Alientrap, the studio behind 2D sci-fi shooter Cryptark, has returned with the next phase in the series and the brand new 3D sequel, GUNHEAD. GUNHEAD is a first-person shooter rougelite about space pirates, pillaging, and a mech with a gun for a head. It’s a great mix of ideas and perfectly on-trend with the current resurgence of sci-fi mech mayhem games, but does it soar to new heights?

Upon launching, I was immediately thrust into a super cool comic-style opening scene, showing but a glimpse of the crew and combat I’d be encountering. The graphical mastery continues in-game with a sci-fi cel-shaded style, similar to the likes of Borderlands, but with its own unique take on aliens and enemies. The combat UI matches the typical mech HUD and provides all the crucial information necessary; a health bar, jet-pack boost meter, and recharge bars for guns.

Only moments later, I was sent off on my first mission – to raid an abandoned spaceship. Before exiting the airlock, I donned a rust bucket of a mech and learned the tools of the trade. It doesn’t take long to get into the action – the tutorial is great, to the point, and super efficient in teaching how to shoot, dodge, lunge, and use the jet-pack to get around. Everything else I learned out on the field, and it was easy to get the hang of.

Mechanics are simple; blast through enemies, infiltrate space bases infested with droids, and destroy the System Cores. With the easy-to-read map, I could easily scope out objectives, keys, and more munitions, and take a methodical approach to the mission. Besides the various enemies, there are security systems, artillery, shielding systems, and most importantly, the brain-like Core to destroy.

There’s a hefty collection of guns to choose from and 4 weapon slots on your mech, so you can customise your loadout for the mission and easily swap between each. As a trigger-happy megalomaniac, at least when it comes to videogames, I was incredibly satisfied by the feeling of shooting, and while it’s tempting to unload bullets into bots, GUNHEAD forced some impulse control by requiring careful management of boost and gun charge.

Traversal was just as enjoyable as the mech is manoeuvrable and benefits from a swift multi-directional dodge, great against any shots heading your way. However, the true range of mech movement feels sorely lacking due to limited space in ships. It’s easy to get caught on ledges, which tends to take away from the thrill of semi-aerial combat. The compact environments left little room for exploration and resulted in a pretty straightforward run. I was disappointed that the jetpack couldn’t be used to its full potential in such confined spaces.

The gameplay shows real potential but the rinse-and-repeat system of boarding ships, shooting enemies, breaking through security systems, and destroying the core tended to get dull. I would have liked more room to roam with more to shoot and something tangible to loot. Bosses occasionally have a bit more strategy required, but a few well-timed dodges to avoid the projectile attacks of usually stationary enemies, and a few shots at an obvious weak spot made quick work of most adversaries.

Completing missions involves a series of stages, with bonus points if you complete side objectives. Each ship is procedurally generated, and while they have some varied elements, layouts often felt much the same. I came to expect to see the typical sci-fi hardware and furnishings, and as such, ships didn’t feel particularly distinctive. Mission zones have different challenges and enemy types, but they aren’t hugely distinguishable from each other.

The epic sci-fi semi-rock soundtrack gave the gameplay a little more edge, and the voice-acting of crewmates was fun, albeit in an alien-like Saturday morning cartoon way, and their comms during missions provided crucial guidance. Shooting, boosting, and general combat sounds hit exactly as they should and were incredibly impactful to the overall experience.

I had a few notable frame drops on max settings, though with some adjustable quality levels, this can be reduced, but at the cost of some textural crispiness. Most of the time it ran well, and none of the issues were game-breaking, they were more of a short blip, and the controls are the standard shooter layout – responsive and playable on mouse and keyboard as well as controller. Difficulty ranges from easy to nightmare and each increase alters the number of enemies you’ll face, as well as the damage they soak up and dish out.

GUNHEAD is an awesome concept with a great deal of promise in its fast-paced satisfying gunplay and traversal. The universe is an intriguing one, but the lack of exploration, repetitive missions, and constricting space stations take away from the ultimate experience of being a mech-pirate.

Written by: Yasmin Noble