It has been one of those weeks. While searching for this week’s Blue Plate Special, I had one requirement. The application had to be mindless fun. I needed some entertainment and fun with explosions and guns make it that much better. As luck would have it, a game called Gun Bros turned out to be mindless fun with cool guns and space fighting. Since the game is free, I figured we had a winner. Let’s take a look.
Gun Bros is the story of two brothers, Francis and Percy who are the sole members of F.R.A.G.G.E.D., which stands for, Freakishly Rugged Advanced Genetics Galactic Enforcement Division. F.R.A.G.G.E.D. sole mission is to protect the galaxy from the evil T.O.O.L., or Tyrannical Oppressors of Life. T.O.O.L. has spread across the cosmos attempting to collect all of the rare element Xplodium in an attempt to create larger, more dangerous weapons and eventually controlling the entire galaxy. Control Francis and Percy on their quest to destroy the evil T.O.O.L. organization.
After choosing a planet to fight, the brothers will fight waves of T.O.O.L. enemies in gorgeous 3D environments. The view is a top down shooter and utilizes all of the directions to make sure the game is challenging. You will control one of the brothers, but the other will always stay by your side and fight through the levels. The goal of each level is to destroy all of the enemies in each wave while collecting XP and Xplodium. Everything that is collected can be used to upgrade guns and armor from the main menu screen. These upgrades will be needed as the levels progress, so make sure you collect as much as possible. There are plenty of crazy enemies and a large number of gun and armor possibilities so the game always seems new and fresh. You will also be able to connect with friends via GameCenter as well as Facebook.
So, Gun Bros has a great story line and cute characters, but does it stack up with gameplay? The answer is yes. I thoroughly have enjoyed the fast paced action of destroying the T.O.O.L. forces. The graphics are excellent for a free game. The backgrounds are detailed and large as is both the enemies and main characters. There are many different types of enemies with a large number of weapons and strengths. Controlling the brothers is easy and intuitive. Two software pads on each side will control all movement and shooting. The button on the left moves the brother to walk in the direction chosen while the button on the right will aim and shoot the weapons. Think of the gun brother as a turret that can be spun 360 degrees spraying bullets in all directions. I was quickly able to control the movements and guns. I found it easier to fight if you back the brother up to a wall and have a smaller area to protect yourself. The blue button on the right side of the middle of the screen will change weapons from the double gun to a single gun. The single weapon is usually much stronger, but also slower than the double gun. The red button just to the right will open specials that only need to be used when the levels get too crazy to fight your way out.
If you have had a crazy week like me and need a short release and escape, give Gun Bros a try. Nothing makes you feel better than taking two overly manly gun toting brothers around the galaxy kicking some alien butt! Along the way, build up your arsenal and dress them in some crazy armor. Pull the trigger and wreak havoc on the T.O.O.L. army and save the cosmos from their evil ways. Even though, in-app purchases are available, the game is super fun and playable as free. Check out Gun Bros here in the app store and get to shooting.
What I like: Great graphics and gameplay in a game that is all about blowing up alien enemies.
What could be improved: I would love to see a partner mode where 2 players could play together over a network.
RT @GearDiarySite: Blue Plate Special: Gun Bros For iPhone/Touch http://goo.gl/fb/w8m1C