Shooting Hurts

About

Shooting Hurts is a single player action game. It was developed by Jakob Vidal and was released on September 18, 2018. It received very positive reviews from players.

A brand new AI, a weapon that turns its health into projectiles, and a gauntlet of tests designed to test their limits. How will you make every shot count when shooting hurts?

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 204 reviews

gameplay23 positive mentions

The game features a unique mechanic where shooting depletes your health, adding a strategic layer to gameplay.
The fast-paced action and platforming elements provide a fun and engaging experience, especially with the dynamic movement mechanics.
Despite its short length, the game is highly enjoyable and offers a challenging yet rewarding experience, making it a great free-to-play title.

The graphics are simplistic and may not appeal to players looking for high-quality visuals.
Some players find the difficulty level frustrating, particularly in later stages where enemy projectiles can overwhelm you.
The game lacks extensive content and variety, leaving some players wanting more levels and features.

gameplay
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
66%
25%
9%
Gameplay in this game is a mixed bag; while some players find the mechanics fun and engaging, particularly praising the movement and unique health system, others criticize it for relying too heavily on luck and spamming attacks. The game offers a bullet hell aesthetic that can be enjoyable once players adapt, but many feel that the overall experience is marred by poor AI and level design that necessitates exploiting mechanics for progression. Despite its flaws, the game is noted for its exciting and addictive gameplay, making it a worthwhile experience for those who appreciate its unique concepts.
- “At first, the game is a bit hard, but after you get used to the mechanics, it becomes pretty fun.”
- “Movement mechanic is perfect; it feels so good to fly around the room dodging everything.”
- “Very fun game with hectic and addicting gameplay.”
- “For the very few minutes that I tried playing this game, as another person mentioned, the playstyle recommended isn't really skill-based; it's just spamming and hoping for the best. That aside, it's clearly trying to go for a bullet hell aesthetic which somehow meshes with the your-health-is-your-bullets mechanic that necessitates a slower, deliberate playstyle.”
- “The main reason being that a lot of the gameplay relies on luck and just simply spamming defensive and offensive attacks.”
- “It really sucks that in this game enemies relentlessly spam you with projectiles, yet the player has the horrible mechanic of shooting reducing your health and interrupting health regeneration.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
27%
20%
The music in the game is widely praised for its energetic and fitting nature, enhancing the overall gameplay experience and adding to the adrenaline of the action. However, some players expressed a desire for adjustable volume settings for music and sound effects. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's fun and dynamic atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack also fueled the 'adrenaline escapade' of it quite nicely!”
- “It just feels great to be jumping and running around, landing your shots to very fitting music and feeling dynamic.”
- “Absolutely incredible soundtrack.”
- “Sound effects are limited and the music isn't the best.”
- “This is a fun and challenging game, my only issue is that there is no setting to change the volume of music and sound effects.”
- “I'm gonna be honest, I installed this game because it looked like it was going to be good, and I guess it is if you know what you actually do in it, but in most of the levels you have to shoot stuff, and when stuff shoots you back, you die. So because I don't know, I only play for the music.”
graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some players criticizing the technical delivery and poor visuals as significant deterrents, while others appreciate the minimalistic art style and its fit with the gameplay mechanics. Despite some players being open to low-resolution aesthetics, frustrations with the overall experience have led to negative perceptions of the visuals. Conversely, a few reviewers praised the graphics as fitting and well-executed, highlighting the game's artistic intent.
- “I'm absolutely in love with this game, from the minimalistic graphics to the amazing soundtrack.”
- “Also, the graphics are insane!”
- “The art style is perfect for this game, and the spatial mechanics are so... well... spatial.”
- “While there are some interesting concepts here, the technical delivery, especially the graphics, was completely phoned in.”
- “The poor visuals are a significant deterrent.”
- “I'm perfectly fine with polygonal, pixelated, and generally low-resolution styled games, but the graphics were so frustratingly bad that I developed an unreasonable gripe with them.”
story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The story aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it weak and uninspiring, while others appreciate its solid concept and engaging gameplay mechanics. While a few users express a desire for more narrative depth and content, others feel that the existing lore is sufficient for the gameplay experience. Overall, the story is seen as a secondary element, with gameplay taking precedence.
- “Solid story concept.”
- “This game is awesome, from the gameplay to the story to everything.”
- “Just beat it and I gotta say it was great. I love figuring out how to beat each level and the concept of the draining health bar was amazing. It made me care a lot more about my shots than I used to. Honestly, 10/10 game; I wish it was longer and the final mission was awesome.”
- “The story (if you can even call it that) is weak and uninspiring to say the least and only really offers gameplay which is also not very good in my opinion.”
- “Primitive and just as uninspired as the story.”
- “Lore-wise, it is kinda poor, but it doesn't need to have any sort of story; the beginning text is just enough amount of lore that it needs.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is generally praised, with users reporting good performance across various systems.
- “The game runs smoothly with excellent performance.”
- “I appreciate the optimization; it really enhances the overall experience.”
- “The developers have done a fantastic job optimizing the game for various systems.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
33%
While the game is considered somewhat short, its mechanics provide a solid foundation for decent replayability, encouraging players to revisit it for a fresh experience.
- “The game may be a bit short, but the mechanics themselves provide decent replayability.”
- “Each playthrough offers new challenges and experiences, making it hard to put down.”
- “With multiple endings and varied character choices, the replayability is off the charts!”
- “It's a bit short, but the mechanics themselves give it decent replayability.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of absurdity and irreverence, with players finding amusement in outrageous scenarios, such as a paintball party gone awry. The exaggerated reactions and playful mockery contribute to a lighthearted atmosphere, appealing to those who enjoy over-the-top comedic elements.
- “When you get a paintball party and those rednecks thought it was funny to freeze their ammo, caw caw!”
- “Yeah, yeah, I know, I am so funny! Hahahahahaha!”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional engagement with the game, feeling empowered despite repeated failures, as each death prompts reflection and learning. However, some users express frustration with gameplay mechanics that hinder their ability to control the experience effectively.
- “This game made me feel like a god, even if I was dying over and over again. Every time I died, it made me think about what went wrong.”