PixelJunk Shooter Review

PixelJunk Shooter is the fourth installment in the series. The title includes the word “Shooter”, but that is a tad misleading. Do not expect to be playing your average PSN shooter where you are under constant attack such as Super Stardust HD. PixelJunk Shooter has a lot to live up to with the previous games in the series doing so well in terms of review scores.

In PixelJunk Shooter the player takes control of a yellow ship that is responding to an SOS that has been sent out by a mining colony. During their excavation they expected to encounter elemental dangers, but they were not prepared for the monsters that resided within the planet. Over the course of the game you rescue colonists on the planet, collect items such as diamonds to upgrade your ship, and fight a variety of minsters ranging from the minor ones to the big boss fights. But can this game live up to the PixelJunk name?

Let’s take a look at the HOTs and NOTs of this title.

HOT

Gameplay
The gameplay of PixelJunk Shooter is simple yet highly addicting. It conists of you taking control of a tiny yellow ship and exploring the caverns of a foreign planet rescuing the colonists from danger. Along the way you collect diamonds to upgrade your ship and run into enviromental puzzles and hazards that are fun to solve and never frustrating. Some involve the use of water to cool off lava so you can proceed while others require certain objects that absorb matter.

The particle effects in this game rank up there with some of the best games out there. Every drop of liquid follows the rules of gravity and falls gracefully downward while the gasses rise up through the caves. They also react to each other. The water will cool down the lava and solidify it while the gasses can be ignited with lava.

Along the way you fight monsters using the ships missle systems while you try to save the survivors. Some of these enemies can cause more enviromental hazards when they die which can end up killing survivors so watch out! At the end of each section you come face to face with the boss character which requires certain method to defeat.

Graphics
The graphics in this game are simple yet gorgeous. The enviroments never become eye sores and are always vibrant and colorful. Whether its the bright blue water splashing down or the bubbling lava splashing up, this games color scheme catches your eye as much as the addicting gameplay entertains you.

Co-op
This game also supports cooperative play, though its only local. But this gives you a chance to enjoy this game with a friend on the couch. The game also supports leaderboards and trophies for those of you who love being competitive. The game is even more entertaining while playing with a friend. You can split tasks to make it more efficient as well as work together to solve puzzles.

Atmosphere
PixelJunk Shooter’s soothing music score, amusing game sounds, gameplay, and colorful graphics all work together to make a very light-hearted and relaxing game. It seems to be more like a means of meditation than a game. Once you start playing you realize that its really calming to be blowing a monster away with guided missles.

NOT

Short
As entertaining and atmospherical as this game is, its extremely short. You’ll almost be sad that the wonderful addicting gameplay ended…until you realize that you own it and can always play it again and there is a To Be Continued after you beat it.

Verdict

In all, this game is definitly worth the $9.99 price tag SONY slapped on it. And with the To Be Continued at the end of the game you can expect to play a sequel in the future. Just expect to pay more in order to play more.