Review – Shotgun Cop Man

Developed by DeadToast Entertainment, it comes with a bold proposal: reinventing the precision platform genre by turning weapons into wings. Forget the traditional jumps or juggling of My Friend Pedro, the previous game of the same developer, because in this new title, the creativity in movement and the growing challenge, capable of crashing heavenly, make this one of the most fun games of the year.

Creative and challenging, with a bold learning curve, can reinforce its eccentric identity by publishing another indie title that pierces the pre-defined game bubble by proposing a new dynamic, requiring learning and training to be able to make advantage of it in its entirety.

A shooting of originality

Let’s go straight to the point and the main attraction of Shotgun Cop Man. The great differential of the game is in its gameplay: here, the traditional leap gives way to the kick caused by the shooting, that is, the retreat of weapons when shooting. Each shot, whether of pistol, shotgun or any other varied arsenal item, serves to boost the protagonist, creating a unique movement dynamic that requires precision, timing and creativity.

The feeling of mastery over these mechanics is rewarding, especially in the most advanced phases, where difficulty increases considerably and each error can be fatal. The control is extremely responsive, and the learning curve, although steep, becomes part of the addictive charm of the game, referring to the feeling of “just another attempt” of classics such as Celeste and Super Meat Boy, but with an identity and chaotic identity.

Shotgun Cop Man mechanics can also go beyond movement. Arsenal is a fundamental part of both defeating enemies and overcoming obstacles, and each weapon offers different possibilities for propulsion. The pistol allows small impulses, while the shotgun throws the character at great distances, requiring strategic combinations to overcome the challenges of more than 150 phases available.

The game also stands out for the integrated phase editor, the same used by DeadToast Entertainment to create the official phases. This encourages community creativity, which can create, share and challenge other players with increasingly insane levels. This ensures longevity to the title and a virtually infinite variety of challenges, especially with the integration with Steam Workshop into the PC version and the promise of continuous expansion.

Infernal rain

With a purposely absurd and direct narrative, you assume the role of an armed policeman to your teeth with the mission of arresting none other than Satan himself. Acid humor and irreverent tone permeate the whole adventure, from the first confrontation with the devil, who responds with an unnumbered gesture to dialogues and surreal situations found along the way. With a very strong attraction to gameplay, the plot serves more as a backdrop for frantic action, but it contributes directly to the construction of the unique personality that the game has. After all, it’s not every day you go looking for Satan.

Another extremely pleasant point in Shotgun Cop Man is in the art direction that developers have chosen, betting on a minimalist and stylized look, with infernal scenarios full of traps, mountains and grotesque demons. The choice of simple charts is not just aesthetic, seeking to reduce the cognitive load to ensure maximum visual clarity, allowing the player to fully focus on the precision of movements and the dangers of the environment. With direct influences from other games that seek this minimalism, the result is a striking, functional visual identity that prioritizes frantic gameplay.

Like the look, the soundtrack was accurate by accompanying the rapid and chaotic pace of gameplay, with electronic bands and intense beats that drive action and increase adrenaline. The sound effects of shots, explosions and enemies complement the atmosphere, making each attempt to cross hell even more engaging.

Shotgun Cop Man offers a variety of game modes that expand the experience beyond the main campaign. In addition to the story mode with more than 150 phases and intense boss battles, you will also have the mode without damage (in the damage), where the goal is to complete the phases without receiving any damage, and Speedrun mode, for those who like to compete against the clock and look for the shortest possible time at each stage. Another challenge available is to kill all (Kill All), which requires eliminating all enemies of the level before advancement. However, these modes exist as achievements for you to perform during the phases and not as parallel modes to the main one.

In addition to these modes, DeadToast Entertainment has strongly bet on the rejagability of offering community -created phases, available through a phase editor that allows players to create and share personalized phases themselves. This functionality ensures content for many hours of play, as the community can constantly expand the available challenge catalog, keeping the game up to date and interesting.

With the forgiveness of the pun, Shotgun Cop Man is an explosion of creativity and accuracy, delivering one of the most original and challenging platform games of this year, perhaps in recent years. With innovative gameplay, interesting mechanics, pleasant and functional look, as well as a healthy dose of absurd humor, the Digital Return title is mandatory for fans of good challenges and those who look for something really new in this genre. Get ready to die a lot, laugh and, above all, get addicted to each shot towards infernal justice.