Shotgun Legend

About

Shotgun Legend is a single player and multiplayer role playing game. It was developed by Jonathan Tindell and was released on January 15, 2018. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Shotgun Legend" is an action RPG that pays homage to classic console games, with a modern twist. You play as Eugene, who must navigate through a strange land filled with alien technology and creatures to find his way back home. The game features 10 dungeons to explore, 16 items to collect, and a unique multiplayer experience where a second player can join and share health with the main player. With minimal hand-holding, the game encourages players to figure things out on their own, and offers the thrill of eventually dual wielding shotguns.

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 788 reviews

gameplay30 positive mentions

grinding16 negative mentions

Shotgun Legend is a fun homage to the original Legend of Zelda, offering nostalgic gameplay with a unique twist of using a shotgun instead of a sword.
The game features enjoyable exploration, challenging dungeons, and a variety of weapons and upgrades that enhance the gameplay experience.
At its low price point, the game provides great value, making it an appealing choice for fans of retro-style action-adventure games.

The controls are clunky and cannot be customized, which can lead to frustration during gameplay.
Some players find the difficulty spikes, particularly with certain bosses, to be unfair and overly challenging.
The game lacks a variety of music tracks, which can make the experience feel repetitive over time.

gameplay
98 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
66%
3%
The gameplay of "Shotgun Legend" is heavily inspired by the original "Legend of Zelda," featuring exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving in a familiar yet distinct world. While the shotgun mechanics are innovative and satisfying, some players feel it overshadows other weapons, leading to a lack of variety in gameplay elements. Overall, the game offers straightforward, nostalgic fun, though it suffers from clunky controls and limited long-term engagement.
- “Gameplay is as zeldaesque as it gets: you explore a familiar yet foreign land, fight spiders, skeletons and other god-knows-whats, solve puzzles and shoot your shotgun, of course.”
- “Despite this, Shotgun Legend has fun mechanics with its diverse weapons and items to use, and though the game isn't as hard as Zelda (except for maybe the final boss), there are some fun challenges to be had playing it.”
- “Good density and variety of gameplay elements crammed into a remarkably small map.”
- “In the end, Shotgun Legend, while enjoyable, doesn't offer a wide variety of gameplay elements to maintain long-term engagement.”
- “The mechanics are just trash and the movement gets stuck.”
- “The lack of a strafe mechanic becomes an immediately glaring issue after dying multiple times to a misplaced tap of the d-pad, and the way the game controls in general leads to many more cases of being screwed over even after just an hour of playtime.”
story
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
71%
3%
The story is a light-hearted parody set on a tropical island invaded by aliens, conveyed primarily through found notes, which some players found entertaining but lacking depth. While the narrative is not the main focus of the game, it offers humorous elements and a basic plot that players can gradually piece together as they progress. Overall, the story is seen as a fun backdrop to the gameplay, though many reviewers noted it could benefit from more engaging NPC interactions and dialogue.
- “Without spoilers, the story is about a tropical island that was invaded by aliens from the stars.”
- “The story is a funny, light-hearted parody of the genre, which normally takes itself extremely seriously, and is gradually told throughout the game via concise notes written by either an ally of yours or the antagonists.”
- “The game provides a very basic concept for a story during the intro, but this becomes more fleshed out as you advance and find various notes left around the world that add more to the game's backstory.”
- “The game's presentation leaves a ton to be desired; from the way the cliche-reliant story is kind of just thrown at you upon starting a new game to the several locations, enemy designs, and behaviors that are almost directly lifted from classic games, many aspects of this title feel not very thought-out and end up devoid of uniqueness.”
- “The story is too shallow for my personal taste.”
- “Storyline is very sporadic and doesn't really match the game at all (you're a redneck with a shotgun... fighting wizards, giant crabs, and skeletons... and it talks about aliens, like what?).”
music
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
79%
5%
The game's music has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying its nostalgic vibe and catchy tunes, while others find it repetitive and lacking in variety. Many noted that the soundtrack, though fitting, often feels out of place with the game's action, leading some to turn it off entirely in favor of their own music. Overall, while there are moments of praise for the composition, the limited number of tracks and the mismatch with gameplay intensity detract from the overall experience.
- “Game is solid 10/10; the game's soundtrack is vibey as well.”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “The soundtrack is composed of a few standard adventure songs which are fitting and don't overstay their welcome even though they loop endlessly.”
- “Entire game takes around 6-7 hours to beat, but I had to turn off the music after 2 hours of playing.”
- “There is a specific sort of tone that can be achieved with an unmastered MIDI soundtrack, but due to the reasons above coupled with the sound design in general being grating, it just comes off as lazy, to be blunt.”
- “The mostly chill and infantile music just does not match with the shotgun annihilation you do in the game.”
graphics
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
71%
7%
The graphics feature a nostalgic 8-bit aesthetic that evokes classic 90s games, with a clean and sharp presentation that appeals to fans of retro pixel art. However, some players feel the visuals lack coherence and detail, particularly in character design, and criticize the overall quality as inferior to original NES titles. While the simplistic style may deter some, the game's charm and unique influences, particularly from the Legend of Zelda, resonate well with those who appreciate classic RPG graphics.
- “8-bit aesthetics, including both visual style and sound, dip you into that good ol' 90s vibe—great medicine for those reminiscing about the titles of old.”
- “The graphics have a certain charm and are crispy and sharp.”
- “The graphics use 8-bit colors and sprites, reminiscent of games from the 8-bit era, but with a slightly sharper look and a little more detail overall.”
- “Graphics are a letdown, uglier than the original NES titles.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “There's no way for gamers to try to improve the low-quality graphics.”
humor
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in "Shotgun Legend" is a standout feature, characterized by its light-hearted parody of classic adventure games like "The Legend of Zelda." Players enjoy the comedic elements, including a quirky protagonist—a shotgun-wielding redneck—and numerous funny references and easter eggs throughout the game. The narrative is delivered through amusing notes, adding to the overall charm and making it a fun, engaging experience.
- “The story is a funny, light-hearted parody of the genre, which normally takes itself extremely seriously, and is gradually told throughout the game via concise notes written by either an ally of yours or the antagonists.”
- “A short, harmless homage to the original Legend of Zelda (and possibly the Phalanx SNES box art)...but with a shotgun and a funny story.”
- “Very well paced - the 'golden triangle' reference here is just too funny!”
grinding
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
5%
89%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the repetitive backtracking required in dungeons and the need to clear rooms multiple times. While some enjoy the grind reminiscent of classic Zelda games, many feel that it detracts from the overall experience, especially when pursuing achievements or earning money. Overall, the grinding can lead to a frustratingly tedious gameplay experience.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “This makes backtracking in dungeons absurdly tedious as the same rooms lock themselves multiple times until cleared of enemies.”
- “After finishing the game, I was trying to go back through to get the achievements, but walking to all of the different dungeons and then fighting through each one to see if there was a possibility that I missed something was a little too grindy for me.”
- “I enjoyed it for the first 2 hours and then it became hella tedious.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's stability is polarizing; while some users report it runs smoothly and is bug-free, others experience frequent crashes and glitches, leading to frustration and disappointment. The mixed feedback suggests that the game's early access status may contribute to its instability, with some players feeling they are paying to test an unfinished product.
- “The game is stable and bug free.”
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “The game is crash prone and filled with glitches.”
- “I was already leaning towards a mediocre review based on it only being a mediocre game; but when it's also buggy and crashes a lot, it's not even worth the $1.”
- “"Early access" to me indicates buggy and/or unfinished games, that I would basically be paying to be a playtester for.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Gamemaker Studio is frequently associated with the creation of retro pixel games that are perceived as low-quality cash grabs, indicating a trend of monetization strategies that prioritize profit over quality.
- “Gamemaker Studio is often used to make retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers minimal replayability after achieving 100% completion, which some players find disappointing, though it doesn't detract significantly from their overall enjoyment.
- “That being said, there is close to zero replayability once you 100% it, but I can't complain.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its immersive retro 80's atmosphere, effectively capturing the nostalgic essence of that era.
- “This gives the game a great retro 80's atmosphere.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a lack of emotional engagement early in the game, noting that it fails to captivate or create a sense of welcome. Overall, the emotional impact appears to be minimal at this stage.
- “Only a bit into the game right now, but I've had nothing that just gripped me, pulled me in, and made me feel welcome.”