Hired Gun, the frenzied shooter that masterfully aims his intentions and fails to execute

In one way or another, it is impossible that you have not ever heard the following two words: Warhammer 40.000. The board game franchise is a classic among miniature war titles and its popularity continues to this day since its launch in 1987.

A rich, varied universe, full of opportunities that are manifested in infinities of adaptations, being videogames one of the most prolific fields for it. However, by the very nature of the game, the genre that has seen adaptations the most times has been strategy.

Therefore, it is necessary to put a special focus on those titles that deviate from the norm and offer a different perspective from the lore de Games Workshop. Necromunda: Hired Gun comes with his proposal from the shooter, in which we control a bounty hunter in the underworld of an unforgiving metropolis.

A clear focus; a definite heading

It is clear that the expectation raised by the game of Streum On Studio has been elevated. The mastiff that supports us during the battles, the hyper-aggressive aesthetics and shooting you with the best-known factions of Warhammer 40,000 were presented as irresistible candy.

The truth is that the path that has been proposed from the study is a success. Speed, movement, customization and looting are the pillars that make up the base that supports Necromunda: Hired Gun. In the first point we can already appreciate a similarity with the rebirth devised by id Software with Doom.

Our character moves at high speeds, is capable of double jumps and we will always have a good feeling that we control everything you are doing. To help create this sensation, we find a variety of movement mechanics, being able to make dashes in all directions, use a hook to move quickly through the wide scenes or the possibility of walking the walls which Prince of Persia. Nothing to envy Neo in Matrix.

Although they are pieces of the puzzle that we will all experience equally, it will not be our team. At our disposal we will have a huge variety of weapons, armor and items to improve our statistics. Heavy rifles, laser pistols or machine guns are our work tools and Necromunda is relentless with which he is not armed to the teeth.

When determining our luck with what we carry, we will have the looteo and the booties that we find. Throughout the levels we will find hidden different chests that offer succulent prizes, as well as the opportunity to buy the products we need from the merchants for the right price. Customization also extends to choosing which sight to place on the sniper or which grip is best suited to avoid exaggerated recoil.

Under this context we are planted in Necromunda, a mechanized planet in which Max Rockatansky would have a fabulous time, and that after an unfortunate incident, our body will be replaced by mechanical parts of all kinds. As a cyborg, we can improve our skills and unlock skills, something that we can also do with our canine companion and that is tremendously useful in battle.

The medic is not cheap, but in return we will receive more vitality, more ability to dodge or powers such as the ability to throw lightning bolts or draw destructive swords. Nothing will stop us as we go through linear levels, but with an incredibly vertical design.

The places we will visit are varied and enormous as we try to uncover the mystery behind the motivations of an enemy bounty hunter. The ingredients are really appetizing and despite all this, the dish is not as tasty.

The stones of the road

However, what seemed like a promising formula was instantly diluted. What else we are going to do in an FPS is shoot and We’d better get the gunplay feel right during the nearly eight hours that Necromunda: Hired Gun lasts. This has not been the case.

Despite the variety of enemies and the presence of final bosses, they all feel the same: bullet sponges. Rarely will it be the occasion in which we will get that feeling that we are doing damage, but the characters are mostly limited to withstand the bombardment until you fall. It is not necessary to vary our tactics during the combats since, regardless of the rival, all are limited to similar patterns. Amen that its AI does not stand out at all.

They are a set of stones on the road that weigh down the work. We can run on the walls, but we can also count on the fingers of the hands in which the situation is conducive to it or is required to move forward. The weapon and skill selection wheel does not slow down or freeze timeInstead, it appears in the middle of the screen while they continue to harass us with shots, forcing us to perform pirouettes while we dodge.

The default configuration of the buttons to play on the console (the game was played on PS5, with the PS4 version through backward compatibility), is not the most appropriate. I made the decision to adapt them to something more similar to what was seen in Doom to have a more comfortable experience.

In the technical aspect, it offers us one of lime and another of sand Necromunda: Hired Gun. The crashes are not constant, but it is more than possible that you will find several. In addition, graphically the game is not surprising at all and is really far from surprising in this regard. Yes indeed, keeps 60FPS like a rock, offering a tremendously fluid experience that is essential in shooters.

Vida Extra’s opinion

Necromunda: Hired Gun wants to put on the table the formula with which it has triumphed Doom in the last five years. His commitment is clear and that effort is fully appreciated with that bet on frenzied movement, but he ends up sinning at the base of any good shooting game.

Its setting is ideal for lovers of this long-lived franchise and the possibility of replaying the work is another interesting attraction. All of this is clearly seen weighted down by stones that make up its path, that they are not polished properly and that with enough time, another rooster would crow in the suburbs of Necromunda.