Guns, Gore, & Cannoli – The “Hit” I Never Saw Coming (PS4)

 

I want to start this post by informing you that It was never my intention to review this game. I had planned on continuing the month-to-month hidden gems section by reviewing a game called We Are the Dwarves; however, a couple of weeks ago I took my girlfriend to a gaming lounge for her birthday, and we happened to play Guns, Gore and Cannoli (shout-out to Ignite Gaming Lounge. We had an amazing time there, and I can’t wait to go back). My vision was immediately blessed by this amazing hand drawn art style. I was entranced at its beauty and did not want to look away. I was also overjoyed that this was a mafia story because I grew up watching gangster movies like Goodfellas and the Godfather, so I’m always down for mafia-related creations. This one took it a step further, though. Guns, Gore, and Cannoli brings us not only gangsters, but sweet flesh-eating, brain-feasting zombies too! Surprisingly, the two worlds work really well together and fit seamlessly. This game seriously caught me off guard. But I enjoyed the majority of my time with it. So, stick around as I break down this awesome 2D platformer.

Story

The story for this game was pretty simple, yet surprisingly entertaining. It wasn’t anything that will knock your socks off, but I was pleased with what I got. The presentation of this game is engrossing and the voice actors do a very good job of keeping you in this world. I found myself excited to get to the end of a stage, so I could see the next cut-scene. I really wish there were more of them, but I enjoyed the ones that were in the game.

The game begins with the main character, Vinnie Cannoli, on a mission to Thugtown to locate a guy named Frankie. The setting is the roaring twenties during the prohibition era. Vinnie actually works as an enforcer for the mob. The mission seemed to be a simple search & recovery type deal until an unexpected twist caused a slight hiccup in Vinnie’s plan. The alcohol the mob has been supplying to Thugtown is tainted and has caused a bizarre outbreak amongst its citizens. So, not only does Vinnie have to find Frankie in the territory of another mob family, he also has to fight off the violent, infected citizens of Thugtown…

Well, good thing he brought his Tommy gun.

Put Some Respeck On My Name!

GUNS

Vinnie has a monumental task in front of him. From rescuing Frankie, to the gangsters that want to kill him for attempting to rescue Frankie, to the zombies that would like to kill everyone, Vinnie will need some serious fire power to make this mission a success. I am happy to announce that this is where Guns, Gore, and Cannoli shines. The game has a  weapon system that allows you to cycle through all of your guns in-game. There’s no need to go to the pause menu and equip a weapon. You also aren’t limited to carrying a maximum number of weapons. Once you discover a new gun, it is simply added to your weapons cache and you are able to cycle through and select it. I really like this because it keeps the action fluid. You are allowed to cycle through all of your weapons while running for your life without breaking immersion.  Although, I will admit that later in the game it can become a hassle. You will find yourself scrolling through a nice amount of guns trying to find that favorite weapon, and later in the game, the intensity definitely increases and you won’t have any time to relax.

The shooting feels great with different guns being used for certain situations. Throughout my time with the game, I really only had three go-to weapons. I used the default pistol because of unlimited ammo, the super powerful two-shot shotgun, and the forever trusty Tommy gun. Although I used these three the most, the other options were equally as satisfying. There was one weapon that hit enemies with some serious electricity, and the flamethrower was super effective at taking out groups. I only have one gripe with the shooting. You cannot aim. You can only shoot in the direction you are facing. However, once I got used to it, it didn’t bother me nearly as much as I thought it would.

GORE

I was seriously impressed by the death animations in this game, specifically the flamethrowers. It was really cool how you could see the silhouettes of the people as they become completely engulfed in flames (that sounds kind of creepy). The acid deaths were equally as impressive. Bodies melt away into a pool of gunk (I had no idea this was actually a real word) once they make contact with acid. Yea, this game doesn’t shy away from the gore. There are pretty much pools of blood and rotting guts flying everywhere all the time. Bodies explode, the heads of rotting corpses just roll over after being shot, tiny leprechauns try to melt away your face…it’s all uh…pretty great stuff.

CANNOLI

I honestly have never had cannoli and didn’t know what it was until I played this game. I still don’t really know what it is (the google images look promising though). Whatever it is Vinnie sure as hell enjoys it. Sometimes when you pick it up, Vinnie will get excited and say something like, “mmmm, that’s some good cannoli!” Cannoli serves as health in the game, and it is scarce. It is so scarce that most of the time I get happy right along with Vinnie when I find it. You would think I was about to eat some with him (sigh).

Other Likes & Dislikes

• Loading – Whenever you die, there’s not really a loading screen. Your character comes back really quick and you’re ready to give it another go. This definitely makes it super hard to put down the controller. 
• Trophies – Alright, I see that I’m going to have to be the one to say it…this trophy list is disrespectful. There is a trophy where you have to finish a level without killing anyone. I’m getting angry all over again just thinking about it. I put so much time into that trophy…I swear I looked at the screen like Kanye once I realized the struggle that I just subjected myself to for the last hour was only for a bronze trophy.

         

Then, I realized that the entire trophy list consisted of bronze trophies. At this                      point, I gathered myself, gave a nice hard grunt followed immediately by a nice, loud NOPE, and cut the game off.

• Couch Co-op – This game has two co-op features. There’s a death match mode where four people go to a stage and have a free-for-all. This was ok. I only played with two people though, so maybe if I had more, it probably would have been better. You can also play through the entire campaign in co-op as well. My cousin and I played this for hours together and had a blast.
• Enemies – There are actually a nice amount of enemies and with each enemy, you have to adapt to their play styles and weaknessess. All zombies weren’t created equal. You got stripper zombies, athletic zombies. butcher zombies, police zombies, etc. The cool thing about them is that a lot of them have different weapons and some of them don’t move the same. This keeps the combat fresh and interesting because you have to stay on your toes and be prepared for what the game will throw at you. However, Vinnie’s enemies don’t stop there. He also has humans and other foes that are trying to kill him as well.

Wrap It Up!!!!

Guns, Gore, and Cannoli was a welcome surprise. It was challenging, great to look at, and had some fast-paced addicting action. This game is currently going for $9.99 (at the time of this review), and at that price this is a must play. Plus, it’s even better with friends!

Guns, Gore, and Cannoli was developed by Crazy Monkey Studios. They are a team of four people, and they are based in Kontich, Belgium. Crazy Monkey Studios are currently working on Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2 which will be playable on PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.

Check out some of my gameplay below

 

Check out the Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2 trailer

 

About the Author: Phil Purkett Jr.

Founder and Creator of Some Guy in Space. Second of his name. Real cool dude.

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