Bombslinger Review

Ye Ole Explosions
By Brett Wolfe
Reviewed on Xbox One
Released on April 11th, 2018 on Xbox One and PS4 (Also Available on PC)
​Developer: Mode4
Publisher: Plug In Digital

Bombslinger is a top-down adventure party game developed by Mode4 and published by Plug In Digital. It tells the story of the dreaded Bombslinger, a bloodthirsty criminal who turns his life around and opens up a small ranch with his wife. However, things turn south quickly when his old posse comes back for vengeance, burning his house and murdering his wife in the process. Devastated, he throws away his peaceful ways to take revenge on the men that wronged him. You are the Bombslinger and it is your job to avenge your wife’s early demise. Can you track down your former friends and reclaim your dominance?
 
The gameplay mechanics for this title are pretty simple. You see a bad guy, you bomb him. You see a tumbleweed, you bomb it. You see those pesky goats running around, I think you get the picture. Bombslinger is comprised of four procedurally generated stages filled with enemies and goodies galore. Search chest, kill hordes of enemies, and even spend some of that hard-earned cash at the local general store on your journey to the duel with your biggest nemesis.

The coolest concept of this game has to be the perks. Whether you pick them up along the way or start your run with them, they add some cool and unique aspects to this already stellar game. These upgrades can be as simple as more health or a bigger explosion, but some of them are really awesome and make you even more deadly on your adventure. My personal favorites are the nitro bomb, which has an immense explosion that covers the entire lane, and the bomb kick allowing you to kick that bomb into next week. Picking the right perks are crucial in your success, but still provide enough freedom that you can have fun with your picks without putting yourself at a disadvantage.
 
Visually, Bombslinger brings a lot of nostalgia to the table while still providing its own unique flair that you hope for in a game of its caliber. Growing up, I played tons of Bomberman, but I feel that there hasn’t been a game similar to what I remember, even in its own franchise. Bombslinger feels like a reskinned Bomberman and in a good way. It brought everything I wanted to the table and provided me a trip down memory lane without having to return to the older consoles. I really enjoyed the western aesthetic that the developers chose as it just made the game feel ever more brutal and rugged, whether things went your way or not.

However, the soundtrack was average and while I enjoyed it was definitely not the defining aspect. The music was fitting and provided a nice atmosphere for the Wild West, but it was just ambience. Other than the background music there would be grunts and the occasional “yee-haw” exclaimed when you made a selection or got a nice combo. It was cool for the first few times, but after that it just was a noise that got old way too quick.
 
My time with Bombslinger was very enjoyable and I felt it brought a lot to the table. The single-player has an interesting story that made me really invested in this game. The first day I got it, I could not put it down. I had so much fun mixing and matching different perks just to try to beat the game and while I was not able to fully finish it, I got to experience so much. While the single-player was phenomenal, the party mode was unfortunately not. It felt tacked on and there really was not much to do. It was fun for about an hour playing with some friends, but it was just the same thing over and over again. It got old very quickly and I felt myself just going back to the campaign.
 
In the end, Bombslinger is a fun adventure title with some party action on the side. The game is priced at $12 USD and I feel that it is well worth that for the single-player alone. Plus, if you enjoy local multiplayer, it has some of that too. I would highly recommend this for anyone whether they are a fan of the genre or not. You cannot go wrong with picking up this title.
 
*Note: A copy of this game was provided for the purpose of the review.

Final Score: 8/10

+Awesome Visuals
+Amazing Single-Player Experience
+Enjoyable Story
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-Average Soundtrack
-Lackluster Party Game
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