Some of the best games are fairly simple. Be it Hotline Miami or something like Battletoads, the core concept is immediately understood. Even if these aren’t the deepest games, they can certainly be a lot of fun. Given God’s Triggeris simple to learn and hard to master, is it worth the investment or is it best just playing other things?
God’s Triggertells the story of an angel and a demon trying to shoot their way into heaven and stop the upcoming apocalypse. Naturally, given how silly the concept is, the story doesn’t take itself too seriously, to the point where it has a nice balance and makes for a satisfying experience. Characterization is also fairly strong, as it doesn’t take long to get a feel for where the characters stand and interact with one another.
Between story segments is a fairly straightforward experience. Judy has range at the cost of power, with Harry having the opposite. Based off playstyle and preferences, players can change how they work. So, maybe you want to use a skill faster or you need more range, these can be changed. At lower levels it isn’t terribly helpful, with later levels making a much larger difference.
What makes God’s Triggerso fun is that it’s essentially pass or fail. Every section gives players a number of advantages and it’s up to you to decide how you want to proceed. Naturally, reckless play styles will often be met with death, with the advantage being a much better score. Depending on how you decide to play, you can be stealthy, react accordingly, use the world to your advantage or go in guns of blazing.
Much to God’s Trigger’sadvantage, I found every tactic had distinct advantages and disadvantages. Rushing will often lead to some enemy getting the drop on you, though a lot of them you can kill before they can even defend themselves. As for the opposite, players who go slow might not get caught off guard, they just have a higher chance of an alerted enemy finishing you. Stealth can be hard to maintain and there are only so many things you can use to aid you.
Even if the range of resources is limited, players can use enemy weapons and obstacles against other foes. Guns have ammo, which can be increased by breaking boxes or finding the same weapon on the ground, with most melee weapons being single use. The trick is to use these to either finish off dangerous foes or bring them to where you need them to be. Breaking down doors or shooing through objects is another great way to come out ahead, even if it can also bring about your end.
Regardless of how tricky a level might seem, God’s Triggersticks to predictable patterns. Messing up one part comes down to realizing your mistake and overcoming it through preparation or luck. More often than not, a couple failures or a change in tactic is all you need to come out victorious.
If there is one downside to this play style, it’s somewhat frustrating. All it takes is a single error and that section will restart. This is especially true for new enemies or foes that don’t go down the second you attack them. Often times they will get a nice hit or will get lucky enough to ruin a run. That being said, it’s also great motivation to improve, especially since you can play with another person locally.
Veridct
God’s Trigger isn’t perfect but it is a lot of fun. The silly story is charming enough to overlook some of the shortcomings, with gameplay having a nice balance between hardcore and casual. Ultimately, the ability to win or lose based off a single move works very well here, for the same reasons it worked well for games like Hotline Miami. So, if you want to see how quickly you can dispatch foes and enjoy a ridiculous story this is a can’t miss.
[Editor’s Note: God’s Trigger was reviewed on PS4 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]
