Back in January we told you about Prison Run and Gun, an action platformer shooter that was a mobile spinoff of the desktop action platformer shooter Hot Guns that’s currently on Steam Early Access. While both games look pretty similar, Hot Guns is actually designed around 2-4 player co-op play, and Prison Run and Gun is designed as a single-player experience. Prison Run and Gun will also be released as an expansion to the full desktop Hot Guns, but it also makes sense as a little mobile spinoff to both give mobile gamers a taste of the Hot Guns world and to drum up some interest in the desktop game. Confusing details aside, Prison Run and Gun looks awesome, and developer Quantized Bit has announced it’ll be arriving on the App Store next Wednesday, March 30th.
I’ve actually had a chance to take Prison Run and Gun for a spin, and it’s just as awesome of a pixely platformer as I expected it would be. The thing that took me by surprise however is how strategic it is. The game utilizes and encumbrance mechanic, meaning the various weapons in the game have a weight associated with them which you’ll need to deal with. Heavier guns mean you can’t move as quickly or jump as high, and you also can’t grab the edge of a platform and lift yourself up while holding a gun, something that’s vital to progressing in the game. So you’ll need to pick and choose when and where to use your weaponry and when to ditch it in order to become nimble enough to work your way through a stage. It’s a really interesting mechanic and a nice contrast to the otherwise over-the-top running and gunning.
Prison Run and Gun seems like much more than just a spinoff of a bigger desktop game, and I think it’ll make action platformer fans quite happy when it launches next week. Pricing hasn’t been set as of yet but you can expect it to be between 99¢ and $2.99 with no IAP.
