Shootas, Blood and Teef, Switch review
Shootas, Blood and Teef draws on the rich tapestry of the Warhammer 40k Universe. There have been many, various FPS, Turn-Based games and my personal favourite the dungeon crawler Inquisitor.
Shootas, Blood and Teef takes us to a new genre for the brand, the side-scrolling platform shooter. Fittingly.
On paper it’s a match made in heaven. The opportunity to step into the heavy boots of Space Orks, crack some bad Dad jokes and blow shit up, will float many boats.
Wait, what, where, waaaaargh!
The game takes place on planet Luteus Alpha, and is a revenge mission for you hunting down Warboss Ogruk Gutrekka after an indiscretion. The battle rages through various sectors of hive city Luteus Prime, facing off against a variety of enemies. It’s not all solo either, you can team up a 4 player Warband to bring the noise too. Of course adding some multiplayer brings the mayhem fourfold and chaos ensues. Especially when the 4 different classes are blasting off their special attacks.
The graphical style is lovingly created, the cartoon styling makes sense for the irreverent nature of Space Orks. It also means that there can be plenty of blood, body parts and entrails without too much concern.
There are different aspects of Blood and Teef that appeal deeply to me. The explosive environment, the familiar enemies, and the brutal, bloody gibbing. It’s a retro arcade shooter in one hand and everything you wanted back then in the other.
Every upside has a downside
It’s not all roses though. While I love the gameplay when it flows, I’ve had major fumbles with the controls. There’s something about the mapping that’s just a bit over the top. I’m constantly customising the button layout to try and find a sweet spot for me and my brain. Whether it’s muscle memory from other games clouding me or bad design I’m not clear.
What is clear is this. I know what I want to do, but I’m fighting the game to do it. I’m boosting when I should be shooting, I’m floating backwards when I want to turn around. Mistakes are made and Orks die.
There is also the floaty nature of movement, something essential with a game in this genre is a connection with the platforms. There is a lot going on, explosions, attacks, damage and jumping. None of it ‘feels’ tactile, you can see it on the screen, but it doesn’t feel connected.
Blood and Truth
These issues aside, I really like what the game sets out to do. It has an essential self-deprecating sense of fun. The often macabre cartoon violence fits the setting and never offends. There is enough variety in the settings and mobs, your choice of character plays the game differently.
There is a wide roster of WH40k games in the world. Blood and Teef has added to that list in a deserving space. Reading back I like it more than it sounds. There’s mayhem, but it’s structured and not as full on as a Metal Slug descendant.
For info: Collectors can buy the physical copies direct from Inin Games here, for the standard version. Or if they want the Collector’s Edition, from Gamesrocket here.
