Digital Shorts: ‘Guns of Mercy’ Review (Nintendo Switch)

In DIGITAL SHORTS we review some of the latest video games that are only available digitally (at least in the UK), in a short-form review format. In this edition we take a look at Guns of Mercy, an eShop game from PixelHeart, the makers of Gigantic Army.

2032, the Earth is a vast and hostile wasteland infested by Aliens. The surface of the planet has been rendered uninhabitable since the great war against the alien invasion. Humanity has been reduced to living underground. But the menace is getting there. Be the Ranger that saves the planet and gives humanity it’s freedom back. Gather a team of professional Ranger and fight up to 4 players simultaneously. Fight all 100 stages, eradicate all bosses and destroy all enemies to complete your mission…

The best way to describe Guns of Mercy is an old-school shooter a la Galaga and/or Space Invaders, in a modern skin. And by modern I mean a faux-pixel retro look that seems to be de rigueur with the current indie game scene. The game sees you fight off huge waves of enemies, one level at a time, with a gun that can shoot the entire gamut of the screen (all 180 degrees of it in fact). Whilst there are a TON of enemies to kill and it seems fruitless at times, power-ups are available – including a badass mech suit! You can also upgrade your gear, which is essential to continue with the game as the dificulty level certainly ramps up as you play on.

The aim of the game is to clear each level without dying. Simple right? Well… Guns of Mercy is actually anything but. In fact the game is merciless in the way in which you can die at the drop of a hat! If you do survive the regular levels you’ll find yourself in a boss battle every fifth level and you REALLY need to make sure your stocked up on upgrades for these. If you do die you’ll end up going back to the first level, again, with the opportunity to use the currency you’ve collected to upgrade your stuff before restarting. And you’ll certainly be restarting. Over and over… and over.

Though the upside is that Guns of Mercy is very much a “one more go” type of game. Dying is not the end of the game, in fact dying is part of the fun of the game – by dying and upgrading you get further and further into the game and the more you play the further you want to get! The downside to this version of the game is the price. Guns of Mercy is available for free on mobile – though to be fair to the Nintendo Switch “Rangers Edition” is does include modes, features, and powerups that were originally behind a paywall on mobile.

And addictive, fun, shooter, Guns of Mercy is available on the Nintendo eShop now.