Chasing Down Satan in the Odd Platformer: Shotgun Cop Man

Venture into a dark and eccentric world where your mission is to take down a mischievous Satan using firearms.

This game is a bizarre platformer that places you in the shoes of a uniquely shaped protagonist—a square figure with a bald, round head—on a pursuit to apprehend Satan. Satan, notorious for his impudence, flips you off at the start of each of the game's enigmatic nine worlds. Interestingly, firearms serve not only for combat but also as your means of movement.

In each world, you begin armed with a couple of firearms: a fast-firing but less potent pistol and a formidable shotgun limited to three shots. Your ammunition replenishes endlessly while you stand on solid ground. However, suspended in the air, a bullet shortage necessitates a touchdown to reload.

The absence of a jump button is significant here. Movement into the atmosphere is achieved by firing your guns—floating with the pistol or rocketing up with the shotgun to reach distant platforms. The shotgun offers multidirectional propulsion, enabling swift mobility in all directions. Think of it like a horizontal version of 'Downwell.'

Quick reflexes are essential to evade Satan’s underlings. You frequently clash with pesky little devils capable of shooting projectiles, but there are more formidable foes as well, such as single-eyed, airborne sentry saws. At the end of each world, bosses await, like a horned flying skull capable of spawning a body for attack.

When struck by an enemy or impaled by spikes, your heart detaches and floats nearby. Retrieve it to withstand another blow, after which the heart detaches again. This mechanic is reminiscent of the classic games where possessing at least one collectible protects you from death. Succumbing with the heart missing results in defeat, though the game's generous checkpoints ensure you won’t have to backtrack much.

Each of the game’s worlds consists of 17 brief levels rife with typical platforming threats like adversaries, spikes, and movable platforms, interspersed with laser and block-shooting puzzles. Levels are concise, usually requiring 30 seconds to a few minutes to conquer, allowing proficient players to speed through them with ease.

Throughout your adventure, new weaponry can be discovered. A personal favorite was a gun whose bullets ricocheted off walls, doubling as both a weapon and a puzzle-solving asset. The sniper rifle upgrade was particularly gratifying, slicing through several enemies in a single shot.

The game’s aesthetic embodies a dark theme, with black as the dominant color and adversaries predominantly hued in red. A persistent, pulsating soundtrack accompanies this hue, conjuring a setting that might echo through the chambers of a satanic dance hall, enhancing the descent into an eerie underworld.

The game’s pacing was ideal for me, with a complete playthrough lasting about three and a half hours and each of the nine worlds conquerable in roughly 20 to 30 minutes. The brevity was welcome, since the deliberately unsettling design has a way of gnawing at your nerves, making short play sessions more palatable.

Mastering the art of maneuvering solely with guns transforms the gameplay experience into one of elegantly chaotic action. By journey's end, you’ll find yourself delivering a metaphorical middle finger right back at Satan.