A Fistful of Gun

Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.

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"A Fistful of Gun" is an arcade-style game with local multi-player and co-op modes for up to 2 players. Choose from eleven unique gunslingers, each with their own controls and methods of attack, and battle through hordes of enemies in the Wild West to take down the evil railroad baron. The game features a split screen mode and a good soundtrack to enhance the gaming experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 326 reviews

story20 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

Fast-paced gameplay with modern graphics and easy controls.
Variety of characters with unique control schemes and abilities, adding depth to gameplay.
Engaging multiplayer modes that enhance the overall experience.

Some characters have awkward controls, making them difficult to use effectively.
High difficulty level with many one-hit kills and overwhelming enemy spawns.
Lack of balance among characters, leading to some being significantly stronger than others.

story
136 mentions
15 % positive mentions
83 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The story mode of "A Fistful of Gun" is generally viewed as lacking depth, with many players describing it as a simple and short experience that feels more like a series of disconnected levels rather than a cohesive narrative. While it features some entertaining elements, such as quirky characters and a western revenge plot, the overall execution leaves much to be desired, leading to limited replayability and a preference for the more engaging arcade mode. Despite its shortcomings, the game does offer a mix of gameplay styles and modes, which some players find enjoyable, particularly in local co-op settings.
- “There’s a healthy number of fun ideas here – the roguelike-style story mode includes playable peyote trips and a sheriff who punishes lawbreakers with explosive piñatas, for example.”
- “A fistful of gun is a fast-paced top-down shooter with rogue-like elements separated into 2 main modes: arcade and story.”
- “In story mode, you can play either as a hero or a bandit, and it features an entertaining system where once you've cleared a screen, you can choose which direction you'd like to go next, determining your next battlefield.”
- “For quite a while, I thought this game was good, but I have to say that it is a bad game with clunky mechanics and a useless story.”
- “There's not much 'story' to the story mode.”
- “Story mode isn't really strong on the story and feels more like a number of random levels tacked together.”
gameplay
110 mentions
25 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding it frustrating due to clunky mechanics, floaty controls, and a lack of intuitive design. While the variety of characters and their unique abilities offer some replayability, the overall experience is marred by unbalanced gameplay, difficult controls, and a steep learning curve. Despite its stylish presentation and potential for fun, many reviews highlight the need for significant improvements to the mechanics and balance to enhance the overall enjoyment.
- “The gameplay is a mixture of top-down shooter and bullet hell, but it isn't the typical shooter, so it might not appeal to those who want to dive straight into the action and feel like an invincible gunslinger.”
- “Each character offers a unique twist on gameplay with their own arsenal of firepower at their disposal, which not only offers a level of replayability within the single-player campaign but also extends that replayability to arcade/multiplayer.”
- “If you enjoy frantic, bullet hell style gameplay or just love the wild west aesthetic, pick it up.”
- “The gameplay itself is silly hard.”
- “It fails to deliver anything but frustration in its gameplay.”
- “The controls are crappy and gameplay in general just makes me regret ever getting this game.”
graphics
89 mentions
48 % positive mentions
48 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a mix of opinions, with many praising the charming pixel art style that effectively captures a spaghetti western aesthetic, while others criticize the visuals for being too simplistic or poorly executed. Some players appreciate the vibrant colors and detail, noting that the graphics enhance the gameplay experience, while others find them lacking, particularly in terms of clarity and resolution. Overall, the graphics are generally well-received by those who enjoy retro styles, but may not appeal to everyone due to their pixelated nature and occasional glitches.
- “The graphics are great; it’s like a pixelated spaghetti western in all of its cheesy glory.”
- “The art style in this game is fantastic; pixel graphics have been done to death at this point, but the visuals of this game manage to capture the aesthetic of spaghetti westerns very well.”
- “With beautiful pixel graphics and a never boring western theme, you will feel like you are in a Sergio Leone film.”
- “Hideous retro pixel graphics, but stylized, so they don't even look like games from the 1990s... the developers weren't opting for recreation; they instead just wanted to take the worst of the 1990s and make their game look worse than that.”
- “Great success, the graphics are crap.”
- “Sorry, but the visuals and adverts had me expecting more from this game.”
music
73 mentions
55 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy, western-inspired soundtrack that complements the gameplay and setting effectively. Many reviewers highlight its ability to enhance the overall experience, with some noting its nostalgic influences from classic titles and composers like Ennio Morricone. While the soundtrack is generally well-received, a few players found certain tracks repetitive or less appealing, but overall, it contributes positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “The music is definitely top notch and it has a great western inspired score, that is also heavily inspired by Sunset Riders.”
- “The music is great and fits the game perfectly, great controller support featured and the game options give everything needed to make the game enjoyable.”
- “The fast-paced, shmup-like action, the very appropriate, western-electronic fusion, high intensity music, and the high degree of difficulty all make for an amazing experience!”
- “Unresponsive controls, terrible flow and animation, annoying music, and my gamepad is not supported.”
- “The music can get a little repetitive.”
- “As for the music, from what I've heard I'm not too impressed honestly, just seems like a bit of a mish-mash between retro game music and Ennio Morricone, but it really doesn't have a style all its own.”
humor
25 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players enjoying its silly and chaotic nature, particularly when playing with friends. The wild west theme, quirky characters, and clever dialogues contribute to a fun and entertaining experience, making it a great choice for those seeking lighthearted gameplay. While some players noted minor control issues, the overall comedic elements and engaging interactions keep the game enjoyable and replayable.
- “Pick it up, grab some friends and controllers, and you'll be laughing for days about just how silly and fun the game is.”
- “An addictive shooter with a catchy soundtrack, magic alcohol, eleven different old western characters to kick a** with, and a humorous depiction of the old west.”
- “This is a nice wild west arcade shooter with charming pixel graphics, entertaining music, and humorous dialogues.”
replayability
25 mentions
44 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability, primarily due to its diverse character selection and unique gameplay mechanics that enhance both single-player and multiplayer experiences. While the story mode may feel limited and somewhat repetitive, the arcade mode and rogue-lite elements provide significant replay value, especially when played with friends. Overall, players find the combination of character variety, randomized stages, and competitive elements to be key factors in the game's enduring appeal.
- “Trust me, it has a big replay value; simple but fun is the way to go sometimes.”
- “Each character offers a unique twist on gameplay with their own arsenal of firepower at their disposal, which not only provides a level of replayability within the single-player campaign but also extends that replayability to arcade and multiplayer.”
- “The selection of characters gives a level of replayability it might not have otherwise.”
- “I still haven’t managed to beat the story mode, but I really like how each stage seems to be randomly generated, which really adds to the replayability of the game as you never know which event may show up.”
- “Personally, I think most of the replayability lies in the arcade mode, where you must clear out as many of the randomized areas as you can either by yourself, with friends, or online.”
stability
8 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with users reporting various bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience, including issues with graphics and controls. While some players find it enjoyable despite these problems, many express a desire for further optimization to enhance stability and performance. Overall, the game shows promise but requires significant improvements to its stability to attract a larger audience.
- “It's even worse in some regards, it's a buggy, glitchy, can't even do 1080p right, hot mess of a game.”
- “The game is very buggy.”
- “The game is a bit buggy and there is not a whole lot to do yet, but this game is very promising, and I hope they continue to optimize it!”
atmosphere
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in "A Fistful of Gun" is praised for effectively capturing the Wild West theme, while its cartoonish style adds a fun and unique vibe, particularly enhancing the enjoyment of the story mode with its comical elements.
- “I just enjoy the Wild West, and I think 'A Fistful of Gun' does a great job in creating the right atmosphere.”
- “The cartoon nature of the game is welcomed, and it certainly has a fun and unique atmosphere.”
- “I enjoyed story mode more due to its comical atmosphere.”
grinding
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game frustrating due to clunky controls, punishing mechanics, and a lack of engaging gameplay outside of multiplayer, leading to a tedious experience. The combination of difficult enemy projectiles and unreliable character movement contributes to a sense of repetitive grinding that detracts from overall enjoyment.
- “I like a lot of what I see here, but I just can't enjoy any part of it because I control this floaty, terrible character who dies in one hit and resets my progress. It has one of many clunky and unreliable or dull and tedious reload mechanics, and I'm trying to dodge bright yellow projectiles on a light orange background that move faster than I do and often don't have reliable cues in the middle of an artificial seizure engine.”
- “Limited gameplay outside of the multiplayer functionality, leaving the game feeling grindy.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is heavily criticized, with users noting an overwhelming presence of ads that distract from gameplay, making it difficult to focus on key elements like bosses. This suggests that the monetization strategy may detract from the overall gaming experience.
- “I can't focus on the boss for more than a couple seconds without having to redirect my attention to the horde of ads shooting at me.”
optimization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth performance and efficient resource management, while others report issues such as frame rate drops and long loading times. Overall, the game's optimization appears to vary significantly across different hardware configurations.
- “The game runs poorly on even high-end hardware, making it frustrating to play.”
- “I experienced frequent frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the immersion.”
- “The optimization is so bad that loading times are unacceptably long, even for a simple menu.”