Shot in the Dark is a new shooter by Possum House Games which really stands out of the crowd because of its unique art style and challenging gameplay. The gameplay actually is pretty straightforward where you simply have to use your revolver to shoot down everything that comes in your way however the art style completely changes how you play shooters and adds a few technical mechanics in the mix which really amps the challenge in the game. This is our review of Shot in the Dark in which we put on our hat and shoot down some demons with our powerful revolver.
Shot in the Dark is set in the classic western era where you step in the shoes of a lone bandit. You are on a trail of vengeance against demons, cultists, and everything else that comes in your way and if they kill you when you touch them. Shot in the Dark is a perfect blend of fast-gameplay and precision shooting. The game demands that you keep moving and also take out the enemies quickly because if you do not, the enemies will take you out. Each enemy in the game is unique and takes a different approach to kill you. Some just roam around, some will chase you while some will even shoot back at you.
Probably the most noticeable thing about Shot in the Dark is the game’s unique art style. There are three colors that are very prominent in the visuals white, black, and red. As a matter of fact, the whole game features just these three colors and the enemies are made of these colors as well. It is because of this unique color pallet of the art style, most of the time, the enemies simply merge with the background and only become visible for a short period of time. Some of the enemies are only visible with their red eyes but as you progress, even the eyes are not visible and you have to look for enemies in the moving shadows, backgrounds, and tall grass which makes the shooting quite challenging in the game.
Coming to the gameplay of Shot in the Dark, it is no slouch either. You move around, jump, and can reload your gun. The game offers solid platforming as well so it’s not just a blind shooting game where you just move to the right and keep your finger on the trigger. Your magazine can only hold six bullets and since it is a revolver, you must reload each bullet. Pressing R one time will only reload one bullet so if you empty your clip, you must press R six times and reload all bullets back. While you can still shoot with one or two bullets in the clip, sometimes you will need to reload and shoot continuously to clear out the enemies.
The game also limits your movement while you are aiming, and you can only reload when you are aiming. This complicates things even more because you have to stop and commit to shooting or reloading and then leave aiming to run away or move around. However, you do not have to shoot all enemies and demons that come in your way. While some enemies come at you specifically, most of them just roam around and you can easily avoid them by moving around them or jumping over them. This way, you can shoot your way through the next set of enemies that come in your way. There is no limit on bullets however you just have to manage to reload the clip once it is empty.
Once you die, you must restart from the start of the level since there are no checkpoints. Each level plays out in one go without any checkpoints. They are not very long however some levels have an insane amount of enemies so most of the time, you will die right at the end of the level and will need to restart from the start if you do not break your keyboard before that. Some sections combine platforming with shooting and for me, these sections were the toughest. Sometimes I just thought that the developer wanted to be a true sadistic because, in my playthrough of around 4 hours to complete the game, I found some levels to be extremely difficult.
Coming to the technical aspect of the game, Shot in the Dark is an extremely light game. It is also a really stable title so there are no hiccups or glitches of any sort in the game. The visuals really strikeout as well and the game overall runs pretty well. Our review PC was a little overkill for the game but a badly optimized title does not run well on a higher-end PC as well and it ran extremely well on our PC. However, there is no controller support for the game. I tried to play the game with an Xbox One controller and the game did not respond to it. While most modern games support the Xbox One controller without any additional settings these days, I was a little surprised to see that there was no controller support with the game. But then again, with the mouse accuracy that you need for the game, it is best if you just play it with a mouse and keyboard.
Final Verdict:
Shot in the Dark combines platforming with careful shooting and also tickles your memory as you try to remember during every run about what is coming ahead. While the game is challenging, it is also satisfying once you have cleared any level. It certainly takes a little time to get used to the unique art style of the game and the real fun begins once you get used to the controls and the art style. It offers a great challenge and challenges more than just your shooting skills. The careful management of bullets, remembering to reload each bullet separately, tight platforming and the barely visible enemies create a challenging experience that is both fun and satisfying at the end. If you are looking for a challenging shooter with a unique art style, I am sure that Shot in the Dark will satisfy your need.
Final Score: 9.0/10
