BioGun
- July 31, 2024
- Dapper Dog Digital
- 35h median play time
Get on Steam"BioGun is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game with an interesting plot, masterful visuals, and spectacular music. As Bek, you must save the canine species from the Dooper Virus by aiding your dog's immune system, absorbing new powers, and exploring vital organs. Experience fast-paced side-scrolling action with an impressive array of weapons and unique boss battles."
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Unique setting with charming visuals that enhance the gameplay experience.
- Fun and engaging combat with a variety of bosses and collectibles to discover.
- Strong community support from developers who are responsive to feedback and actively patching bugs.
- Performance issues, including stuttering and long loading times, especially on certain platforms like Steam Deck.
- Several bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including soft locks and inconsistent controls.
- Some design choices, such as limited chip slots and the necessity of backtracking for certain power-ups, can be frustrating.
- story142 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is characterized by its quirky humor, engaging characters, and a unique premise centered around saving dogs from germs, reminiscent of classic animated series. Players appreciate the visual storytelling and the interconnectedness of the narrative, although some feel the map design limits exploration. Overall, the story is well-received for its creativity and charm, making it a highlight of the gameplay experience.
“The game is full of visual storytelling, quirky characters, goofy humor, and occasional sight gags.”
“The whimsical artwork and engaging storyline made it an enjoyable experience.”
“Whether it's the engaging and heartwarming story, the gorgeous hand-drawn graphics, the addictive soundtrack, or the amazing gameplay that strikes a great balance between fun and challenging, Biogun is a must-play for anyone who even remotely enjoys metroidvanias.”
“Unfortunately, some missions are more or less simply checked off as completed without the character giving the task having much to say.”
“You might think that this plot leaves a lot to be desired in terms of characters and development, but this game does a very kooky yet creative thing where many single-celled organisms are written and designed to be unique.”
“You can also acquire quests you just can't even complete because the quest and areas aren't even finished.”
- graphics119 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and unique art style, which enhances the overall fantasy experience. Players appreciate the vibrant colors, attention to detail, and smooth animations, often comparing the visuals to beloved titles like Hollow Knight. While some minor technical issues were noted, the overall aesthetic and immersive design contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
“The setting was very unique and the charming visuals help to sell the fantasy.”
“Stunning visuals, interesting plot.”
“The graphics are excellent and the game runs very well, without any stuttering, freezing or FPS drops.”
“Even though some of my disgust towards the meaty environment remains, the cartoony art style grows on me.”
“The aesthetic of the designs are reminiscent of metroidvanias past, but they are also nods and appreciations for games that feel like inspiration for Biogun.”
“The graphics ooze personality.”
- gameplay113 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is widely praised for its fun, responsive mechanics and engaging combat, blending platforming with twin-stick shooting elements that enhance exploration and customization. Players appreciate the variety of challenges, unique mechanics like the enzyme system, and the vibrant world design, although some note minor performance issues and a few difficulty spikes. Overall, the game offers a polished experience with a good balance of challenge and accessibility, making it a strong entry in the metroidvania genre.
“The gameplay was very fun and the movement was responsive, so combat and exploration never got boring.”
“Great art, fun and difficult (but fair) gameplay, and a good amount of customization around weapons and abilities that encourages you to switch things up based on the enemies you're facing.”
“Every element is so well done, with great systems in exploration and combat, very hand-crafted level design, tons of quests, and just a variety of well-made aspects of the gameplay.”
“Heavy lag within the first minutes of gameplay.”
“Just lost momentum and couldn't finish it due to tedious and repetitive gameplay along with some typical and annoying indie jank.”
“The gameplay doesn't seem to change much by progressing, which could be okay, but the level design hasn't evolved into something more fun either.”
- music113 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its charm, diversity, and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience. The soundtrack features a variety of engaging tracks, including standout themes for boss fights, and is described as a "love letter" to sci-fi genres. Despite some technical issues affecting playback, the music is consistently highlighted as a top-tier aspect of the game, contributing significantly to its appeal.
“The music is phenomenal, the art/graphics/character/enemy/level design are all top notch.”
“But it's not just the visuals that captivate; the music is a symphony of awesomeness that enhances every moment of gameplay.”
“I cannot overstate how awesome the music in biogun is!!!”
“It would constantly freeze, giving me FPS drops as well as making the music stop playing for a bit.”
“As another reviewer wrote, I immediately had technical issues - the soundtrack and game keep doing micro stutters.”
“The music pauses for half a second just enough to notice.”
- optimization66 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed feedback, with many players reporting performance issues such as stuttering, FPS drops, and long loading times, particularly on the Steam Deck. While some users experienced minimal problems, others noted that the game is generally unoptimized due to its browser-based engine, leading to inconsistent performance across different systems. Despite these challenges, players appreciate the core gameplay and are hopeful for improvements in future updates.
“Overall, the game still has some rough edges, mostly minor bugs and performance/optimization issues, but the core gameplay is stellar and the content already present in the current early-access state is more than enough to justify the price of admission, and will only get better until the full release.”
“The game has a few challenges with optimization and some gameplay bugs in the latter half of the game (to be expected with early access), but make no mistake, this is a full game and one that you will greatly enjoy.”
“Sure, pay attention to the critiques of performance and wait a bit if you’re playing on Steam Deck or whatever, but don’t outright dismiss this game.”
“It isn't optimized, so performance was an issue at times, but the developer acknowledges as much.”
“This game is very unoptimized (as of writing this).”
“Despite having over 3x the recommended specs, I am constantly experiencing lag spikes and performance drops which do become quite straining on the eyes with the bright color scheme and can completely ruin traversal or combat.”
- humor40 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and cleverness, with many players noting that it perfectly complements the visuals and gameplay. Reviewers highlight the quirky characters, pun-filled dialogue, and memorable moments that elicit genuine laughter, making the experience both enjoyable and unique. Overall, the humor is considered a standout feature that enhances the game's appeal and showcases the developers' passion.
“The game is full of visual storytelling, quirky characters, goofy humor, and occasional sight gags.”
“Hilarious dialogue meets serious business; this game has the whole package!”
“Right from the intro sequence, the game is filled with this charm; from humor and clever dialogue, to memorable characters, to delightful animations.”
- stability28 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game is frequently described as "buggy" and plagued by glitches, with users noting issues like freezing and frame rate drops. Despite these stability concerns, many players still find the overall experience enjoyable and commend the developers for their efforts to address these problems. Overall, while the game shows promise, its current state may frustrate completionists and those sensitive to technical issues.
“This game shows a new icon in my taskbar and when I click it to get 'about xyz', it freezes and never opens.”
“You will lose your mind if you’re a completionist as it is a buggy mess currently.”
“There are too many glitches and poor design choices in the game for my tastes.”
- emotional10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its engaging and heartwarming story, complemented by stunning hand-drawn graphics and a captivating soundtrack. Players find the balance of humor and emotional depth, describing the experience as both fun and touching, making it a standout title in the metroidvania genre. Overall, the game's pacing and diverse biomes enhance its emotional impact, leaving a lasting impression on players.
“I hope this game gets the recognition it deserves, and I just want the devs to know how amazing and fun (and sometimes emotional) this game is.”
“Such a fun concept, and as emotionally touching, hilarious, and gross as you'd hope it would be.”
“Whether it's the engaging and heartwarming story, the gorgeous hand-drawn graphics, the addictive soundtrack, or the amazing gameplay that strikes a great balance between fun and challenging, Biogun is a must-play for anyone who even remotely enjoys metroidvanias.”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive and unique design, effectively capturing the feeling of exploring the grotesque interior of an animal. Each biome features distinct characteristics, vibrant colors, and a captivating soundtrack by Juhani Junkala that enhances the overall experience, making exploration both enjoyable and memorable. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered one of its standout elements, contributing significantly to its appeal.
“Juhani Junkala provides this game with a soundtrack that can only be described as a love letter to sci-fi genres and helps build up the incredible atmosphere this gem delivers.”
“Each biome (such as liver, lungs, bladder, etc.) has a unique character and atmosphere, colors, NPCs, enemies, bosses, and truly wonderful background songs, resulting in an unforgettable experience.”
“The vibrant colors set against atmospheric backdrops make exploring this game an absolute joy.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 83 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability due to its single ending and lack of branching paths, making it primarily a one-time experience unless players are interested in achieving 100% completion or speedrunning.
“Other than that, there's not much replay value - there's only one ending and no branching paths, so unless you're looking for 100% achievements or doing speedruns, this one is probably a one-and-done.”
- grinding6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally appreciate the smooth gameplay and efficient backtracking in the game, which contrasts with typical metroidvanias. However, some found the need for dedicated grinding to acquire final upgrades to be tedious and disruptive, leading to a loss of momentum and enjoyment.
“Surprisingly, I had to do dedicated grinding to buy one of the final upgrades for like 3 more minutes.”
“Just lost momentum and couldn't finish it due to tedious and repetitive gameplay along with some typical and annoying indie jank.”
“Just lost momentum and couldn't finish it due to tedious and repetitive gameplay along with some typical and annoying indie jank.”
- character development6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highly praised for its tense storytelling and interesting characters, featuring peak character design and compelling backstories. Players appreciate the creativity and charm of the character designs, along with the engaging upgrades that enhance their personalities.
“Peak character design, awesome backstory, cool upgrades.”
“All of the character designs and personalities are charming and very creative.”
“Tense story, interesting characters, excellent character design.”
