Gunpoint

This is where you can deliberate anything relating to videogames - past, present and future
Post Reply
CodeThief

Gunpoint

Post by CodeThief »

I couldn't see a thread for this so I thought I'd start one.

http://www.gunpointgame.com/

I've just played through the demo and it's really quite good. Very funny writing with some proper laugh-out-loud moments mixed in with some interesting stealth/hacking mechanics. This one is definitely worth a look.

Plus it looks like you can save a couple of quid by paying the developers directly on their website instead of buying through Steam, and you still get a Steam key!

The editions:

Website ----- Steam
Standard edition - $10 (~£6.50) vs £6.99
Special edition - $20 (~£13) vs £14.99
Exclusive edition - $30 (~£19.50) vs £22.99

... oh and did I forget to mention that you can punch guards infinitely in the face to great amusement? :D
SnakeyDave

Re: Gunpoint

Post by SnakeyDave »

I loved gunpoint. Best stealth game since mark of the ninja. Only shame is that there isn't more of it. There are ideas in it which I'd love to see expanded over a more lengthy campaign.
Leg of Time

Re: Gunpoint

Post by Leg of Time »

Really enjoyed it!

Always like having the ability to turn off any light in stealth games so having the ability to re-wire lights, switches etc. was great! Writing and music were also excellent :)
User avatar
ratsoalbion
Admin
Posts: 7918
Joined: August 28th, 2012, 9:41 am
Location: Brighton, England
Contact:

Re: Our next-but-one podcast recording: Gunpoint

Post by ratsoalbion »

We're recording our Gunpoint podcast next Thursday, September 4th.

If you've played Tom Francis' 2D stealth/puzzle/action thingummy-do then please tell us about it!
Roy42

Re: Our next-but-one podcast recording: Gunpoint

Post by Roy42 »

My second favourite stealth game of 2013; incredible that two so good would come out in the same year. One of the best parts about Gunpoint is the juxtaposition of the smooth music and sharp visual aesthetic that present Conway as a master spy with the reality that, at best, he's bumbling around, at the mercy of his various employers. Between that and giving Conway a personality, it lets him have a genuine character arc; something that I felt was missing with, say, Mark of the Ninja. Even by giving the player the choice of having Conway be snarky and self-motivated or honest and compassionate for others, the game is still able to have a linear narrative, where the motivation for going into each level and completing each task is still believable, right up to the end of the game.

Stealth games in recent years have all been incredibly inventive, and Gunpoint is one of the best examples of it. It shows the creative potential of videogames, when the player isn't limited to only a realistic human field of vision or current technology. The ability to rewire everything makes for a perfect "water cooler" game, as you're given a bunch of different options for getting to your objective, are never left feeling like something is out of your control, and are never forced to play in a way that you wouldn't want (except, arguably, the last level).

I also like the lack of information being surfaced to the player. To me that is the game saying that it's not necessary, and that the player should be able to tell that a guard is looking at them, or that smashing through a plate glass window is going to make a hell of a lot of noise. Besides which, the rigorous autosaving makes it a moot point; if a guard does happen to kill you, you can call a mulligan in the exact fashion that you would expect a guy like Conway to do, get past the guard correctly, and slink off into the night, telling all your friends at the bar that you didn't make any fuck-ups at all, no sir.

It would be ridiculous of me to say that, between Gunpoint and Monaco, 2D stealth games are as good as they're ever going to get, but a significantly high bar has definitely been set, and I think they're going to sit there for quite a good while to come.
User avatar
Flabyo
Member
Posts: 3576
Joined: August 8th, 2013, 8:46 am
Location: Guildford

Re: Our next-but-one podcast recording: Gunpoint

Post by Flabyo »

Still no Mac version.

Sad face.
User avatar
dezm0nd
Moderator
Posts: 4445
Joined: August 28th, 2012, 9:48 am
Location: Leighton Buzzard

Re: Our next-but-one podcast recording: Gunpoint

Post by dezm0nd »

I'm usually not one for remembering videogame stories and my tastes often lean towards those without one but Gunpoint not only had me hooked with its codec-lite cut scenes but often had me laughing (a crucial element to getting my attention)

Well done, Gunpoint. Josh was right. Play it!
Todinho

Re: Our next podcast recording: Gunpoint

Post by Todinho »

Gunpoint is one of those games that took me by surprise,I didnt really expect much from it but when I started playing it I only stopped when the game was over.
Each level in Gunpoint is short enough to keep you wanting more but also challenging enough to keep you interested in them,the mechanics are similar with they being relatively simple to understand but allowing the skilled player to pull-off some really cool and complex stunts add this to an autosaving system that allows for consequence free experimentation and you got yourself an extremely addictive game in all the right ways.Not only the gameplay is great but the game also has a witty script to keep you chuckling between levels and a Jazzy soundtrack to keep you relaxed this combination makes it really hard to find anything wrong with Gunpoint so my only criticism of it remais the same it ended too soon,I would really love to see more complex levels and progression system because I really think there's alot of untapped potential still here,so here's hoping for Gunpoint 2!

Three word review: hypertrousers virtual ad
Nekemancer

Re: Our next podcast recording: Gunpoint

Post by Nekemancer »

The greatest moment I had with Gunpoint was when I introduced my little brother to it. It was likely already mentioned, but you can tackle guards and knock them out with a punch. Or kill them with several more. Or you can keep on punching for great dialogue. My brother's first instinct on trying the game was to turn a guard into strawberry jam to see the messages that would pop up.

The writing is brilliant. The characters are unique and funny, with actual stories behind them. It's a real shame that it's so short, but that'll happen when it's made almost entirely by one person. I hesitate to even call it a stealth game. It's closer to pure puzzle game. The quick reload system allows you to rapidly make attempt after attempt, so you can even brute force some situations when you get caught.

Gunpoint is a terrific game, incredibly cheap and often on sale. I played through it three times in the first week I had it, and I rarely replay games. It's absolutely great and should be played by everyone. There's a lot of problems with it, but they're mostly minor and are easily overlooked in favor of the good parts.

The creator, Tom Francis, is a genuinely funny guy, and I'd recommend checking out his blog and twitter (@pentadact). He's got another game called Heat Signature that looks incredible on the horizon, and has released a fun and free little mechanical game that's out already called Floating Point. Definitely someone to follow as he continues to create games.
User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Gunpoint

Post by Alex79 »

Just a quickie - I've been wanting to play Gunpoint for a while. I've been waiting in the hope it got a console release but that doesn't look likely now. Can anyone tell me how it controls? It'll run fine on my work laptop I think but I only have a standard track pad or mouse, not a USB controller. Can you play it with a mouse and keys or do I need to use a controller? Ta!
Todinho

Re: Gunpoint

Post by Todinho »

The game plays just fine with a mouse and keyboard, honestly I would say that having a controler would control worse since you would have less precision for your jumps.
User avatar
Alex79
Member
Posts: 8423
Joined: September 2nd, 2012, 12:36 pm
Location: Walsall, UK.
Contact:

Re: Gunpoint

Post by Alex79 »

Brilliant, cheers :)
Post Reply