GunStringer Review
Xbox 360 Kinect
Developer: Twisted Pixel
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Released: 16 September 2011
In the run up to Santa making an appearance, I thought it would be a good idea to let you guys know about a game that may have slipped underneath some people’s radar. On the outside, this game looks like a western type shoot-em-up aimed solely at children. If there was ever a reason not to judge a book (or in this case, game) by it’s cover, it is The GunStringer.
You take the role of the title character, an evil outlaw that has been double-crossed and murdered by his own gang. Back from the dead, you will stop at nothing to get your revenge. So far, so generic but there is a twist. Instead of actually being set as a Wild West epic, it is set as a student theatre production which uses marionettes as the main characters.
Confused?
You control the puppet of the GunStringer with your left hand, making him dodge left, right and jump over enemies and obstacles and this works quite well. Because the path you take is pretty much pre-determined, there are sometimes some collision detection issues but these instances are rare enough to not take away from the gameplay.
With your right hand, you shoot by making the shape of a gun and ‘locking on’ to up to six enemies and then pretending to shoot as if you were playing a game of Cowboys and Indians. When you pretend to fire, The GunStringer lets loose with a volley of bullets and decimates your foes. Simple but brilliantly effective.
As is vital with any Kinect game, the controls are engaging and responsive, without being too tiresome.
The unusal setting of this game allows for some unique set pieces, such as slamming your right hand down to make a giant human stage-hand appear on the screen to squash your enemy and some camera shifts to let you look out into the theatre itself and into the crowd. Constantly throughout the game, this live action crowd respond to your actions. If you make a mistake, they will boo. When you kill the bad guys, they stand up and cheer. It’s bizarre but it works.
The action is narrated by an Old Western cowboy who tells you what is coming up or what you have just done and throws in a couple of innudendos for the grown-ups. There is a strain of really dark humour running through the GunStringer which will have adults in stitches when playing but it is subtle enough to go straight over the heads of children and not corrupt their fragile little minds. Crocodiles and Marvin Gaye songs will never be the same again!
Visually the game is beautiful. It’s really difficult to make something look polished yet basic enough to resemble an amateur theatre production but they pulled it off perfectly here. There are some great lighting and dust effects but the true star of the graphics is the fluid motion of the GunStringer himself and the way that he ragdolls as you move him. Live action cut-scenes of the crowd are entertaining at first, but quickly made me want to put my fist through the television because of the horrendous over-acting but bizarrely enough, they became charming again towards the end.
The gameplay switches neatly between styles of play. Part Third-Person Shooter, part On-Rails Shooter, part Side Scrolling Platformer but completely and utterly unique, The GunStringer offers up variety and it never seems tacked on. The levels last just the right amount of time and you are never playing any one style of game for any more than 15 minutes which really keeps you interested.
The only problem I have with this game is the fact that it is quite short. The game can be beaten in a day or two which is a bit disappointment. On the plus side, there is a Hardcore Mode and there are tons of unlockable features, bonuses and even out-takes, that will make you want to go back and replay the game. One of the best of these added features removes the Narrator and instead you get a directors commentary from the game’s creators. It’s a nice touch. There is also a co-op mode so you can rustle up a par’dner and tackle those varmits y’rselvs! (I promise never to try to imitate a cowboy again….I’m so sorry)
Overall: This is a genuinely fun and unique game which makes the most of the Kinect features. It’s great visually and has a bizarre but very funny sense of humour. And even though it is quite short, there is enough to do after you have completed the game to keep you coming back for more. The GunStringer is certainly one of the best Kinect games on the market.
SCORE 8/10
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