PepsimanVsJoe's videogame blog: Steam Look

Originally, I had planned on calling GyroGunner "danmaku Raid on Bungeling Bay", but then I realized two things. First is that I can't remember anything about Raid on Bungeling Bay. There's a helicopter, multiple targets to destroy, and it was originally released on the Commodore 64. Everything afterwards is a blur, yet I still felt it necessary to bring up. This might be because free-directional shoot 'em ups that involve helicopters are a niche within a niche within a niche. Comparisons are inevitable when there are only three or four other games in existence. Secondly, this isn't even close to danmaku. The word implies that our little helicopter will be navigating a sea of hot pink death, but the possibility of that happening would require a colossal failure in the pilot's judgment. No, what we have here is a short and deceptively simple budget title. The more you play, the deeper it gets.

Take a glance at any of the posted screenshots and you'll have a complete understanding of what this game demands from its players. The goal of each stage is to eliminate the targets. Use the mouse and keyboard to fly, shoot, and evade. That green field extending from the copter is its lock-on range. Once the pilot is close enough to the intended target, they can click the right mouse-button to launch rockets. While there is a limited supply of ammunition, it's unlikely that anyone will run out before they complete the mission or are shot out of the sky. The more pressing concern - besides enemy bullets - is the limited fuel capacity. Since their helicopter can't stay aloft for a long time; pilots must devise their own route through enemy territory. Move from target to target, taking care to eliminate everything in the immediate vicinity before moving on. I don't have to tell you that leaving stragglers behind is a terrible idea. Having to fly halfway across the map to eliminate a single red dot sucks on multiple levels.

At the same time however, you can't just fly directly into the hell and have any expectations of survival. Dodging bullets is easy, seamless even, but that's not nearly enough to overcome a poor approach. In short, GyroGunner prides itself on agency. You pick the direction to attack from and decide how deep into the action you want to get. Stay on the outskirts to pick off targets or strike at the heart with a series of strafing runs. The constant enemy swarms will do whatever it takes to create chaos, so be extra mindful of bullets and collisions. Situational awareness is important, especially so when the situation is a consequence of how you decided to approach it. Nothing in this game is ever "static". Even if someone can memorize and execute the same attack route for each of the seven stages, an ill-timed aerial assault can occur, sending the best-laid plans awry.

There's a nearby jammer that's scrambling my radar. I can't use rockets until I leave the immediate area or destroy the jam's source with guns.

Another detail to keep in mind is that there aren't any power-ups. Spreadshots? Armor? Fuel? Nope! What you start with is all you're going to get, and whether or not that's enough depends entirely on your piloting ability. This provides a serious incentive to learn the game and try to keep damage to a minimum. Credits are plenty generous. However, using them will kill that potential hi-score run. If this was a game that I'd recommend playing for its story, then I would've said as much earlier. What gives this shooter its fire is a player willing to forgo second chances for the opportunity to break their previous record. There aren't any twists, just a steady escalation of intensity. It's an arcade game, just with a control scheme that most any cabinet would struggle to replicate.

Everything that GyroGunner does, it does with expertise. When I play this, I don't get the sense that an element was mistakenly left out or undercooked. Though the helicopter has little armor, the developer took great care to ensure that it isn't immediately irradicated the instant it flies into a series of bullets. There's a degree of fairness to it that shines no matter the predicament I place myself in. The pertinent information is always within sight, as a millisecond's glance at the mini map is enough to confirm the next destination as well as nearby hostilities to account for. This is just a tightly designed game.

GyroGunner on Steam