Armed and Dangerous

Big explosions? Check. Witty humor? Check. Loads of fun? You betcha!

Planet Moon Studios (MDK, Giants: Citizen Kabuto) hits paydirt again with this eccentric sci-fi shooter that keeps its tongue firmly planted in cheek the whole way through. You play as Roman, one of four misfit criminals who are trying to heist the legendary Book of Rule amidst a brutal war, and who, after falling in with a small village, is recruited to protect their homes and rescue elderly peasants. With a little help from your ale-swilling partners, you contend with orcs, basket-weaving monks, and militant gardener druids armed with rifles, sticky bombs, micro black holes, subterranean sharks that gobble enemies from below, and a topsy-turvy weapon that must be seen to be believed. Sounds like a basic formula but isn?t?its success is powered by a beautiful balance of frantic action and strategy, quirky art direction inspired by the films of Terry Gilliam, and a mythical tale that, despite its quirky and sometimes offensive humor, is oddly heartfelt.

Cavity Search? But My Teeth Are Fine!
Armed and Dangerous is one of the most idiosyncratically gorgeous games released this year. Vast, lush environments host many different paths and routes that you can use to weed out grunts, while a near limitless amount of houses, boulders, and bridges can be destroyed to crush and flatten snipers perched on top or underneath. The graphics engine allows for large amounts of enemies to swarm the screen at once as bullets whiz by and explosions rock your ears during the game?s sizzling, intense battle sequences. The game also showcases fantastic sound design, impeccable voice acting, and a charming musical score.

Death to the Salad Eaters
But despite its technical achievements, the real star of Armed and Dangerous is the exhilarating and thoroughly challenging gameplay. You have the choice to go against relentless swarms of foes with barrels blazing or pick off enemies methodically while using the level layouts to your advantage. Some levels require multiple tries, but the gameplay is so tight and well executed that you won?t care. And once you see how much care and personality went into everything, from the character designs and gorgeous levels to the absurd weapons and hilarious script, you can tell that the development team had a blast working on it, which is a rarity. Satisfying stuff here, man.

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