PLATFORM: PC, PS4/5, SWITCH, XBOX ONE/SERIES (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Luteus Alpha, a planet rich in precious materials, has been invaded by Warboss Ogruk Gutrekka, and the evil swine has stolen your precious hair squig! Filled with a burning desire for revenge, your quest begins to reclaim your property and teach Gutrekka a lesson he’ll never forget…
Firmly set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Shootas, Blood & Teef displays admirable commitment to its source material. Hand-drawn visuals and papercraft-esque animations are completely slathered in Orkish gibberish, with everything from character classes to weapons to the items you collect along the way possessing some of the strangest names that casual observers are likely to be absolutely baffled by.
Playing as a 2D run and gunner, your first task is to choose which of the four character classes you’d like to play as. There are only very slight differences between them all, with each having their own unique melee perk each (the Beast Snagga Boy’s melee weapon is throwable and explodes on impact, while Weirdboy’s attacks are buffed by lightning) and a single throwable weapon which has its own unique properties. Beyond those differences, each character draws from the same pool of main weapons, with players being able to adjust their loadout at various points before and during each level. Around 15 weapons can be unlocked throughout the game, all with a variety of wacky ammo types and effects, along with 20 or so hats which, in a bit of a missed opportunity, sadly don’t alter any stats or give any additional perks.
Blasting through the game is fairly simple and straightforward, and BS&T doesn’t have any time for getting bogged down with anything overcomplicated. Its single player campaign might not be the longest or most engrossing, but it’s much more enjoyable with a few pals – up to four players can group up for co-op or versus modes locally or online, although attempts to find an open public room online has so far yielded no results… Very much one for the Warhammer hardcores, a fun time is sure to be had if you can convince a bunch of like-minded maniacs to join in the mayhem.
