Showdown Bandit

About

Showdown Bandit is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by Kindly Beast and was released on September 17, 2019. It received neutral reviews from players.

"Showdown Bandit" is a top-down shooter game where players take on the role of a bandit seeking revenge. With fast-paced action and a variety of weapons to choose from, players must battle through waves of enemies and bosses to uncover the truth behind a mysterious bet. The game features procedurally generated levels, ensuring a unique experience with each playthrough.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

52%

Audience ScoreBased on 356 reviews

story21 positive mentions

gameplay24 negative mentions

The game has a unique and interesting atmosphere with great character design.
The graphics and sound design are well-executed, creating an engaging visual and auditory experience.
The concept of a puppet navigating a horror-themed world is creative and has potential for deeper storytelling.

The gameplay is slow and tedious, with frustrating movement mechanics that detract from the overall experience.
There are significant issues with enemy AI and placement, leading to unfair deaths and repetitive backtracking.
The game lacks a clear direction and purpose, making it feel aimless and unengaging at times.

gameplay
100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
54%
24%
Overall, the gameplay has received largely negative feedback, with many players criticizing its slow pace, clunky controls, and repetitive mechanics. While some reviewers noted potential in the game's concept and visuals, they felt that the execution fell short, leading to a tedious and often boring experience. Improvements in gameplay mechanics and pacing are widely recommended to enhance player engagement and enjoyment.
- “Some really fun gameplay mechanics.”
- “The story, characters, and camera angles action gameplay puzzles riddled with secrets makes this game too much fun!”
- “Very awesome game, really like the graphics and gameplay.”
- “This game is a nice idea, but the gameplay is awfully boring and the level design makes it clear this game is obviously made for kids.”
- “Painfully slow and boring gameplay.”
- “The control system fights you every step of the way, your character moves slower than peanut butter slathering down a wall, and the hide/juke mechanics are completely at odds with every single other facet of the game design.”
story
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
59%
12%
The game's story is often described as intriguing but ultimately underdeveloped, with many players expressing disappointment over its lack of resolution due to the studio's abandonment. While the atmosphere and character design are praised, the narrative feels disjointed and confusing, leaving players wanting more context and a clearer plot. Overall, the potential for a compelling story is evident, but the execution falls short, leading to a frustrating experience for many.
- “The characters and the atmosphere were absolutely amazing, and there could have been so much to the story.”
- “The story, atmosphere, and characters were already so good, with only a few flaws lying in actual gameplay, and I really thought this game could've been great.”
- “The visuals for this game are very pretty, and the story is interesting.”
- “Unfortunately, since the game was never finished, it plays more like a demo and there is no real purpose to playing since there is nothing to unlock with the collectible cash and no story to reveal.”
- “The story and plot is confusing; I was hoping we would learn why we controlled a puppet and what we were actually looking around for, but I'm left confused.”
- “Cool setting and concept ruined by abandonment from the devs, slow boring gameplay, no scares or horror, and a disjointed story that will never get finished.”
graphics
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
44%
5%
The graphics of the game receive generally positive feedback, with many reviewers praising the art style, aesthetic, and overall visual quality as beautiful and unique. However, some players note issues such as blurriness due to excessive bloom effects and clunky controls that detract from the experience. While the visuals are often highlighted as a strong point, they are frequently overshadowed by complaints about slow gameplay and lackluster mechanics.
- “Graphically and audibly it's really good and the game makes a really good first impression.”
- “The graphics, the sound design, and voice acting are all very well done.”
- “The graphics are beautiful and the setting being a theatre full of marionettes is great too.”
- “The graphics when on high were blurry due to this bloom effect; it actually became straining on my eyes, but when I put them on low, it honestly looked better.”
- “Again, like my Little Misfortune review, I can't help but feel like they missed a big opportunity with the concept they had with the game, but they relied way too much on the art style itself to carry the game, even with how lackluster everything is, and in this day and age, that is not enough.”
- “I think the visuals are pretty average; on high quality, there is way too much bloom, and it just appears blurry.”
atmosphere
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
69%
22%
9%
The game's atmosphere is frequently praised for its beautiful visuals and intriguing settings, creating a spooky and immersive experience. However, many reviewers note that while the atmosphere is strong, it often lacks the intended horror elements and is undermined by repetitive gameplay and poor execution. Overall, the atmosphere is seen as a highlight, but it does not fully compensate for the game's shortcomings in other areas.
- “The setting is interesting and the atmosphere is beautifully spooky.”
- “The characters and the atmosphere were absolutely amazing and there could have been so much to the story.”
- “The game's atmosphere is amazing, and the world is awesome.”
- “Decent atmosphere but poor implementation.”
- “The atmosphere, sounds and visual design suggest great minds yet the execution of it ruins everything.”
- “The atmosphere isn't that great and the game isn't even scary.”
grinding
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
7%
93%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being slow, tedious, and boring, with players noting excessive backtracking and a lack of engaging gameplay. Many reviewers express frustration with the game's mechanics, describing the experience as unenjoyable and filled with poor design choices. While some acknowledge the potential of the story and visuals, the overall consensus is that the grinding detracts significantly from the game's appeal.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “It is slow as hell, very tedious and boring, and honestly it's not even scary either.”
- “There's copious amounts of tedious and unrewarding backtracking, dumb trial and error, not a single ounce of fun to be had.”
- “Good visuals, ok narrative, tedious and overall boring gameplay.”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
46%
23%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its charm and effort, while others find it forgettable or lacking in engagement. Although there are moments of good sound design, many users note a disappointing absence of memorable tracks and ambient sound, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a highlight for some, but ultimately fails to leave a lasting impression for many players.
- “Most I can say for this game that is good is the music, charm, and art.”
- “The style, the music, and the characters were charming and interesting.”
- “You can shoot stuff, you see very expressive characters, you have a mystery and some cool soundtracks.”
- “The soundtrack isn't something to write home about either.”
- “This ambient droning isn't interesting at all, to the point where I didn't even know it was a soundtrack and not just mindless groaning.”
- “I noticed a distinct lack of music while playing; I thought Bendy had a pretty good soundtrack, so to see basically nothing here is disappointing.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; some players find it amusing, particularly in the contrast between the slow movement of the character and the even slower enemies, leading to comical moments. However, others feel that the overall experience is dull, diminishing the effectiveness of the humor.
- “The walking is really slow; the funny thing is the enemies are even slower and almost can't hit you if you are moving, so I was laughing as they were trying to hit me while my character walked slowly around them.”
- “It's a funny and good game.”
- “Really funny game.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is criticized for being plagued by bugs and visual glitches, with some players experiencing significant control issues that hinder gameplay. While there are occasional random bugs, such as the inability to shoot, the overall experience is marred by these technical problems, leading to frustration and a sense of boredom. Despite its artistic merits and potential, the game's stability issues detract from its enjoyment.
- “Controls are a nightmare and the game is buggy and fails to even work in some parts.”
- “The game is not so bad, but it has a lot of visual glitches. The story itself is not as well made as 'Bendy and the Ink Machine.' The game gets really boring; it had a bright future, but is just boring.”
- “The game is a little buggy; for example, when I played it, I could not shoot, but it only happens a few times (aka it's random).”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for being overshadowed by a lackluster and boring story, despite its visually appealing design. Players find the gameplay to be monotonous, detracting from any potential emotional engagement.
- “Visually interesting, yet the gameplay is point-and-click, resulting in a poor and boring story-driven experience.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game is widely regarded as unoptimized, leading to performance issues and a subpar experience for players.
- “The game feels unoptimized, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “I encountered numerous performance issues; the optimization is clearly lacking.”
- “The overall experience is hindered by poor optimization, making it frustrating to play.”