Shotgun Cop Man

Shotgun Cop Man is an action platformer nostalgia trip that hits just about every shot it fires, from its refined movement to its distinct level design.

Take an indie platformer like VVVVVV or Downwell and up the ultraviolence, that's Shotgun Cop Man.

Shotgun Cop Man can easily stand toe-to-toe with the likes of Super Meat Boy and Celeste in terms of raw, precise gameplay. Using your guns for both traversal and combat with a simple but effective twin-stick setup is a stroke of genius, and it makes for an effortlessly rewarding experience that you'll want to play again and again. While not overly difficult in itself, nailing the optional objectives is key to achieving 100% completion, and it's here that you'll find challenge and satisfaction in equal measure. It's funny, it's violent, and it's polished – and we suspect it will go down as a cult classic.

It was a fun game about a bald man who shoots guns at the floor to do Mario Things while Satan says mean words at him from a distance. It is never more or less than exactly that. I had a great time for around three or four hours, and will probably never think about it again. But that’s okay, because I don’t think Shotgun Cop Man intended to reach beyond that outcome. Shotgun Cop Man simply is, and I respect that about him.

It's time to get rid of Satan once and for all!

While this game may exude a git gud air from its presentation, don’t be fooled. Shotgun Cop Man isn’t looking for players to break keyboards or smash controllers. It feels like it earnestly wants its players to enjoy a slickly designed power fantasy and have fun. I am delighted to have games that strike the sweet spot of being inventive and rewarding without going into rage-quit territory. It’s a quick, accessible precision/action platformer that I think you should definitely check out.

While not mind blowingly original, Shotgun Cop Man succeeds in what it aims for, making it for a much more approachable game that a wider array of players might have a better chance at finishing and at the same time proving that Devolver’s curation is still as sharp as ever.

A devilishly silly shooter that is the very definition of easy to pick up difficult to master.

I guess that what made me feel so disappointed about Shotgun Cop Man was the fact that I had just played a vastly superior game with the same gimmick, but no control issues whatsoever. In Sacre Bleu, I could perform small jumps before blasting myself with the recoil of my bunderbluss. Combat was fun there. It wasn’t here. Shotgun Cop Man ended up being a torturous patience test, with a control scheme that just didn’t fit in with the level design, really poor presentation, and a level of difficulty that never felt like I was being tested; I felt I was being made fun of.

Shotgun Cop Man makes the fantasy of using your firearm recoil to fly all the more enjoyable and replayable, as these stages are meant to encourage you to get better scores & perfect playthroughs. Simply put, it's a blast.