Tons Of Guns Review

Our Review by Jennifer Allen on July 9th, 2013

Rating:

:: BASIC THRILLS

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It's pretty basic stuff, but there's still some brief fun to be had with this freemium focused shooter.

Developer: Glu Games
Price: FREE
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPhone 5

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Living up to its name, Tons of Guns does indeed offer tons of guns. It's a rather basic form of FPS, but a steady trickle of new items means Tons of Guns is briefly fun, if shallow.

Importantly, Tons of Guns offers a couple of crucial difference to other games of this ilk. For one thing, its control method is quite original. Using the gyroscope controls that are available to iOS users, players manoeuvre their gun by moving their iPhone or iPad. Taps then fire the bullets. Reloading involves moving the gun to the bottom of the screen before completing a series of gestures, that vary depending on the weapon involved. It takes a few moments to click, but such a varied way of doing things ensures that Tons of Guns feels a little different from the rest.

This is a particularly fortuitous thing, given that the game can get repetitive. It's solely focused on one on one battles between the player and their opponent. There's no exploration here, merely a small level that can hardly be looked around, with one enemy in the center. It's kill or be killed, with the fastest trigger finger (or the character with the best weapon) winning.

For that reason alone, Tons of Guns is basic. Finish a level and move onto the next one, with a more fearsome looking enemy or the chance to gain a new weapon. Ultimately, though, it's all the same. A little like what made the Borderlands series so successful, Tons of Guns is oddly enticing thanks to the new weapons that can be gained as well as upgraded. Sure, there's little to differentiate them from others, but it's still slightly satisfying.

Tons of Guns uses an energy system, beloved by many of Glu Games's titles, but I didn't find it too obtrusive. At least it offers plenty of time, early on, for players to figure out if this is a game for them or not.

The biggest problem I found with Tons of Guns wasn't related to its average gameplay, but its stability issues. Sometimes, it just won't load up. I had a number of problems with getting it to load, often hanging on the initial opening screen. It's this, most of all, that will infuriate its players.

Tons of Guns is a brief and mildly entertaining distraction, but with gameplay that refuses to evolve, it'll only titillate for a short time, rather than excite for weeks into the future.