I would go into the story of Guns of Fury but it really just feels like window dressing for the gameplay, which is fine in this case. What we have is a run ‘n’ gun game that starts you off the typical way, having all your weapons and abilities, only to get them taken away from you. In this case, you are captured and taken prisoner but soon break out and set out to regain your equipment, take down the bad guys and save the day.
Where Guns of Fury differs is that it leans into the more hardcore elements of the run ‘n’ gun genre and you will need to adjust your approach compared to other Metroidvanias. This is a difficult game, but there are save points frequently encountered, so the developers knew when to give players some help. You will need to use these save points frequently, because Guns of Fury is relentless.
Run ‘n’ Gun games are typically fast paced games, but Guns of Fury sets an interesting pace. It is not a slow game by any means, but it is not fast paced like Metal Slug or Contra. Instead, you will need consider your move as traditional Metroidvania style stages are merged into a Metal Slug world and as such, some sections are action packed and you will need to rush through taking out all sorts of enemies, while others will see you doing some platforming to reach new areas.
As you make your way through the world, you will gain new abilities and weapons, and thankfully Guns of Fury makes it clear where you need to go next, so the confusion of a game like Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow, which is too big for its own good, is not present. Instead, while you will be doing a lot of backtracking, you will not have the same issues of getting lost constantly or confused. You will find plenty of secrets if you look for them though, so there is always motivation to look to see what you can destroy.
Guns of Fury has some great weapons you can choose to equip, and finding which weapon works best for you can be a fun time. You will you your primary gun, secondary gun, melee weapon and throwing weapon for instance, and managing these is part of the fun. Your primary gun will have infinite ammo, but your throwing weapon, which can be a throwing knife, incendiary torch, grenades etc, and your secondary gun have limited uses before your ammo/supply runs out, though you can constantly pick up more and save points restore ammo and supply.
Of course, what good is a run ‘n ‘ gun without enemies and Guns of Fury has an excellent amount of enemy variety, from basic enemy soldiers, to mechanized troops, to elite enemies that require certain weapons to defeat. The bosses are likewise well designed and make for unique and challenging battles. You will die over and over, but the combat is so well handled that you will want to keep coming back, just to give it one more try. Plus, there are certain other elements borrowed from Metal Slug in this game, such as vehicles and mechs to use, and these are some of the most fun sections of the game.
The presentation is well handled here as Guns of Fury has an excellent art style that evokes the Metal Slug look, while the music is also top quality. The different sections all look and sound amazing, and the aforementioned boss fights have some truly epic music. It is rare that a game captures that classic feeling, but while the art captures the feel of Metal Slug, the music manages to capture the atmosphere of both Metal Slug and Castlevania at different times.
Guns of Fury is an excellent game that shows the run ‘n’ gun genre and the Metroidvania genre blend well together, and I will give it another compliment as well. This is a direction I would like to see SNK take the Metal Slug series in, at some point in the future. I believe that will help bring a proper revival for the series because, as unique as Metal Slug Tactics was, we want it as a run ‘n’ gun.
Guns of Fury is a must play game, and I will give it my highest recommendation. You cannot go wrong wit this if you are a fan of the genres it blends. Just be ready for a challenge.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided.
