Watch the video right now with Viewly:
https://upload.view.ly/view/useruploads/60ef--2017-10-24--gunpoint-review-indie-game-rerez
I just replayed Gunpoint, an indie 2D side-scrolling action adventure title – that feels more like a puzzle game – from 2013. Its story focuses on a freelance spy named Richard Conway who early on in the game gets involved in a huge corporate espionage/murder mystery plot that is mostly revealed through PDA text messages and emails. It's pretty cool and with a slight pixelated graphic look it looks and feels like a game straight out of the ‘90s similar in tone and style to Syndicate. But this game shares more in common with another title that came out a few years earlier. Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw, you know that guy behind the web series Zero Punctuation, well he made a game called Trilby: The Art of Theft.
While at first glance these games seem very similar Trilby: The Art of Theft is focused more on sneaking through a level and Gunpoint on the other hand is all about crosslink. Crosslink is a special mode in the game that allows you to rewire practically anything from light switches, doors and cameras and a variety of electronic equipment. This mode really sets the game apart from others and gives you that unique twist that very few big publisher titles even manage to get close to. I found myself going back to levels trying out different methods and seeing how many different ways there were to complete a level. While there are some levels that only have one solution the ones that have a larger scope seem to invite you back for another attempt. Using the money you earn from clients in the main story you'll be able to upgrade your character’s abilities including further improving his Bullfrog brand hyper trousers. Those grant him the ability to jump real far and knock down enemies. You can also purchase new abilities like kicking down the doors and landing silently from any height. Also if you find yourself on the wrong side of a gunshot the game provides you the ability to step back a few seconds in time to avoid that fatal bullet or to simply restart the level all together. Every level differs in goals but the majority of them focus on hacking a certain computer terminal or retrieving some special item but they all end pretty much the same way. You complete the stages by reaching a conveniently placed subway terminal at the far right of the stage. Another cool addition to the game is having a fairly robust level builder. It's very simple but well-designed and like any good tool it doesn't get between your ideas and the execution of them. You can effortlessly build usable levels in minutes and test them out instantly. It definitely extends the shelf life of this game.
Bottom line this game’s got fantastic controls and a great visual presence combined with a wonderful soundscape plus it's got some really funny dialogue sequences. It's well worth your time and you should totally check this one out if you can. It's definitely not a game to miss.
