[h2]Recommended. A unique and creative puzzle-shooter hybrid with a delightful noir aesthetic.[/h2]
Quick, name another game that falls into the category of "retro sci-fi neo-noir puzzle/shooter/stealth hybrid emphasizing non-linear problem solving." Actually, take your time. I'll wait.
I may not know every game in the world, but Gunpoint manages to be something that a lot of titles claim to be: unique. It crams a lot of mileage into a simple concept and simple design, a combination that sounds like it should make a simple game but instead creates a beautifully complex puzzler with a combat side. Oh, with an outstanding soundtrack.
[h2]Is it really that good?[/h2]
Actually, yes, it is.
[h3]Two games, one flawless execution [/h3]
This is actually two games seamlessly wrapped into one. On the one hand, you have a relatively simple stealth title with a combat sublayer. You don't want to get into combat, mind - at least not a fair fight. Ambush your enemies and knock them out (or, if you're particularly bloodthirsty, kill) if you must, but the pinnacle of performance here is to be a ghost. Get in, do what you need to do, and get out with nobody ever knowing you were there. Are you going to do that completely harmlessly? Probably not. Fortunately, there's a bevy of less-than-lethal means to help you along. That's where the other half of the game comes in.
Alongside the stealth-combat side of the game is a parallel game that presents the same levels to you but as a puzzle. You have the ability to rewire the building you're in on the fly and make its systems work for you - but only if you can come up with a plan for how. Yes, light switches toggle lights... but you can also make them open doors, call elevators, and do any number of other things. Daisy-chain devices together to execute complex strategies, trick guards into trapping themselves or knocking themselves out, use an elevator to trip a sensor to unlock a door - the things you can do vary from the simple to the wildly complicated and it's all up to you. Do you want to craft a complex technical solution to let you ghost your way in and out of an area or would you rather just ambush the guard and punch him out? It's up to you, your reflexes, and your patience for puzzle solving.
[h3]Solid writing [/h3]
The writing that pulls the story along is perfectly crafted, offering interesting characters, compelling storylines, and a lot of humor. Not too much, and it's up to you just how snarky you want to be, ranging from Sam Spade to PG Wade Wilson levels.
[h3]Magnificent soundtrack [/h3]
Gunpoint also has a [i]fantastic[/i] soundtrack. It fits in perfectly with the retro neo-noir setting. Even better, like the game it's two soundtracks rolled into one - whenever you go into hacking mode, the jazz-inspired noir music shifts to a synth-styled version of the exact same music as befits a technical hacking minigame. It's brilliant.
[h2]Okay, but there has to be something wrong with it[/h2]
Alright, alright, you want criticisms. Fine.
[h3]Locked, linear story [/h3]
The story is fixed. You really can't affect the outcome very much in any given direction, so you don't replay it for the story, you replay it for the puzzle. (Oh, and you can replay earlier missions any time you want and see if you can best your scores. That should've been in the good things section.) but yes, you really don't have any meaningful control over how the plot progresses.
[h3]Short game [/h3]
It's a fairly short game. I've played through it about three times now (most of that time offline and Steam didn't count it) and a complete playthrough won't take more than a handful of hours. But they're good hours.
[h3]Short money supply restricts improvements - which is actually good [/h3]
And... okay, here's a genuine gripe. This game hands out money and upgrade points with an eyedropper. Affording the upgrades for your character is tedious and slow, but it's part of the design and keeps you from being too powerful too fast to maintain the challenge. So it's really good design.
[h3]A tiny bit overpriced [/h3]
At $10 it's a [i]little[/i] overpriced, particularly since the developer has several newer games out on the market (Gunpoint is nine years old), but the game is so good that it still feels like you're getting your money's worth.
[h1]The Bottom Line[/h1]
This is a very, very good fusion of a stealth combat title with a technical puzzle game. It rounds the experience out with excellent pixel graphics, an exquisite soundtrack (one of the few I've spent money to buy, in fact), and a story that, while fixed, contains characters, events, and enough comedy to hook you early on and keep you running with it to see where it's going. And let's be perfectly honest: no other game has made falling through windows this much fun.
[h1]Recommended for anyone who likes stealth combat and technical puzzles. And smooth jazzy soundtracks.[/h1]
