AT SUNDOWN SHOTS IN THE DARK
PS4
XO
NS
PC
MAC
Platform: PS4, XBOX ONE, SWITCH, PC, MAC Genre: Top-Down Action ESRB: Teen Publisher: Versus Evil Developer: Mind Beast Games
A
As a fast paced top-down cat and mouse shooter, At Sundown Shots in the Dark is a tactical experience
which compliments the thinking players ambitions.
lways on the hunt for
a unique indie
experience, it was a
refreshing change of
pace absorbing all that At
Sundown Shots in the Dark had to
offer.
Coming to us from indie
developer Mind Beast Games, At
Sundown Shots in the Dark is a
frantic top-down shooter, which
forces players to engage in a
particular way of combat…in the
dark, as users are thrown in
various environments.
Impressively, this 3rd person
shooter approach has players
simultaneously playing with both
cautious and an offensive edge as
you carefully learn the lay of the
various arena maps.
At Sundown Shots in the Dark
conveniently offers local couch
play in addition to some fun bot
action allowing player to tightening
up their skills against AI
opponents. For good measure, the
game also includes a beginners
tutorial. Something I made great
use of from the outset.
With a distinct almost youthful
art style, At Sundown Shots in the
Dark encourages quick and easy
to use options while in combat,
taking players through the paces of
its combat system, and traversal
points. Weapons are plentiful and
while learning all of the necessary
techniques to distract, bait and
confuse your opponent, players
are operating their destructive
intentions within pitch black areas
of the arenas/rooms.
For most maps, the majority of
the environments are blanketed in
darkness, with only the smallest
areas reflecting light or the visibility
of your opponent if they happen to
be near light sources.
Uniquely, the game introduces
a clever hide and seek attribute
which upon firing your weapon
while standing in the dark does
reveal your position for a brief
time, giving the enemy a sense of
your positioning.
As a fast paced top-down cat
and mouse shooter, At Sundown
Shots in the Dark is a tactical
experience which compliments the
thinking players ambitions. Packed
with an assortment of firearms
such the SMG, dual-wielding
pistols (my fav), shotguns,
revolver, and more, there are
added bragging right benefits to
winning a match.
How a player positions
themselves throughout a match
and utilizes the environment and
weapons is critical as bullets can
also ricochet off walls and make
deadly contact. In addition, the
inclusion of grenades, flairs and
other tactical elements will also
keep your opponents on their toes.
At Sundown Shots in the Dark
allows up to four players per match
which includes a sort of battle
royale last man standing matches,
team deathmatch and deathmatch.
Mixing it up players can spice up
the matches via the games
customization options such as the
team colors, time of match, AI and
even map alteration/rotation. There
also power-up options, the option
to change respawn time.
What makes At Sundown Shots
in the Dark such an enjoyable
experience is the competitive
nature of the game. After a few
spins through the very useful
tutorial, I quickly jumped into a 1v1
online deathmatch and it was a
blast. Even in defeat, which was
not too often I could not wait to
jump into the next match. In fact,
due to the games high fun factor
many players I came across
became permanent network
friends on my bucket list of ‘must
humiliate’.
Sure, At Sundown Shots in the
Dark will not be winning any
graphical contest anytime soon,
yet the games smooth pacing and
balanced encounters are exciting.
While I wanted to play more
games online against a large body
of new users, most of my play time
has been spent driving my family
crazy in local-play couch matches.
At the moment, the online
community seems a bit shallow
which is a shame for a game with
so much promise.
Again, for the matches I have
played online and there have been
many, the game certainly thrives
when there are multiple online
opponents to test your skills
against.
In form, At Sundown Shots in
the Dark is a unique approach to
the top-down shooter genre that
while it doesn’t take itself too
serious, offers a crazy fun time
with friends and newcomers willing
to give it try.
7.0