Shotgun Cop Man review: Super Heat Boy

by

Let’s dive into another Devolver Digital game review, filled with the rhythmic beats of a mechanical pump, the continuous echoes of gunfire, and colorful language that rhymes with “fruit” and “boot.” Here’s hoping this one surpasses our previous attempt, Anger Foot.

Let’s check out another game from Devolver Digital, featuring a repetitive pumping noise, ongoing gunshots, and creative use of the word “eff” that sounds like it could be related to fruit or shoes. This time we hope it will be better than Anger Foot.

It says what it is right on the box

Developed by DeadToast Entertainment, the creators of My Friend Pedro, Shotgun Cop Man is a physics-based platformer starring a bald, metallic-voiced policeman wielding a unique shotgun. This cop, known as Shotgun Cop Man, has made it his mission to capture Satan, who harbors a deep dislike for our protagonist. Unlike other platformer heroes, Shotgun Cop Man doesn’t jump; instead, he relies on his powerful shotgun to navigate through the levels.

In this game, things are kept simple yet engaging. You’ll wield a versatile shotgun that also functions as a jetpack, and a secondary weapon to fend off enemies during flight and manage your descent. Utilize these tools to overcome various platforming obstacles across numerous stages and a few boss battles. Your journey concludes with a showdown against the final boss (Satan). The style recalls Super Meat Boy, but it’s less frantic, with challenges that are not as demanding and a storyline that’s more straightforward. Despite its lack of traditional humor, the game offers amusing moments that arise from its peculiar, non-gameplay scenes. Instead of jokes, you might find yourself chuckling at its quirks.

Shotgun flow state

I breezed through the game in no time, wrapping it up within a few hours without encountering many difficulties. Although I didn’t face raw challenges or keep dying frequently, the levels were constructed to keep me engaged and responding to various situations. The hurdles turned out to be surprisingly intuitive, providing an enjoyable dose of reptile-brain “fun” for exactly the right duration. The game was neither overly prolonged nor prematurely concluded. Goldilocks would probably appreciate it, provided she had a taste for firearms.

Shotgun Cop Man thrives when its stages seamlessly transition from one scene to another. As each challenge leads effortlessly into the next, it’s a joyous experience to leap from one situation to another while firing, aiming, and reloading without much pause for thought. Many stages exhibit a well-crafted design that, once you grasp the controls, requires minimal mental effort to navigate smoothly.

Shotgun nitpicking

From a passionate enthusiast’s perspective, if I were to voice a criticism, it would be the overwhelming variety of guns available. Beyond the first four or so, additional options seem redundant as they lack significant functional differences. What follows are items that appear unnecessary or hard to distinguish from existing weapons. Often, you can’t even tell one apart until you pick it up.

Additionally, there was one minor issue that bothered me slightly but passed by so swiftly I recalled it only recently while yearning to discuss this video game further. It’s the auto-scrolling feature which forces you to rapidly clear vast landscapes to maintain your lead, all while ensuring there’s ground to ascend simultaneously. This aspect seemed counter-intuitive and a challenge against the controls, contrasting sharply with the rest of the gaming experience.

It’s important to mention that I used the Nintendo Switch version, which lacks a level editor feature that is present in its PC counterpart. Although I don’t usually mess around with level editors (I haven’t even dabbled in Mario Maker!), it’s worth noting because this feature affects the overall content based on the platform you choose to play on.

If you’re having trouble discerning, dear reader, I’m finding it challenging to elaborate further on the game titled Shotgun Cop Man. It’s an entertaining title where a bald character wields firearms, shooting them at the floor to perform tasks similar to Mario, while Satan taunts him from afar. The game remains consistently as described – nothing more or less. I enjoyed it for approximately three to four hours, and I don’t anticipate revisiting it in the future. Yet, that’s perfectly fine because Shotgun Cop Man doesn’t seem to aim for anything beyond this simple concept. Shotgun Cop Man exists, and I admire its straightforwardness.

On May 1, 2025, you’ll be able to get your hands on “Shotgun Cop Man” for both PC and Nintendo Switch platforms. For this review, I received a Nintendo Switch code from the game’s publisher.

Read More

2025-04-30 18:28