As a licensor, Games Workshop obviously has no problem spreading its brands as widely as possible – it feels like another appears every monthWarhammer on PC or console. Shoots, Blood & Fever For a change, relies on the concept of classic, side-scrolling 2D shooting and is very specifically based on the two Guns, Gore & Cannolititles – especially the second, whose twinstick control scheme and even more details have been adopted almost unchanged. If you look at the developer’s history, it’s no wonder: Rogueside is just another, new name for the team that made the mafia riot at the time.
Just like with him, you fight your way alone or with up to three comrades-in-arms from left to right with a hand-drawn anti-hero through equally designed scenarios and shoot away whatever gets in your way. What is new is the choice between four character classes, the differences between which are rather modest: Since opponents keep advancing from unexpected directions and the look makes orientation difficult even on large screens, such subtleties fall by the wayside. That somehow fits in with coarse orcs, but you also struggle with technical shortcomings on the switch: At 30 fps, which often fluctuate, the action always feels unattractively tough.
