Story:
The story in this game is one that you piece together based on the mission briefings you get at the start of a level along with terminals that are scattered around the level. It’s not a story that is presented to you right away, but rather one that you can choose to follow or completely ignore.
Gameplay:
Gunscape is a game played in a first-person perspective that is a first-person shooter at its core but has a lot to offer. Both single-player and multiplayer modes are here and can be played both online and offline. If you and some friends want to take on the campaign together, create a level together, or just have an all-out frag fest, you can do all of that in this game. Not only is it a first-person shooter, but it is also a video game creation tool or application. Gunscape offers a wide variety of options when it comes to creating game elements. You can create levels, entire campaigns spanning multiple missions, and even recreate classic games. You have the freedom to recreate classic levels from games like Quake and even Tomb Raider if you wanted to. You can also play levels that other people have created either specifically for this game or levels they have recreated like those found in Goldeneye 007.
This game engine, because that’s really what this feels like, has its limitations of course, but the amount of creative freedom that you have in this title is rather impressive. The fact that you can create entire campaign missions with a friend and you guys can play it together is not something I’ve seen offered in any game in the last couple of generations, especially from an indie title. The various game modes offered in the game let you play the game with friends, solo, or with the game AI; with the game mode selected governing the options mentioned.
Graphics and Performance:
The game’s graphics are reminiscent of something you would find in the 90s. If I were to compare it to a console of the era, I would say it’s somewhere between the SNES and Nintendo 64. You navigate the game in 3D like you would find in something like DOOM 64 but with a smoother pixel-like graphical quality that is more akin to the SNES. Performance is both surprising and expected which once I explain, might give you a better understanding. Gunscape isn’t optimized or at least it doesn’t feel that way. The loading time when going into a level feels like it takes much too long which is the reason I say that it’s not optimized. But at the same time is expected with it being a creation engine first with what feels like a game crammed into it.
What’s surprising about this title is that despite the initially long load times getting into the level, the game runs very smoothly. There isn’t any pop-in with the scenery or character models, and no load time between areas in a given level. Now in the event that loading is taking place in the background as some titles these days do, it’s hidden rather well if it’s happening at all. The long load times I would say are also due to how much creative freedom you have and there is a lot going on in the back end to get everything loaded into the engine and playable.
Sound:
Sound effects in this game are spot on and transport you right back to the 90’s of classic gaming. Depending on what kind of level or campaign you might be playing in or designing yourself, there is a lot of variety in the sound effects and background music offered. If you have a level where it’s just a run and gun, mowing down enemies, you will have that heavy techno/metal soundtrack to a company, a game like that as you would expect. On the flip side, if you’re dealing with a level that is very puzzle orientated, they have music that will suit that type of level as well. The sound effects and music offered in this title aren’t repetitive and make you feel right at home while either playing or designing your masterpiece.
Conclusion:
I’ve said it earlier and I will say it again. The amount of creative freedom you have with this title and the amount of variety offered is unmatched in my opinion. You would expect this from a AAA game with maybe a heavier focus on graphical fidelity, but not so much from an indie game. Going into this game I was a bit skeptical but my skepticism quickly faded once I sat down to dive into a few hours to find that four hours had gone by. Yes, this game has its issues, yes this game is not for everyone, and yes one look at the graphics and you may say that your grandma could make a better game.
All joking aside, this game is a true diamond in the rough, a hidden gem of an indie that deserves way more recognition. This is a game I would encourage you to pick up on your platform of choice and give it a shot. It just might be the best game you never thought you would play.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided