Son of a Gun explodes the top-down shooter format into the modern day.
Top-down shooters are something that I really don’t get a chance to play much, so when Son of a Gun dropped into my lap, it was a pretty neat reminder that when they’re good, they’re REAL good. If you’re looking for something that’ll scratch your run-and-gun itch then I can tell you — after cleaning all eight planets — that there’s a lot on offer here.
Son of a Gun is a top-down, twin-stick shooter that sent me back to a time when all I could manage to get to run on a high school computer were, in the best kind of way, similar games. through a web browser. There are some standout features on display like an impressive amount of bullet-spongey uglies that you’ll be blasting away at as you clear level after level, as well as a LOT of different weapons that each have their own rarity, stats and situational usefulness that lend to making each run fresh, something that I really appreciate in games that otherwise may end up feeling a tad repetitive.
So, let’s talk guns. I mean, it’s in the title, so you know exactly what you’re getting when you boot into a run. There are a plethora of weapons (like, hundreds) to choose from, each separated into their own class or type. You can expect to find a lot of these weapons scattered across the maps and zones that you clear on each planet, with the drops being completely randomised, meaning when you glide over a weapon icon laying around, you’re never quite certain what you’re going to add to your arsenal either.
The enemy variety is detailed enough that you won’t feel bored blasting your way to the boss fights, with different types being introduced with the further you manage to make it each time. It’s a strange collection of little dudes, ranging from zombies, bugs, turrets — if you try to guess it, you’ll likely see ‘em around. What stands out for me are the boss fights that you’re expected to take out before you can progress to a new planet. You’ll be facing a beefy boss at the end of each planet, so eight of them in total. Each one adds a new challenge and experience that leaves you feeling very satisfied when you inevitably introduce them to your bullets.
You’ll be able to choose from six characters, all of which have their own unique traits that serve as a little bonus. There are opportunities after each level to spend any currency you’ve gathered during a level to boost certain modifiers that apply a permanent buff to your chosen character. If you fancy being a bit of a speed demon, you can dump all your collected plunder into boosting your movement speed should you so wish. I’m not saying it’s the best way to experience the game, but it definitely was rather funny.
The only negative experience I had whilst zooming through the levels were the occasional bug where an enemy was locked behind a wall, likely because of the spawn density and the game running out of room. It wasn’t a complete game breaker as you can progress either way, but it was a little annoying not being able to collect bonus currency to spend on upgrades.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Son of a Gun. It has a lot to offer in the way of weapon variety, character abilities and allowing you to weigh certain builds that mean you can restart and try another method of blasting your way across all eight planets. Maybe it’s the nostalgia for the aforementioned browser games I definitely spent far too much of my adolescence playing, but Son of a Gun is a fun, rewarding and unique twin stick shooter that’ll keep you entertained for quite some time. Oh yeah, it runs on Steam Deck too if that’s your jam!
Son of a Gun is available now on Steam.