This is a twin-stick shooter containing levels consisting of going from room to room and taking out enemies before moving on to the next room after getting a key. John starts out with a pistol but as he faces each wave of enemies, more weapons and sub-weapons will drop aiding our hero in his quest to kick hellish ass, take names ( and the cubes) and return to life. The premise sounds good but the issue is just how repetitive and samey it quickly becomes.
This is not to say the game is a mess at all, but once you have played a few levels, you will have experienced pretty much everything that the game has. There are secrets to find, such as in hidden rooms, and you can backtrack to see what you missed, but overall this feels like an assembly line built game. The thing is though, it works well for what the game is.
A twin-stick shooter like this needs to have that repetitive nature met with a good quality of gameplay and a satisfying loop and thankfully Mustache in hell has that handled well. I found myself wanting to keep playing and the variety of traps and challenges in each room were a nice touch. I also loved the way the weapon variety was handled where every twenty seconds, a primary and secondary weapon will drop and these have a limited supply of ammo, so managing the supply is key to success.
The game has some great bosses that post a real challenge as well, which makes for a great break from the usual repetitiveness. These bosses will test everything you think you know about the game and will throw you for a loop if you are not ready. Plus the addition of regular enemies during these fights helps set Mustache in hell apart further and gives it a unique identity.
Visually, Mustache in Hell goes for a cartoonish look that reminded me of flash animation but it worked well here, especially when in action. I would have liked some better music in the game, but it was not all bad and there was enough to enjoy. The sound effects though, were well done and gave the game a sense of weight to the attacks.
Obviously, this game won’t be for everyone but for those who like a challenging twin-stick shooter, Mustache in Hell will be very welcome. It has a good a good gameplay loop to keep you hooked and the difficulty is just right to keep you interested but not overwhelmed. If you love twin-stick shooters, then you will most certainly want to check out Mustache in Hell, because you may find this stay in hell very welcome.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
