At Sundown: Shots in the Dark Review (NSW)

Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong

Title: At Sundown: Shots in the Dark
Developer: Mild Beast Games
Publisher: Versus Evil
Genre: Action, Arcade, Party, Multiplayer
Price: $19.99
Also Available On: PS4, Steam, XB1

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At Sundown: Shots in the Dark could have been just another title in a sea of top-down arena shooters on the Nintendo Switch. Instead, it manages to distinguish itself off a clever premise: Gamers can see characters only when under — or, as the case may be, over — sources of light. In the case of their own characters, both movement and a specific button press provide visibility. Notwithstanding the potential pitfalls of tapping a seemingly gimmicky mechanic to propel interest, developer Mind Beast Games actually manages to come up with a compelling release that should translate to hours upon hours of mayhem.

Certainly, it helps that Sundown: Shots in the Dark boasts of intuitive twin-stick controls. There’s a learning curve, but the well-thought-out training mode — which doubles as a robust single-player experience — efficiently gets gamers up to speed on the mechanics of the various offerings, many of them staples of the genre. Four characters (two male and two female) are available at the outset, but none seem to have unique features that can aid in combat. The use of bots is an option, but balance can suffer as a result; the artificial intelligence is too good at times, evidently aware of character positions even in utter darkness.

Needless to say, Sundown: Shots in the Dark excels in its multiplayer fare. Online matchmaking can take some time (in all likelihood due to a lack of gamer population), but ad-hoc rooms are a breeze to set up. And with 11 weapons, nine maps, and an array of customizable options that include arena selection and AI level settings, the fun factor is amped up over time. On the whole, it’s an ideal title for collocated gamers — assuming they all have controllers on hand.

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THE GOOD

• Clever premise
• Intuitive controls
• Excellent training mode

THE BAD

• Online matchmaking takes a while
• Characters don’t seem to have unique features
• Use of bots affects gameplay balance

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RATING: 8/10

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