Guns, Gore & Cannoli (2D Action Platforming Video Game Review)
Take the classic SNK game Metal Slug, the tone of The Godfather, set it during the prohibition era of the 1930s, throw in some zombies, and mix it until it is a parody of all elements involved; what results from this interesting concept is the over the top game Guns, Gore & Cannoli from Crazy Monkey Studios. The story is fairly straight forward, in that the player takes control of Vinnie Cannoli who is tasked with finding a gang member from another mafia family that has gone missing in Thugtown.
Vinnie expects to fight his way through an opposing gang, to collect his target, but while on a boat headed to Thugtown he is attacked by zombies. Before reaching Thugtown, Vinnie finds that all of the people who drank the local alcohol during the St. Patrick’s Day celebration were the original zombies who have now infected almost the entire city. Now, Vinnie must fight through the hordes of zombies and mafia members to collect his target and figure out how to turn the zombies of Thugtown back to normal.
This game was a pleasant surprise during a recent Steam sale. The classic gameplay of the action platformer, with the added ability to collect and switch between weapons, along with the comedy makes for a great experience. Solid gameplay, with a small cast well-designed enemies, and platform puzzles with a clean animated style are some of the strong points of this game. This game does many of those very well. At times some of the comedy falls a bit short or feels overplayed, but overall is fairly enjoyable. The art style is clean, colorful, and animated appropriately for the theme of the game. While the game does many things well, those looking for it to elevate the genre or innovate on the classic gameplay will be disappointed. Additionally, some gamers may find Guns, Gore & Cannoli too difficult. Other players, who are looking for a solid new addition to the genre that has a good level of difficulty will enjoy this game.
Guns, Gore & Cannoli also has a co-operative mode that allows up to four people to fight against the alcohol fueled zombie infestation. The beautiful and crisp animation would make this game a good entry into the genre for those curious, however it is likely that younger audiences would not be interested due to the difficulty level. A player in their mid-teens and above would be ideal for this game, especially if they are interested in the 1930’s time period, film noir, or a comedic zombie game.
