Published by ININ Games and developed by Medius, Rolling Gunner is a hardcore 2D shoot ‘em up which is best for players looking for a competitive high score chaser title. The PS4 release of Rolling Gunner also includes the super expansion Over Power which is basically a complete overhaul of Rolling Gunner, and it comes free with the PS4 purchase of the title. It enhances the overall experience and basically delivers two games in a single package. This is our review of the PS4 version of Rolling Gunner in which we take down huge bosses and try to get out names on those shiny high score leaderboards.
Rolling Gunner is set in the year 2061 when a sentient computer system called BAC has turned all machines against humans and this is led to a war that eradicated half of the world’s population. You jump in the story as the only pilot capable of saving the humans while driving the advanced RF-42R STORK spaceship which comes armed with the prototype Rolling Gun which is a special weapon designed to take down the machines. Before starting the game, you have the option of choosing from three variants of RF-42R STORK which are all pretty much the same but are built for a different purpose. These include Speed, Assault, and the Basic version and each one has a unique firing pattern.
After picking your desired ship, you can jump into the six-mission long campaign which is narrated by cutscenes at key locations. The gameplay is unique for both the original Rolling Gunner and the Over Power expansion. In the original game, the Rolling Gun moves on its own and it always shoots in the direction opposite to your movement. As you move around, the Rolling Gun also moves around you and keeps shooting in your movement’s opposite direction. However, pressing the Gunner Mode button locks down the Rolling Gun into the place where it is currently aiming and fires a more concentrated weapon at your enemies. Apart from this, you have your bomb which is your ultimate move for clearing out all incoming bullets and enemies.
Over Power on the other hand converts the gameplay into a twin-stick shooter where you can use the right stick to control your Rolling Gun and shoot wherever you want. This gives more control and completely transforms how the game plays. You use your left stick to move your ship around to avoid all incoming attacks while your right stick allows you to shoot in all directions at your own will. This is more involving and gives you the freedom to approach various situations and try to tackle the bosses with increased control over your attacks. You certainly miss the impact of the Gunner mode in the new game but for modern players, it is more accessible and what modern players are comfortable with.
This brings me to another point Rolling Gunner is suitable for players of all skill levels. I tried the lowest setting as well as the highest difficulty setting, there is a big difference, and the lowest setting basically allows you to skim through the levels just for the experience. This is great because not all players want a really tough title for their free time. This makes Rolling Gunner an excellent title for short pick-and-play sessions as well because the levels are not that huge, and you can easily complete all six in under an hour very easily no matter which difficulty you play the game on.
The soundtrack of Rolling Gunner is another aspect that just keeps you going. It is one of the most upbeat soundtracks that you will find in any shoot ‘em up titles out there and most of the time, it will be the music that will keep you going ahead. The normal levels have their own soundtrack however, every time you would reach the boss at the end of the level, the music will change, and it will start getting you in the mood for a tough boss battle. Over Power features a new and enhanced soundtrack as well however the game gives you the freedom of switching them in either version. I still loved the original soundtrack so I was able to use that in the Over Power mode version as well which is really cool.
Rolling Gunner is purely made with high score chasers in mind and if you are a high score chaser, you will absolutely love Rolling Gunner. The new Over Power update makes it even better and if you buy the new Rolling Gunner, it comes with both the original version of Rolling Gunner and the Over Power update of the title giving you access to both games, and each of the versions comes with its own rankings and leaderboards. You can challenge players from around the world as well as your local friends and family since the game comes with both online and offline leaderboards. The rankings are available right there in the main menu so you can quickly check them out before jumping into a run.
Rolling Gunner is an intense side-scrolling 2D shooter that is a great addition to the ever-expanding 2D side-scrolling shooters and it includes both the base game and the modern expansion which is a great package for one price. This is not just a simple port with shiny visuals and fast frames but everything ranging from gameplay, soundtrack, and game elements are new so it is a completely different experience and both versions are solid to play with crisp and dynamic gameplay in their own bullet-hell way. I personally found the twin-stick shooter easier and more efficient than the classic version as it gave better control over where you want to shoot and in return, my scores were increased overall in the game.
Final Verdict:
Rolling Gunner and its expansion Over Power is a brilliant 2D side-scrolling package that should not be missed at all if you love this genre. Both versions are unique and different in their own way and they each come with their own ranking boards as well giving you even more chances to chase those highscores. At its core, it is a brutal side-scrolling shooter with intense boss fights and a brilliant enemy design. It is one of the most accessible shoot ‘em ups that I have played and it will greatly suit to players from a wide skill level. If you love side-scrolling shooters from the Arcade era, Rolling Gunner should be on your must-play list as well.
Final Score: 9.5/10
