Pixeljunk Shooter’s 'puzzles' find their roots in the in the worlds physics. Water, lava and a magnetic black ooze all interact with each other and their environment to create logical challenges that have to be overcome in order to progress through the stage.

 

Thanks to the logic of the elements I was instantly able intuit their interactions. Punching a hole through rock that holds back the lava will result in it pouring down on to whatever is below. If it finds water it will cool and solidify as rock, but enough lava will melt the rock and evaporate the water.

 

Interactions aren’t limited to fluids alone but also the environment and other factors around them. Frozen areas cool the lava and water more rapidly, power ups will reverse the polarity of your ship, pushing away magnetic elements and various other effects combine to create a range of challenges that require accuracy, speed and planning.

 

 

 

Q-Games used a strong plain colour palette for Shooter. It is a distinctive style that is not only beautiful but elegantly communicates how to navigate the world. Solid pastel shades make up the rock the form the boundaries of the world, areas that can be destroyed follow a similar style but side more towards greys and browns. The enemies and fluids stand out courtesy of their movement in the otherwise bold stationary blocks of colour.

 

The visual style is backed by an absorbing sound track from High Frequency Bandwidth (Alex Paterson or ‘The Orb’ fame and Dom Breken). An overarching ambient style serves well to accentuated caverns you are navigating (though an occasional a slight electronic edge does seem out of place). Each of the games environments are met by changes in tone that help that compliment the their visual aesthetic wonderfully.

 

 

Pixeljunk Shooter gives the option of two-player local play. No split screen at times leaves players in somewhat difficult positions but did little to denigrate my enjoyment. Having a second ship playing brings with it a need for co-operation both players are to successfully navigate, as well as interesting interactions between the ships.

 

One area that stands out in multiplayer is one where I was forced to navigate though an area near flooded with the magnetic goo that is the hallmark of the third environment. In single-player I was able to simply acquire a ship upgrade to repulse the ooze, in two-player though the upgrade is only available for one craft. This lead to me carefully shepherding my partner through the gloop as they flew inside the field of my crafts repulsion, but careful not to get too close as they were not immune to my ships new power and could easily be pushed back into the ooze.

 

 

It is nice addition to what is already a fantastic package, but does prove to be a double-edged sword. To complain about the lack of online play would never usually dawn on me, but playing this and knowing others on my friends list were playing did make me yearn to join their game. It is a tiny complaint, and one that actually speaks more the quality of the game and its multiplayer that I am so eager to play it with others, but I do wish Q-Games had managed to include an online option.

 

 

Often when I enjoy a game I find I have to moderate myself, explaining who the game will appeal to, "Pixeljunk Shooter" requires no such qualification. The mix of puzzles, action and beautiful environments of Shooter found me with a constant smile on my face. While the main story only runs to about four hours to play to completion it is already pulling me back to find all of the collectables, and will no doubt entertain me for many more hours in multiplayer making it incredible values at €10.

 

Put simply, Pixeljunk Shooter receives my unadulterated recommendation, and a title that should grace everyone’s PS3.

 

 

+ Superbly implemented fluid physics
+ Intelligent, challenging gameplay
+ Beautiful aesthetic, creating an overall mesmerising experience
+ Fun and varied boss battles

 

- Not short, but I wanted more
- No online multiplayer