It’s a much-needed change of pace, but the decision to have just one map like this is, frankly, mystifying. The fourth, on the other hand, offers an enjoyable linear challenge that has you clearing out cramped rooms against a strict time limit. These maps are wide-open featureless spaces that wear out their welcome after the first few minutes. There are just four available, three of which are near-identical arenas that seem completely indistinguishable in all but aesthetics. For anything else, you’re better off elsewhere.Įven in a hypothetical scenario where all of your desired songs translate into beatmaps flawlessly, the miserly selection of maps is still inevitably going to dampen your enjoyment. If your life-long dream has been to blast away at waves of enemies to the pounding beat of Darude’s ‘Sandstorm’, you’re in luck. While I had great success with EDM tracks in 4/4 signature, attempting to play with almost any other genre proved to be unpredictable at best. Sadly, its potential is often hampered by inconsistent results. Thankfully, there is still some potential in the ability to import custom music, and being able to drag and drop sound files into the game’s directory for the automatic generation of a beatmap is undeniably somewhat impressive. Each track is adequate, though none are particularly memorable, and the choice to focus exclusively on three genres (EDM, traphop, and metal) means that what little is here soon feels samey. There is also no story mode of any kind, and, with a grand total of ten tracks to choose from, you’re going to run out of options quickly. The impact of each weapon might not be your biggest concern when you’re bouncing around neon-lit arenas at 180 bpm, but for a small selection to only contain two winners is a huge shame. With next to no animation and very little tangible impact on your foes, collectively they are about as rewarding as trying to take on a brick wall with a water pistol. These switch automatically, alternating with each new beat, and while the shotgun and rocket launcher both pack a fair punch and make for a gratifying way to clear hordes of enemies, the two laser weapons are unsatisfying. For every run, you have just four weapons at your disposal: a shotgun, rocket launcher, railgun, and plasma rifle. Unfortunately, these promising combat fundamentals are overshadowed by the barebones nature of almost every other element in Gun Jam. Missing a single shot or dash can often make the difference between life and death, and being forced to constantly weigh up the choice between increased mobility and sheer damage output opens the door to some seriously meaty strategy. With a finite number of actions at your disposal, determined by the number of beats in each song’s unique beatmap, precision and forward planning is key to success. Chaining successful shots and dashes not only keeps your speed up, helping to avoid pesky enemy projectiles, but contributes to a combo meter for better high scores as well. While you are free to move around the environment at will, each beat also offers the opportunity to dash, sacrificing your current shot for a quick burst of forward momentum. Its competition may be more accessible, but the combat here is deeper and highly rewarding. It sounds small on paper, but the result is a staggering change in the overall flow and feel of every fight. Rather than simply rewarding a well-timed shot with bonus damage and additional score, you are entirely restricted to shooting in time with the music. Presenting something of a decent middle ground between the more lenient musical brawls found in the likes of Metal: Hellsinger or BPM: Bullets Per Minute and the trickier timing of more traditional rhythm titles, almost all of its appeal lies in one major departure from the mechanics of those two games. While the concept of a rhythm-based shooter is by no means unique, Gun Jam sets itself apart through its refreshingly challenging approach to combat. READ MORE: ‘Dead Island 2’ review: a shambling zombie game in need of sharper biteĪt its core, Gun Jam has all the gripping gunplay of the recent Doom reboot, expertly melded with the intense button-mashing challenges found in rhythm giants like Guitar Hero.Gun Jam might have some of the raw ingredients of a chart-topping hit, but its fleeting length and sloppy presentation has more in common with a forgettable warm-up act. Developer Jaw Drop Games has managed to craft some solid foundations here, especially when it comes to the slick shooting, but the lack of any substantial maps or modes leaves the overall package feeling frustratingly shallow and seriously underbaked. A lightning-fast first-person shooter where every shot must be timed to the beat, Gun Jam disappointingly contains nowhere near the number of guns or jams necessary to hold your attention for more than an hour.
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