RESOGUN PS4

The fi rst game a lot of us played on PS4 is still one of the best, with few shooters out there as endlessly playable and immediately fun as Housemarque’s modern classic, Resogun. But if you need some reasons to go back to it, there are several…

SURVIVAL MODE

THE FIRST OF two new modes added in the recent HeroesDLC, Survival Mode is our favourite and arguably the best way to play Resogun. As you might have fi gured out from the title, the aim here is to last as long as possible. The longer you last, the harder things get simple. Rescuing humans is now as simple as fl ying over them, and every time you collect a set amount you’ll earn a power-up, increasing your fi repower, granting you a shield or perhaps an extra bomb.

That’s all there really is to it, but the joy of Resogunhas always been in its simplicity, and trying to last longer than your friends (whose times are displayed in the world as you play) is addictive and an impetus to keep giving it one more go. Watch out though, as when we say things get difficult, we mean it it’s rare to last past four or five days.



THE SHIP EDITOR

FREE DLC FORevery Resogunowner the ship editor is an excellent addition to the game. It’s a breeze to use, as the entire game is based around voxel graphics, every model made of big 3D cubes. Making your own ship is as simple as creating a shape with these cubes, with multiple colours and sizes available. People have already created thousands of ships, from perfect recreations of Mario sprites to a tiny, airborne version of Professor Stephen Hawking.

HIGH SCORES

OF COURSE, THEpoint of any arcade shoot-’em-up is more than just to fi nish the game. The point is to do so while achieving the highest score possible. This is what keeps the hardcore fans coming back, time after time, trying to achieve that perfect run. They’ll memorise enemy waves, knowing what is coming and when, as well as the best ways to dispatch them and keep the combo going.Making a mark on the leaderboards is the true game of Resogun, and only the very best will manage to do so. We aren’t good enough, and probably never will be but are you?

DEMOLITION MODE

 THE OTHER NEWmode is a weird one, and it totally changes the way Resogunis played. In Demolition mode, you don’t have a gun at all. Your only weapon is a small burst that can only be used sporadically. Alone it doesn’t do much, too small to take out more than a few foes at a time. So how do you make any progress?

The real point of your burst is to propel a ball that will be hovering around the stage somewhere. The aim is to send it flying through as many enemies as possible before circling round and hitting it again as it comes to a stop.

It feels like a bizarre mixture of pinball, pachinko and Gradius, and takes a while to get used to after playing all the other Resogunmodes. Play well and you’ll find more balls to bash around, eventually sending multiple spheres of death flying off with every shot. It’s crazy, kinetic and fun, but so far removed from ‘real’ Resogunthat it almost feels like a different game.