Weapon of Choice DX | PS4 Review

Weapon of choice was originally an XBLIG (Xbox Live Indie Game) release on the Xbox 360. It was created by a developer known as Mommy's Best Games. The same developer that rereleased their shmup 'Shoot 1up' on the PS4 not too long ago. Like most of the developer's creations this game also features a unique art style all it's own. Mostly hand drawn, and articulated creature and character creations put into a wacky, and wonderfully weird world of unusual patchworked design. 

In the world of Weapon of Choice DX, as it were, we find unusually equipped soldiers tied to an U.N.P. governmental organization that is fighting the annihilation of the human species. The year is 2188, and an alien race known as the Chuul has begun eradication measures against humankind. Torn between the leadership of a U.N.P. general, and a mysterious alien contact the soldiers under your control must make it through the branching paths as they try to stay alive, and save those that have fallen. 

Soldiers, their assortment of weaponry, and their gear are the main gimmick and focal point in Weapon of Choice DX. Each soldier you can play as comes complete with two noticeably different weapon types, and mechanical spider-like appendages that come from their backpack to aid in climbing as well as descent. The mechanical arms, in particular, help them to climb and to tactically maneuver among the varied alien landscapes as they blast away at whatever lies in wait. As they tread carefully forward facing foe, and environmental hazards alike death comes rather quickly if things are not paid attention to. It happens upon contact of an alien Chuul or a deadly trap, among other things. To aid in the resistance of an untimely demise a death indicator appears in the form of skull apparitions that manifest onscreen near the soldier as contact to a Chuul or threat grows closer. A feature which has a gauge at the main menu settings that can be increased or decreased in regards to intensity. It gives you time to double jump out of harm's way, and redirect your weapon's aim if need be. 

Speaking of such abilities, as a soldier you can also only carry in tow one other fallen soldier as you deal damage, and progress through the platform laden planet. To begin with you have two soldiers to choose from. A named male, and female with their own unique weapon types, and bio/background information. Supposing the initial male soldier dies you can respawn via rocket as the female on a targeted location. From there you must pick up the male soldier or any other soldier waiting to be rescued, and make it to the rendezvous point alive. Failing to do so will result in a death, and GAME OVER. Success though refills your soldier stock to two, and allows you once again to pick and choose which fallen soldier you want with you on your mission. Learning which characters have which weapons, and putting them to use in the most efficient way is part of the challenge.

Missions in 'Weapon of Choice DX', as they are, are a branching affair. Where different paths lead to different mission objectives. You'll encounter simple rendezvous missions, boss missions, and others tied to the fallen soldier focus. This requires you at some point to choose whose command you follow. Whether it be the U.N.P. General or the mysterious alien contact. As you might expect the branching paths change the story outcome, and character dialogue. Adding replay value to the game. Along with those path choices comes difficulty choices, and the game has your bog standard difficulty settings along with variations that go well beyond hard difficulty. The word "Wicked" comes to mind.

In the way of controls your soldier functions on a sort of dual thumbstick and shoulder button setup. Jump, and double jump is tied to the R2 shoulder button whereas shooting is done either with L2 or the Right Thumbstick. Switching between weapons requires a pressing of R1. Other than those things the spider arms basically attack and operate as an on contact device. No need to press a button to activate or use them. The controls are nothing overly complicated, and easy to pick up on. If you do wish to have tutorials on you can turn them on or off in the settings menu.

The Presentation ...

Visually, 'Weapon of Choice DX' looks like something ripped from a "Heavy Metal" magazine. Those infamous magazines with fantasy comic book creations inspired by fantasy art, and cartoon art of old. A sort of grunge meets early table top RPG art design that harkens back to a time where Jimi Hendrix was rocking the stage, and Ralph Bakshi was animating cartoon films like "Fire and Ice" or "Fritz the Cat". It has that sort of colorful and trippy vibe about it. With plenty of bloody goo & gore to litter the environments with.

The Verdict ...

As weird, and odd as the gameplay and plot is, 'Weapon of Choice" comes off as a recommendable return to the greatness of an era of indies that few of us in the gaming journalism scene remember. A period of time in which indie developers dared to be original without too much financial fallout. The XBLIG platform was the hay day of indie games, and allowed games like this to thrive while reaching an audience at a ridiculously affordable price. Even though the cost for entry here has increased slightly it is still worth every cent asked, and is upgraded for a more modern release. It's platforming insanity with a mechanics gimmick unlike any other. Come to life like an alien Wonderland where humanity faces it's fight for survival. A weird as fxck Wonderland filled with unrelenting carnage. Don't miss out on this one if you fancy something truly unique!!!