Load 'er up and take 10 paces, we got us some shootin' to do! A new top-down shooter has mosied into town and wants to pick a fight come September 24th. Get ready for a lot of shootin', ye varmint.
What started out as a free alpha is now a full fledged game with several times the playable characters. New Zealand based developer Farmergnome along with misfit publisher Devolver Digital have their sights set on Steam, GOG, and the Humble store with this nine-player co-op game of itchy trigger fingers. Think you have what it takes to be the baddest in town? Better practice them shootin' skills or be buried 6ft under.
In case you're interested in giving the alpha a go, it's on the developer's site.
Fans of variety are in luck; the characters in A Fistful of Gun are not just re-skinned copies of one another. Farmergnome takes this a step further by incorporating completely different control schemes depending on which character you decide to conquer the Wild West with. The end result are characters that not only play differently from one another but have differing mechanics. As mentioned on Steam, "Additional Notes: Gamepad, mouse, and keyboard needed to use all characters." I can confirm the de facto 360 controller works out of the box.
Liked the alpha build and wanted to go gung-ho? Farmergnome offers an incentive. If you pre-order now, you get an additional 25% off according to the gun-slinging duo—a single-shot as it were. Here are some words from Devolver Digital CFO Fork Parker:
I'm not legally allowed to promote a drinking game that involves a shot of tequila each time another player gets the drunk power-up during A Fistful of Gun co-op games, but that would be pretty solid,
Wise words to live by.
You never know another man's worth until you're pitted against one with guns blazing, but if you really have a death wish, a showdown at the corral is in order. Watch those stray bullets, arrows and other flying projectiles, cowboy. Things will not be okay at the O.K. Corral if you're too slow on the draw. With the ability to play with up to nine players at a time in multiplayer, things can get hairy awfully fast, and I don't mean the rugged facial hair on the man who just shot you dead.
Here's a quick run down of what to expect in A Fistful of Gun:
Diverse Group of Misfits and Outlaws – Players have a choice between eleven gunslingers to terrorize the Wild West with. Characters all have a unique feel from each other and this is much appreciated.
Multiplayer and Co-Op modes – Can't have a good old fashion shoot out without bringing the friends to the party. A Fistful of Gun features both online multiplayer and co-op modes so you can tear up the landscape with your posse no matter if they live a block away or thousands of miles.
Story and Arcade Modes – Ride into the sunset on a horse, forge a river, ride a train—lots of possibilities in this western environment! With vibrant landscapes and varied bad guys, you're gonna be blown away by the scenery and hopefully not blown away.
Quick Take
I haven't had a chance to play the game beyond the alpha, but it looks like a blast! Pun may or may not be intended. If anyone of you were at PAX and had the opportunity, do feel free to chime in with your thoughts down below.
