Oh, PixelJunk, how I love thee.


For those unfamiliar, PixelJunk is a DLC-only series for the PS3 from developer Q-Games. The series focuses on taking popular (and often over done) gameplay mechanics and throwing in a twist. The first game in the series, PixelJunk Racer, may not have been earth shattering but it certainly was different. It was a 4 player birds-eye-view racer where speed boosts were achieved by overtaking other cars. Not my favorite game but certainly unlike anything I’ve ever played. PixelJunk Monsters, the second title, however, is arguably the best game to be released for the PS3. It’s a tower defense where you are in control of a character that runs around the boards to build towers, giving up the popular point-and-click build mechanics of other tower defense games. The third game in the series, PixelJunk Eden, is also amazing. Its draw was imaginative visuals and soundtrack supported with gameplay so different and out there I can’t even begin to describe it in under a page. Suffice to say, it’s quite innovative and people either love it or hate it. I personally love it. Everyone should at least respect it for trying something different. Each of these games was presented in full 1080p with 2-4 player coop.

So, that brings us up to date and sets the stage for the latest in the PixelJunk series, PixelJunk Shooter.

Like their other titles, Shooter has taken a basic game play mechanic and spun it on its head. The controls will be familiar to anyone who has played a “dual-stick shooter” on console such as Geometry Wars or Burn Zombie Burn. Left stick moves you up, down, left, and right while the right stick is used to choose the direction your craft faces at all times. Triggers are used to fire. Very basic controls. For the last 2-3 years or so, we’ve seen enough of these games to sink a ship. So what makes this game so different?

Lava + Water = Innovative game play.


Shooter is not a run-and-gun destructionfest. As you can see from the screen shot above, the environments are harsh. Unlike classic dual-stick shooters, the biggest challenge is not the enemies you face but your very surroundings and the physics used to shape that environment. You pilot a small craft tasked with a rescue operation. Researchers have burrowed down into a planet and ceased transmission. Your job is to navigate your way through a maze of tunnels and rescue as many of the lost workers as you can before they are buried, burned or eaten. If you pick up a little scratch along the way, all the better.

Each stage has levels with their own unique environments and challenges.


The game is broken down into levels that progressively dig deeper and deeper down into the planet. The levels are grouped into what would be best described as stages. These stages are a group of levels with a similar theme that ends with a big old boss fight. To unlock the boss level you have to play though the proceeding levels and collect enough crystals to unlock it. Crystals are hidden throughout each of the levels and add a lot of replay value. The bare minimum number of crystals needed to unlock the boss level and the next stage is probably about 1/3 of the total crystals hidden in these levels so you’ll be going back to levels you’ve played many times. This sounds like it would get repetitive but turns out to be a hoot. That’s right, I said “a hoot”…

“… the flamethrower! The kids love this one.”


All damage in Shooter is measured in heat. There is no penalty for bumping into walls unless it’s a wall of molten lava. This takes away a lot of the initial frustration so many other shooters suffer and makes the game much more accessible for anyone new to the genre. The way you get in trouble, however, is by getting too close to a heat source or taking too much fire from an enemy. This causes your heat gauge to fill up. If it gets into the red, your ship will explode and you’ll have to start the screen over again. If you manage to get away in time, you can sit a safe distance away from anything hot and wait it out or take a dip in some water to cool off quickly. It’s a game of elements and physics. You want to fight where there is water, ideally from within the water. That way any heat you accumulate from enemy fire or firing too many rockets is instantly cooled. To do this, you have to find a water source and channel it so it follows you in your travels. Blast a hole in a basin above to rain water down below. Just when you get the hang of this tactic, though, you’ll get new weapons such as the above flame thrower which poses all sorts of new problems while providing viscerally entertaining new solutions. This keeps you on your toes and prevents any feeling of repetition.

Don’t follow the water. Have the water follow you.


Shooter has done for dual-stick gaming what Monsters did for tower defense. It’s shown that innovation can be found in common mechanics. It’s also the complete package with 1080p visuals and 2 player coop. At only $9.99 with 20+ hours of gameplay, Shooter has shown that great things can come with small price tags. If you own a PS3, I can’t think of a reason not to pick this game up. You don’t even need to get up off your couch. Just fire up the Playstation Network Store and download. You’ll be happy you did.

Final verdict: Awesome