Kill Shot Review

Why is it so perversely satisfying to score a headshot in a game? It sets off that feeling of sweet joy and a teensy bit of concern as to why it’s so enjoyable to do. A feeling that Kill Shot is just full of. At least, that is, when you’re not being frustrated by its focus on making you spend money.

The plot for Kill Shot doesn’t go far. You’re a special ops soldier and you have to shoot people. Don’t go into this expecting exposition or anything convoluted - Kill Shot is simple stuff. Each stage consists of you placed out of the way, having to line up a shot perfectly before going for it.

Controls are fairly intuitive. There’s a button for switching to a scoped view and the ability to adjust the zoom level. There’s the all-important fire button too, although given you’re dealing with sniper rifles mostly, you won’t be using it often. As expected, once you line up a shot you start breathing heavily, so getting the timing just right is everything.

Kill Shot appreciates how satisfying it is to claim a headshot, with a bullet cam kill shot ensuring you see everything in its violent glory. You can record replays too, and share them amongst your friends if you really want to.

It’s all a fairly primal concept, but oddly (and perhaps wrongly) enjoyable. What’s not so enjoyable is Kill Shot’s determination to make you spend money. There’s an energy system slowing you down, but more importantly the game loves to throw tempting in-app purchases your way.

Within moments of playing it’ll ask you to pay up to unlock some better weaponry. With extensive upgrade trees and the difficulty soon ramping up, you’ll find the need to grind is strong. There’s always that sense that you’re missing out on the really good stuff because you’re not willing to pay. Something that soon begins to grate. That becomes all the more apparent in later levels where things get pretty difficult unless you have the right equipment at hand.

The satisfaction that comes from killing two soldiers with one bullet is great, but it’s never quite enough to stop you from feeling a teensy bit manipulated by Kill Shot.