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The Switch Effect

[Review] Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2 – Nintendo Switch

By Kieran Fifield Aug8,2018
Cannoli

Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2

Reviewed by KieranHappy?

Developer:  Crazy Monkey Studios
Publisher: Crazy Monkey Studios
Category: Platformer, Arcade
Release Date: 08.02.2018

Leave the gun, take the cannoli

When I was a younger man, I had a real fondness for Gangster movies. Goodfellas, The Godfather Trilogy, Donnie Brasco and The Departed to name but a few. I’m not sure if it was the allure of the criminal underworld or the fact that everybody ate cannoli.
The 1st time I travelled to Italy I made sure I sampled this delectable delicacy. From that moment on, everything in life made sense.
As the title suggests it’s gory, in part due to the guns. Also, cannoli is health. Eat it to soldier on. Right, that’s that covered.
Shall we?
Guns, Gore and Cannoli is actually a surprisingly deep experience. It starts in familiar circumstances, a couple of wise guys cracking jokes while interrogating a seemingly legendary figure in the crime underworld. This interaction also, rather handily tells the story of the 1st game. By the time we’re all caught up, Vinnie has wriggled free of his restraints, subdued his captors and set about escaping.
Whilst I haven’t personally played the original, the aforementioned exchange referred to an incident that led to a zombie apocalypse. Therefore, this is a direct sequel, taking place after the events of the original game.

Story

As mentioned above, Guns, Gore and Cannoli follows on directly from the outcome of the freshman offering, albeit with a decade or so in between. Europe is gripped in the strangles of war. With the United States all set to deploy troops to aid the allies, the mafia sees an opportunity to do what it does best, enact illicit affairs. Unfortunately for Vinnie, his past is coming back to haunt him so he himself heads to mainland Europe to uncover some truths.

Gameplay

Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2 is a platformer at heart, albeit an incredibly shooty one. You move Vinnie from left to right in traditional fashion, as well as using techniques such as the humble double jump, rolling and kicking, vanquishing foes with an impressive arsenal. From hand guns, to the stereotypical tommy gun, to some really outlandish entries such as flamethrowers and rocket launchers. They all have the mechanics that they should, the pump barrel shotgun sprays and splutters in bursts, the tommy gun unleashed a stream of bullets but then has a brief cool down/ reload time. By the time Zombies started appearing on screen, I was ready for war, strapped to the eyeballs. By the time a Nazi overlord was trying to gun me down in his submarine, I was in full blown Churchill mode.
Oh yes!
The game controls very well. Vinnie is incredibly responsive, and coupled with 360 degree aiming, you always feel as though, no matter how nefarious the action gets, you are gonna be overwhelmed. Despite the, at times, many foes on screen at any given time, this title never felt as though it was entering the realms of bullet hell.

Presentation

Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2 is an incredibly polished piece of digital media. Whilst the game tries not to lead to much with the story, there is a tale to be told here.

As well as the cutsenes, the game itself runs stunningly smoothly and even when things got a little hectic on screen, there was never any slow down with performance or drop in frame rate.

The music is also incredible. When playing the game with headphones I got so immersed in the soundtrack I failed to realise that I was playing a game. I just kind of zoned out and listened to the audio for a while. Luckily I was in a safe place at the time, so no harm done.

Verdict

Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2 is a really well made game from top to bottom. Literally every aspect of it is polished to the nth degree. I’m really struggling to find any kind of fault with it. The initial load time was quite long. That is honestly all I’ve got.

The cutscenes are fluid and nicely voiced, as is the game itself. The frame rate is consistent throughout and the audio is stellar. The wide array of enemies, weapons and environments keeps the game fresh. The story is full of charm and character, most importantly is just how fun this game is to play. It’s perfect in short bursts, addictive enough to lose a few hours to and also capable of making you lose a full nights sleep. When you’re the father to a very active toddler, that tells its own story. It really speaks testaments to just how much of a feat that is.

TL;DR

A marvel of a platformer. Beautifully presented. A lot of fun to play. Brilliant audio direction.

5/5



Buy Guns, Gore and Cannoli for $12.99

Or pick it up for £11.69

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I spend a lot of my free time waxing lyrical over on Twitter 

I also like to sometimes expand on those thoughts over on my blog

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By Kieran Fifield

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