Game Name: Guns, Gore and Cannoli
Developer: Claeysbrothers, Crazy Monkey Studios
Publisher: Crazy Monkey Studios
Date of Release: Apr 30, 2015
Platforms: Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, macOS and Switch
Introduction
I was looking for a game to play that would just pass the time until I find my next story driven game for streaming. Then I came across this game which was in my library and was free at one point on XBOX Live Games with Gold. So I figured that I would give it a shot.
When I looked at the cover I thought that it was a game that could be cool and that it did not take itself too seriously. The trailer really got me interested. Here it is below for you.
Guns, Gore and Cannoli - Trailer
Story
You play the character of Vinnie Cannoli. You are one of the best hit men around and you are asked by mob boss Mr. Bellucio (Marlon Brando lookalike from The Godfather) to find and bring back Frankie The Fly.
In order to find Frankie, you have to go to Thugtown (very original I know). Once there, you notice that things are off. People in this town are zombies.
Basically, the rest of the game is you going level by level in order to find Frankie.
Gameplay
The best way that I can describe this game is, The Soprano's meets Contra. This is a shoot'em up with some platforming.
At the beginning, you need to choose your difficulty. I played on Easy as it was my first time.
You start the game with a regular gun that has unlimited ammo. However, it probably deals the least amount of damage. It is only good to get the player through rough spots.
As you progress in the game, you have a variety of different guns and ammo. You have 2 types of shotguns, simple machine gun, enhanced machine gun, rocket launcher and a more powerful version of your base weapon, a revolver with shotgun spread. These are not the official names but you get the idea.
Then you also have explosives in the form of a grenade and Molotov cocktails. These can be very useful when you need to get rid of many enemies at once.
The default button layout on the XBOX is mainly good but sometimes annoying. For example, to choose your weapon you need to choose Y. This is fine when you have only a few weapons available. When you have 8 or 9, going through them when running out of ammo can get you killed. However, for the most part it is not an issue. To get around this they made the X to go backwards on the weapon choices, but I always forgot that it was there.
You have the shoulder buttons to throw the grenade or Molotov cocktails. You shoot with the right button.
Below is some sample game play from my stream.
Guns, Gore and Cannoli - Sample Gameplay
Bottomline
I was really surprised at how much I loved this game.
Let us start with the graphics. I love games that take a slightly different approach to the animation. Here it felt like I was playing a comic character or a character in an animated series. It had hints of the TellTale animation with the cartoony feel of Thief of Thieves. I just liked everything about the look and feel of the game.
The music is amazing. Yes, it has that stereotypical Italian 1920's Godfather vibe but I loved it. I did mention in my streams quite a few times how the soundtrack was so fitting. It did not seem forced. You also had some jazz which was refreshing.
However, the aspect of the game that I loved the most was, it did not take itself seriously. The fact that the names in the game (Vinnie Cannoli, Frankie The Fly, Rusty....etc) seem like they came from a mob documentary is cool. I had a good chuckle. Everything about this game is about what you think about when you think of the mob in the 1920's.
The game itself is not too long. If you are someone that goes after achievements, it could take up to 4 hours in total. That is short but it is the type of game that you want it to be short. The replay value is pretty strong here. You can play at higher difficulties or try to get all of the achievements.
I reviewed the single player campaign only. There is a versus mode which I have not tried yet. I may review this in the future and see how it is.
Is this a classic? I do not think that it is, but I had a blast playing it. It actually got me thinking about getting the second game. On XBOX the sequel is about 12.99$ Canadian. I thought that it was a little steep but then I realized that I got the first game free. Since this is an independent studio doing it, I decided that I will purchase the game.
Have you played this game? What did you think about it? Let us know.
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