One defining aspect of a great creator is one who goes beyond the conventional ways, and reimagines a genre in a totally invigorating way. They take what works but then throw in new elements to create a thrilling experience for the player, unlike any other. It certainly requires some risk to take on such ventures and expect to see results, but that’s what it takes to become the greatest at what you do. The team who developed Mothergunship, a first person shooter with a roguelike twist, have given players freedom unlike any FPS before it, allowing for limitless creativity in a very fast action paced environment. Anyone who loves to think outside of the box in terms of weapon design will find Mothergunship’s customization features to be a rewarding ordeal, granting players the ability to take their creations into battle to defeat the enemy both off and online.

Mothergunship combines two very distinctive genres which will help to reel in those who enjoy first person shooters, along with those who love the depth and challenge that comes with roguelike titles. Don’t think you’re getting your run of the mill quintessential FPS; Oh no, you’re getting a wild ride packed with a great amount of features to keep you satisfied for hours. It’s gun crafting madness! Bullets flying everywhere! Be careful out there soldier!

While much of the premise of Mothergunship is to eliminate the enemy and bring justice to the cruel world, it does so in a unique way. Each time you die on a mission, you’re sent back to home base with none of the weapons you acquired, which means you’ll need to come up with new strategies every time. Each level within a mission is packed with random enemies and none of them seem to feel the same every time, mixing up their approach and testing your reactions. Having a deep understanding of the weapon customization system is what will assist you in your wild adventure, as every weapon serves a purpose and you’ll need to optimize your tactics every time. You can of course challenge yourself and just go fists of fury on enemies you encounter but just be aware that boss battles are no walk in the park.

You can create just about any random weapon that comes to your mind, such as a laser beam in one hand and a gun that shoots saw blades on the other. It’s that sheer versatility in gameplay that keeps you coming back for more in Mothergunship and nothing ever truly feels the same twice. As a heads up we’re reviewing the PC version and so, overall performance may differ when compared to consoles.

On a visual level, Mothergunship does a stellar job of keeping the frame rate consistent, despite a lot happening on screen. Animations are smooth while the overall level designs take some inspiration from DOOM and Quake in some respects, which is pretty cool. The special effects aren’t too over the top but generate enough of a lasting effect that you accept it for what it is. Remember this isn’t a true FPS and so other factors needed to be implemented to ensure that gameplay is consistently smooth throughout, especially since it’s a rogue-like. The UI is very clean and doesn’t subtract your attention away from the gameplay, which is fantastic as all of your focus is primarily on taking out the enemy in front of you. It should be a given, of course, since rogue-like games require your full attention since any mistake could cost you. The character avatars that you communicate with are a nice little added touch, with one character in particular reminding us of Slippy Toad from the Star Fox series. Not totally identical but certainly fits the bill in terms of personality. Nothing too over the top either as things are kept simple and places a lot more focus on gameplay than anything else, which we appreciate. We love the enemy designs too as they’re futuristic, and really move in a way that is in direct correlation to their weight, height, etc.

The voice acting in the game isn’t too bad either as each avatar you encounter comes with their own personality, which is fitting for the game since it mixes a lot of different elements together. There’s comedy, emotion and just overall fun in Mothergunship. The soundtrack keeps you feeling pumped as you race through every level trying not to die, with sound effects not being too overbearing that it destroys the sensation. With headphones on, the game definitely sounds a lot more crisp and the voicing sounds much clearer, but if you have surround sound installed in your room then man, this is where Mothergunship really stands out. You’ll hear every explosion with precision, every gear that turns when you engage in a punch can be heard. Those little subtle touches are what really set the game apart while still being an exciting adventure.

So Mothergunship is like if you were to take a character customization system, but instead, swap it for weapons. It’s not as well defined as we’d like it to be but it certainly gave us the option to create just about anything we wanted, so long as we followed the instructions on how to put things together. You typically have 3 sections and these sections can be upgraded over time allowing you to attach more destructive tools to destroy the enemy. The item shop is available to you on every floor of the mission, allowing you to upgrade parts along with maximizing your HP to ensure you don’t die quickly, which to be honest will happen on the first few attempts. You want a chainsaw laser gun on your left hand with a railgun on the other hand? Sure go for it! Of course, one just needs to be mindful of all the cool down when equipping all of these powerful tools and so, there’s quite a bit of strategic thinking to ensure you survive and can keep your acquired weapons. So perhaps for one mission you just go in with one powerful weapon like a railgun and punch the enemy out whenever possible. Then for the next mission, since you’ll have more resources to work with, you can upgrade even more to take down the harder bosses.

So it’s all about anticipating what’s ahead so that way you avoid losing too much momentum, and can maintain a level of consistency going forward. That’s the charm of Mothergunship because no matter how many times you approach the game, your outcome and performance will always differ. It never sways in one direction for the entire duration of the game because new surprises force you to go one step back and refine your approach a little better, so that way you increase the likelihood of survival and can keep everything you’ve worked so hard for. Losing it all over something you could’ve easily avoided is frustrating but that’s the beauty of roguelike games, is that you’re constantly being tested and being encouraged to really not fall into a pattern. This is a game you definitely want to try out and see how far you can go on your own, and if you ever want to try it with a friend online then the option is there as well. No experience will ever feel the same as all levels are procedurally generated which adds more hype to it all. Don’t sleep on this one!

Mothergunship is all about gun crafting but more so towards your level of awareness and knowing just what gun will benefit you in various situations. So while the fun of crafting your own weapons is a rewarding ordeal, you have to always manage your inventory and make sure that you’re not over reaching which will limit you down the road. Combine all of that with the wild and unpredictable gameplay, along with humorous voice acting, Mothergunship is an experience that you’ll want to immerse yourself in. It’s by no means perfect but it most certainly provides you with a positive lasting impression.

Well there you have it, Mothergunship in a nutshell! We hope you found this review to be insightful and provided you with enough information to make your purchase decision that much easier. Be sure to leave your comments below to let us know what you think, and of course, hit us up on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest news from around the gaming and anime world. Hit us up as well on Twitch to catch us playing all of our most recently reviewed titles live, and come say hi sometime!

As always, for all things sweet, with news straight from Japan, be sure to keep it locked here on Honey’s Anime.