Cowboys and Indians, they be a legendary pair that have regaled the stories of little children and the grandest of films. O’ course, they don’t really last on the seven seas as well as they should, bein’ that they’re more used to horses than they are on ships on the sea. Tis a waste, because I could’ve used a smart gunfighter on me side when we were bein’ captured by the damn British. This is why I really enjoy the game Cowboy VS. Ninjas VS. Aliens, as I finally get to know just what an intelligent gun fighter is. At the same time, the game ain’t too shabby, as the shooting makes up for a lot of fun.
The Wild Wild West and its Graphics
While the idea of dust and worn out buildings can be sort of boring, that’s basically where the whole story takes place. If you think of a cowboy, you’d either see endless rolling plains or nearly abandoned towns with duels in high noon. That’s natural, and the game takes these ideas into account as a lot of the look is inspired by such a theme.
The cartoon style animation mixed in with 3D environments kind of kicks back to the other top down dual stick shooters apps. The difference here is that the environments are sharper, as opposed to angular and rough. While the game won’t make your jaw drop when you’re playing it, none of the designs are offensive to the eyes, but that’s already standard to games nowadays, right? In short, the graphics are fine but aren’t the most stellar thing you’ll ever see in a mobile app. The effects are well made though, and that says a lot about the game.
The Gameplay
Unfortunately, this game doesn’t try to change the formula much in terms of dual stick shooting. It goes top down, controls are presented through virtual sticks, and shooting is done by tapping. There’s an auto-aim feature that you might want to turn on if you want an easier time, but every once in a while this feature conks out and starts aiming for the least threatening target. This can be the most annoying part of the game as the auto system is supposed to aid you and not create more problems.
Manual aiming is actually surprisingly smoother than other games, and that shows when you’re gunning down the countless ninjas and aliens that you come across. At the same time, the control scheme isn’t difficult to grasp, making this an excellent choice for players who are fairly new to the genre.
On top of basic combat and smooth controls, you can also choose to upgrade your gear. You collect the highest score you can, and that usually translates into currency within the game. The beauty of the gameplay is that certain weapons and upgrades are only available for advanced levels, which means that you will need to keep playing in order to try out that nicely upgraded double-barreled shotgun you have your sights on.
The Verdict
One good thing about this game is that it doesn’t try to be complicated. In terms of story, combat, and graphics, everything seems very elementary. And since the developers, Great Play, didn’t screw or experiment with a proven formula, you can easily expect this title to be as addictive as crack. Download and take a whiff for free on iTunes.
