Uragun Preview

Written by: Joe Wilcock

Awakened by a world overrun by corrupted A.I, you must pilot your "Charming Mech" and find your lost pilot whilst trying to survive the tribulations of a testing and hostile world all the while. Functioning as an isometric, twin-stick shooter, Uragun provides plenty of fast-paced, intense mech action as well as offering some surprisingly beautiful animations and graphics. Its drawbacks are only in its limiting genre of choice but for what the game is, it's great.

Never has a video game title been so apt. You are a gun. In every sense of the word, you are literally a gun. What else is a mech other than a walking tank? Uragun does not flatter itself in this regard either as it provides a plethora of different guns and special abilities in the form of "heat attacks". Both of these offensive weaponry work perfectly in conjunction to defend yourself against your enemies and combat them competently. Some weapons provided are more effective against certain types of enemies too which injects a decent level of strategy to the chaos rather than just mindless shooting. Experimentation is key, especially when considering how to best conquer large swarms versus a singular heavily armoured foe. Devising a dynamic plan in battle and executing it feels extremely satisfying and awards you with a level of control and agency in combat that I was not expecting from a game as fast-paced as this. Heat Attacks also encourage players to be offensive and aggressive as enemies will drop orbs that will power up your special attacks when defeated. All of these qualities crescendo into unrelenting warfare that remains fun and engaging throughout the game, well throughout the demo at least.

It seems like a no brainer but Mech combat really lends itself perfectly to the twin shooter genre, I'm surprised it hasn't been done before. It affords players much more manoeuvrability and speed as well as increased vision and scope of the battlefield. It makes a lot more sense for a machine to absorb power-ups, weapons and abilities in battle than a human, for example, as well. The only aspect that is disappointing, as far as gameplay is concerned, is the omission of multiplayer of any kind. Uragun could really benefit from including a co-op mode at the very least. It has the potential to be a special game if it was part of a larger multiplayer ecosystem filled with all the facets that come along with that, minus any egregious micro-transactions of course. With that said though, at its core it is still a solid and fun experience.

This appears to be Kool2play's first foray into gaming, with two mysterious other projects in the works, codenamed "Project Y" and "Project X". Despite their lack of experience, Uragun not only feels intuitive and smooth but it looks nothing short of amazing. The graphics on display here are quite impressive as are the animations, especially in the effects that your guns and abilities emit. When the proverbial shit hits the fan the screen fills with a celebration of explosions, lasers and lights which is a sight to behold. Add to this varied, colourful and distinct location in which to commence battle and it makes for a truly epic experience. 

Uragun's brilliance is that it knows exactly what it wants and needs to be. Its focus is clear and it executes it seemingly flawlessly. With enough content and variation within, this game has the potential to be a real classic of the genre. I would recommend you keep a close eye on this title, especially if you're a big fan of Mech combat and/or twin-stick shooters!

Written by: Joe Wilcock