaboom.
Greedy Guns is a Metroidvania shooter with plenty to kill and explore. Got platforming and shooting skills? Good, you are going to need them!
No amount of explosives would get me past obstacles like the ‘regurgitated matter’ (ew, by the way) that prevented access to certain areas, though. My trusty grenades did, however, make short work of the first boss I encountered, after which I was more than ready to get paid. But alas, shortly after, the “thanks for playing”, “coming soon” etc. screen popped up, and that was it for this pre-release build.
I don’t know about you, but I honestly can’t wait to see what they have in store for the full version of Greedy Guns, as this little appetizer made me hungry for more. More guns, more chaos, more mayhem, more aliens to blast, more… abilities. The game has already been greenlit, however, and it seems we can expect a “Mid 2015” release.
For now, do take the beta for a spin, available from the Greedy Guns website. Oh, and tell Bob I said hi!
