Next, you have to get over the fact that, while Shootmania is a multiplayer shooter, it’s simply not like anything you've seen before. Yes, it's frenetic and unrealistic like a Quake or an Unreal Tournament, but it’s using those core tenets to inform design in really unique ways.
For a start you technically only carry one weapon. It's an energy ball that travels at a relaxed pace toward your target without dissipating until it hits something. This projectile's properties change when the player is standing on specific points in the map, though given the sparseness of these locations it’ll mostly turn into a larger bullet that consumes your energy/ammo at a high rate. Rather than reloading the weapon, it recharges, meaning that if you expend your entire count you'll have to regroup for a while before you can fire again (even then you may not have the luxury of a full clip returning before you’re being fired on). This, coupled with the fast pace that players can travel, makes Shootmania an all the more strategic affair than many others in the genre.
Click to enlarge
All this varies depending on the mode, though. Most of the above holds true while you’re playing “Royal”, Shootmania’s almost version of all-against-all deathmatch. What sets it apart is that a point in the middle of the map can be captured and from there the rest of the gameplay area shrinks in, outskirts covered by a tornado that will kill any player caught within instantly – did we mention this game was a bit unusual?
Other modes include Elite, which pits a single attacking player against three defenders. The attacker can take three hits and for each recharge can do a single shot, but that’ll instantly kill any player it immediately makes contact with. The win is gained by clearing out the other team, or by capturing a point in the map that unlocks after a few seconds.
Click to enlarge
Joust pits two players together. They’ve got a lot more health than standard, but their bullets don’t recharge without visiting points in the map. It becomes a race from one point to the next using your attacks aggressively, but also sparingly.
There’s also a mode called Heroes. No one is playing Heroes. Literally no one. There’s no way at all to tell what it’s like. There might never be.
Not in-game footage - Click to enlarge
Shootmania’s an interesting sell at the £15.99 asking price. It’s trying a lot of interesting stuff that makes it notable and worth a look, but the long term investment from the fanbase is what’s ultimately going to inform whether or not it’s worth your time – essentially it feels like the classic platform for a freemium distribution model. If you’re willing to try out a shooter that wants to achieve something above current expectations and you can get past it being unapologetically weird, give it a shot.
For a start you technically only carry one weapon. It's an energy ball that travels at a relaxed pace toward your target without dissipating until it hits something. This projectile's properties change when the player is standing on specific points in the map, though given the sparseness of these locations it’ll mostly turn into a larger bullet that consumes your energy/ammo at a high rate. Rather than reloading the weapon, it recharges, meaning that if you expend your entire count you'll have to regroup for a while before you can fire again (even then you may not have the luxury of a full clip returning before you’re being fired on). This, coupled with the fast pace that players can travel, makes Shootmania an all the more strategic affair than many others in the genre.
Click to enlarge
All this varies depending on the mode, though. Most of the above holds true while you’re playing “Royal”, Shootmania’s almost version of all-against-all deathmatch. What sets it apart is that a point in the middle of the map can be captured and from there the rest of the gameplay area shrinks in, outskirts covered by a tornado that will kill any player caught within instantly – did we mention this game was a bit unusual?
Other modes include Elite, which pits a single attacking player against three defenders. The attacker can take three hits and for each recharge can do a single shot, but that’ll instantly kill any player it immediately makes contact with. The win is gained by clearing out the other team, or by capturing a point in the map that unlocks after a few seconds.
Click to enlarge
Joust pits two players together. They’ve got a lot more health than standard, but their bullets don’t recharge without visiting points in the map. It becomes a race from one point to the next using your attacks aggressively, but also sparingly.
There’s also a mode called Heroes. No one is playing Heroes. Literally no one. There’s no way at all to tell what it’s like. There might never be.
Not in-game footage - Click to enlarge
Shootmania’s an interesting sell at the £15.99 asking price. It’s trying a lot of interesting stuff that makes it notable and worth a look, but the long term investment from the fanbase is what’s ultimately going to inform whether or not it’s worth your time – essentially it feels like the classic platform for a freemium distribution model. If you’re willing to try out a shooter that wants to achieve something above current expectations and you can get past it being unapologetically weird, give it a shot.
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