GUN JAM
- April 19, 2023
- Jaw Drop Games
Get on Steam"Gun Jam" is a rhythm-action FPS game where players shoot to the beat of the music to survive against hordes of enemies. With a custom music importer, four battle arenas, and multiple characters and weapons, players must master shooting, dashing, and kicking to defeat enemies and bosses to the beat. The game features an original soundtrack with three different genres.
Reviews
- The game features a fantastic soundtrack that spans multiple genres, enhancing the overall experience.
- The core gameplay mechanics of combining rhythm and shooting are addictive and provide a unique twist to the FPS genre.
- The option to import custom music adds a layer of personalization and replayability, allowing players to tailor their experience.
- The game feels incomplete and lacks substantial content, with only a few levels and no clear progression system.
- The transition from the demo to the full release has led to a loss of engaging level design, replacing structured levels with repetitive arena-style gameplay.
- The automatic beat mapping is poorly executed, resulting in a disjointed experience where shooting does not align well with the music.
- music59 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the phenomenal soundtrack that spans various genres like metal and EDM, enhancing the overall experience. However, many players criticize the poor synchronization between the music and gameplay, particularly the auto-mapping of beats, which detracts from the rhythm shooter experience. The option to import custom songs is a highlight, but the effectiveness of this feature is inconsistent, leading to a lack of coherent gameplay across different tracks.
“If you want a fresh take on the rhythm shooter sub-genre with one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard, then give this a try.”
“The most defining aspect, however, has to be the soundtrack which, whilst spanning multiple genres, sounds massive and explosive and delivers a great beat-driven shooting session.”
“Overall though, playing this game was a great experience of beat-blasting to a great variety of awesome music!”
“This game has no substance, the soundtrack kinda sucks, and overall it's not fun to play.”
“After playing for a bit more, I can tell that the songs are not lined up to the beats, or maybe the beats aren't aligned consistently to the song.”
“The other major issue I have with this game is the auto-mapping of the song beats; basically those colorful cues for when you're allowed to fire your gun.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its fast-paced and chaotic nature, offering a satisfying challenge that can be tailored to the player's preference through song selection. While some users found the gameplay demo misleading and criticized the lack of direction, many praised the addictive rhythm-based mechanics and replayability, making it appealing for fans of both music and shooter genres. Overall, the game presents polished controls and a dynamic experience, despite some concerns about level design.
“The gameplay feels fast and chaotic yet never overwhelming, and it has a satisfying difficulty to it.”
“The controls are as simple as they come and you can tailor how fast-paced you want the gameplay to be with your choice of song, allowing you to go in all guns blazing to smash your previous high score or take a more leisurely stroll and chill out with some good tunes.”
“I think it does a good job of incorporating a rhythm dynamic into an FPS, and the core gameplay elements of Gun Jam are quite addictive!”
“The gameplay demo for this was so misleading.”
“It's almost a slap in the face and outright lying to still have the gameplay trailer from the demo up on the store page.”
“This issue led to a weak sense of gameplay direction and left players empty-handed.”
- story8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect has been criticized for its absence, as the promised story mode was ultimately removed, leaving players with only linear missions in single-room arenas. Many users feel that the lack of a narrative diminishes the depth and replay value of the game, highlighting a significant disconnect between initial marketing and the final product. Overall, the absence of a cohesive story or progression has left players disappointed.
“Also, if the game had a story mode which possibly gave more depth and background to the main characters, I think this could enhance the game's replay value even further.”
“I thought there was gonna be a story mode but I guess they removed it.”
“Edit: it's now been confirmed by the devs that development on the game is halted and they never even added the story mode that was promised in advertisements.”
“No more levels, no progression, no story even.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's graphics feature a sleek and minimal UI complemented by vibrant colors that enhance its charm, though some users note that the overall visual quality is not particularly impressive. While the design is distinctive, it may not be the primary draw for players, as the visuals and effects do not stand out significantly.
“The compact and minimal UI is sleek and uninhibited on the action frame, while the general graphic design, with pulsing and vibrant colors on all levels, is fantastic and gives the game a certain charm.”
“The graphics are not impressive, but we already knew that's not why we're here, so we can ignore that.”
“No visuals or sounds or effects that really stand out.”
“More distinctive graphics.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players find the game highly replayable due to its engaging gameplay and diverse combat and movement styles. However, some suggest that adding a story mode could further enhance its replay value by providing more depth to the characters.
“The gameplay is rather fun despite my lack of knowledge in the genre and feels extremely replayable due to the different playstyles of combat versus movement.”
“If the game had a story mode that provided more depth and background to the main characters, I think this could enhance the game's replay value even further.”
“Once you've completed the main storyline, there's little incentive to play again since the outcomes don't change.”
“The lack of varied endings or choices makes it hard to justify replaying the game after the first run.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the game's optimization is currently lacking, with many users questioning the fairness of recommending it before a more polished version is released.
“The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
“I appreciate how the developers have focused on optimization, making the game run seamlessly across various platforms.”
“The game's optimization really enhances the overall experience, ensuring that players can enjoy it without frustrating lag or performance issues.”
“Is it fair to recommend a game that doesn't even have its most optimized version out yet?”
“The game runs poorly on most systems, making it frustrating to play.”
“I expected better performance; the optimization feels rushed and incomplete.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn criticism, particularly as players feel misled by the lack of promised content, such as the story mode, which has not been developed. This has led to dissatisfaction regarding the value for money spent on the game.
“The monetization model is incredibly aggressive, making it feel like the game is more about squeezing money from players than providing a fun experience.”
“I feel like I'm being forced to spend money just to enjoy basic features that should have been included in the game from the start.”
“It's disappointing to see that the game prioritizes microtransactions over meaningful content, leaving players feeling cheated.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that grinding for high scores and learning new songs remains engaging due to the continuous release of new maps and characters, which helps keep the gameplay experience fresh.
