Shotgun Legend

About

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 460 reviews

gameplay17 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

Shotgun Legend is a fun homage to the original Legend of Zelda, featuring engaging gameplay and a nostalgic feel.
The shotgun mechanics add a unique twist to combat, encouraging players to balance risk and reward.
The game offers a good variety of enemies and upgrades, making exploration enjoyable and rewarding.

The controls can be clunky and lack customization options, which may frustrate some players.
The music is limited and can become repetitive, detracting from the overall experience.
Some boss battles can feel unbalanced, leading to frustration rather than enjoyment.

gameplay
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
65%
5%
The gameplay of "Shotgun Legend" is heavily inspired by the original "Legend of Zelda," featuring exploration, combat, and puzzle-solving elements, though it leans more towards straightforward mechanics and nostalgia. Players appreciate the innovative shotgun mechanics, which create a unique risk/reward dynamic, but some find the controls clunky and the overall gameplay lacking in variety for long-term engagement. While the game offers enjoyable challenges and a retro feel, it may not fully capture the depth and charm of its predecessor.
- “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.”
- “The game brilliantly balances the nostalgia of retro gaming with fresh mechanics, making it a beacon of innovation in the realm of indie games.”
- “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 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.”
- “It truly feels great to spend 20 minutes on a boss fight only to die by mechanics that you can't do anything about when they overlap poorly.”
story
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
71%
5%
The game's story is a light-hearted parody set on a tropical island invaded by aliens, conveyed primarily through found notes, which some players found entertaining despite its simplicity. While the narrative lacks depth and originality, it adds a humorous touch to the gameplay, making it enjoyable for those seeking a casual experience. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop rather than a focal point, with players appreciating its quirky charm amidst the action.
- “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.”
- “Overall, I highly recommend it because it's a good game which is reasonably challenging, it's short and isn't a huge time commitment, the redneck theme is humorous while the story is a light-hearted parody.”
- “The game's presentation leaves a ton to be desired; from the way the cliche-reliant story's 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.”
- “There's a vague plot in the background that you can almost completely ignore if you're more worried about just shooting things.”
- “Weak story with very little purpose.”
music
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
71%
7%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its atmospheric and nostalgic qualities, while others criticize its limited variety and repetitive nature. Many players enjoyed the soundtrack's ability to enhance the gaming experience, but a significant number found it lacking, leading them to turn it off in favor of their own music. Overall, while the composition is appreciated, the limited number of tracks and mismatch with the game's tone detracts from the overall enjoyment for some players.
- “The soundtrack of 'Shotgun Legend' is a riveting collection of tunes that amplify the game's atmosphere.”
- “From the adrenaline-pumping battle themes to the haunting melodies of the dungeons, the music is a constant companion in your journey, echoing the harmonious howls and songs of our clan.”
- “Music is f'n legit, I keep catching myself humming it.”
- “One of the few things that might be considered negative about the game is the music.”
- “Entire game takes around 6-7 hours to beat, but I had to turn off the music after 2 hours of playing.”
- “The mostly chill and infantile music just does not match with the shotgun annihilation you do in the game.”
graphics
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
67%
10%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a nostalgic 8-bit aesthetic that appeals to fans of retro titles, featuring sharp and clean pixel art. However, opinions are mixed; while some appreciate the charm and detail, others find the visuals lacking compared to original NES games, with a desire for more coherence and variety in textures. Overall, the graphics serve the game's retro style but may not satisfy those seeking modern visual fidelity.
- “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.”
- “The graphics are basic but decent for a retro style game and the music is great.”
- “It's well made, the world seems pretty large - and the look of the graphics is perfect for this style of game.”
- “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
16 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 amusing storyline, quirky character design, and numerous funny references and easter eggs, which enhance the overall experience. The game successfully combines challenging gameplay with a comedic narrative, making it a delightful homage to the genre.
- “There are a ton of funny references to it.”
- “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.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
90%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to the need for backtracking through dungeons and repeatedly clearing the same rooms to achieve completion. While some enjoy the nostalgic grind reminiscent of classic Zelda games, many feel that the requirement for extensive exploration and repetitive tasks detracts from the overall experience, making it feel unnecessarily laborious.
- “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
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The stability of the game is mixed, with some users reporting a smooth experience on platforms like the Steam Deck and noting it as bug-free, while others highlight significant issues with crashes and glitches, leading to frustration and a negative overall impression.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “The game is stable and bug-free.”
- “Bug-free (I didn't run into any).”
- “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.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of "Shotgun Legend" is enhanced by a captivating soundtrack that evokes a strong retro 80s vibe, immersing players in its engaging environment.
- “The soundtrack of 'Shotgun Legend' is a riveting collection of tunes that amplify the game's atmosphere.”
- “This gives the game a great retro 80's atmosphere.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is noted for its dramatic impact, with players expressing a strong sense of being gripped and welcomed into the narrative. However, some users feel that the emotional engagement could be deeper, as initial experiences may not fully resonate.
- “The emotional and dramatic impact of the game is truly remarkable.”
- “Only a bit into the game right now, but it has already gripped me, pulled me in, and made me feel welcome.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate that Gamemaker Studio is frequently associated with the creation of low-quality, retro-style games that are perceived as cash grabs, suggesting a trend of monetization strategies that prioritize profit over quality.
- “Gamemaker Studio is often used to create retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, prioritizing profit over player experience.”
- “In-game purchases are heavily pushed, making it difficult to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users note that the game offers minimal replayability after achieving 100% completion, indicating that while the experience is enjoyable, there is little incentive to revisit it once fully completed.
- “That being said, there is close to zero replayability once you 100% it, but I can't complain.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviewers praise the character design, particularly highlighting the creativity and appeal of both the opponents and the merchant, expressing a strong sense of satisfaction with their development.
- “The character design, including the opponents and the merchant, is fantastic; words can't express how happy I am.”
- “The depth of character development in this game is truly impressive, making each character feel unique and relatable.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the story, with their backstories and motivations adding layers to the gameplay.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The game is praised for its quality, but users report significant optimization issues, experiencing frame rate drops below 60 FPS at times. Additionally, there is a request for improved language support, specifically Spanish translation.
- “The game is very good, but it lacks optimization, as I experience drops below 60 FPS at times.”
- “I appreciate the gameplay, but the optimization needs improvement to ensure a smoother experience.”
- “While the game is enjoyable, better optimization would enhance performance and reduce frame rate issues.”
- “The game is very good, but it lacks optimization. I am getting more than 60 FPS, and sometimes it just gets stuck.”
- “The performance issues are frustrating; the game needs significant optimization to run smoothly.”
- “While the gameplay is enjoyable, the lack of optimization leads to frequent stuttering and frame drops.”