Some of the most addicting games I’ve played have been bullet hells, even dating all the way back to Galaga. Games where the screen is constantly filled with projectiles coming at you just fill me with adrenaline and keep me wanting to play more just to prove my worth. It’s why games like Touhou and Cuphead are still being created today. I believe this new addition to the genre, Rolling Gunner, has potential, but from what I’ve seen lacks some key features that make the genre what it has become.
(I’d like to preface this section by saying I played this game on the Switch. I know there is a PC version of this game, and the handling on there is likely much better than the joystick I used, so take my advice with a grain of salt.)
There’s nothing really like playing a bullet hell, but if you’ve ever played Galaga, you know this: hitboxes are frustrating. Even when it was a single pixel wide, you always complained about how unfair it was to get hit. Now, amplify that by 10 times. The bullets in this game are enormous, and although the actual hitboxes of the bullets are nowhere near as big, the fear of being hit by one is enough to make you steer clear of the thing entirely. This would be a simple enough task if the bullets came out in any sort of pattern, but most of the time, the bullets are flying at you randomly from ships spawning anywhere off screen. Bullets are coming not only from ahead, but above, below, and behind. Not only that, but the clunkiness of the ship with such big guns makes the ship feel vulnerable and unresponsive to my attempts at precise movement.
All of this lack of player control really hinders gameplay, especially since you can’t even turn your ship around. To its credit, the game does a good job of innovating the shooting mechanics where a secondary laser can be directed independent of the first and can either double up for extra damage or allow you to shoot in two directions at once. I don’t think this makes up for it, though. It would be reasonable if the bullets followed any sort of pattern, but some of the attacks seem purely random and it’s anyone’s guess as to whether you can get through a given blast even with enough preparation, and that applies to all modes.
Where Rolling Gunner goes right I think is its aesthetic. It knows what it wants to be and it is that. The storyline is sort of hovering in the background for some justification as to why there are giant flying mechs shooting each other, but for the most part, the game is a bunch of flying mechs shooting each other, which is awesome. It feels great to make it through a wave, watch the boss mech explode, and earn an epic cutscene between levels. The whole concept is such a cool idea that it’s hard to hate it.
On that note, I really wanted to like Rolling Gunner, and I really tried my hardest even on easy mode. I tried out expert mode for a bit just to see what it was like and I think it took me 4 retries to get through a single mission (yikes). I would love to see some hardcore bullet hell lovers take this game on, but for a casual gamer like me, this game is likely going to be more frustrating than it is rewarding. There is certainly potential, and with the adjustments made between difficulties, it’s clear that the changes to be made are ones that are possible to implement, but this game is going to need a rebalancing before I can recommend it to anyone who isn’t already a master of the genre.
6/10
Check Out the Rolling Gunner Trailer:
For more information, please visit here: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/rolling-gunner-switch/
Rolling Gunner Review
I am an aspiring game designer looking to explore the philosophy behind game creation. Some of my favorite games include Overwatch, Super Smash Bros, Portal, and Beat Saber.
More Stories
Nintendo Download: A Dance for the Lost (April 25, 2024)
MANOR LORDS Preview for Steam Early Access
POOL PARTY Physics-Based Party Game Heading on May 16 to PC and Consoles