Swing shot: Super entertaining and highly addictive projectile throwing fun.
Another 2D projectile throwing game has once again graced the top end of the Android download charts but surprisingly it’s not another rendition of Angry Birds. It is in fact Swing Shot, the latest title released by the South Korean developers Com2uS, which are quickly becoming a household name with Android owners. So how does it compare with the success of their previous titles like Slice it! or more importantly Angry Birds? Read on to find out.
The first thing that caught my eye with Swing Shot was the presentation. The insanely cute characters, beautiful cartoonish backgrounds and super smooth visuals were an instant draw. Before actually playing I was hoping that the gameplay would be equally as high a standard and luckily it does not disappoint.
The gameplay should be second nature to anyone who has ever played the Angry Birds titles before however this time rather than hitting pigs your aim to knock your opposing jungle animals to ground. You start with a troop of monkeys dangling from what only be described as a pyramid of coat hangers. The game is carried out as a turn based battle where you drag on your chosen monkey to aim rocks at anticipating but defenceless primates on the opposite side of the screen. The level ends when either all your or your opponent’s animals succumb to the forces to gravity.
Surprisingly there are a number of strategies that can be used in order to win. You can either try to hit the animals directly forcing them to let go of the wooden planks or you can aim for the planks or ropes themselves. As you progress, you are awarded with bananas, which can then be used to unlock other animals with different projectile weapons. From shuriken racoons, bee-hive throwing bears to beetle sloths; all require a different play style to in order to conquer your opponent. The developers have done a great job in balancing the gameplay so that you need to constantly assess the best approach to win.
To make things even more fun and exciting, random power ups float between you and your opponents which can be obtained by hitting them with your projectiles. Power ups include flaming rocks, three way splits and meteor showers just to name a few. This certainly adds to the excitement as it allows you to win even when lagging behind at any point.
As previously mentioned, the presentation of Swing Shot is top notch. From the design of the characters, intricate backgrounds and luscious color palette to the smaller details such as the juvenile laughter of the animals reacting to missed shots, it’s all been very well thought out. The best visual feature is the slow down and zoom in of the hit animals as they fall off their planks.
Swing Shot only features 48 levels in Arcade mode however the game truly shines in the network play where you can play random human players from around the world or even your own friends. With it being a turn based battle game unfortunately it doesn’t allow you to setup a two player game on the same device, something perhaps the developers will rectify in a future update.
With such a feature rich and entertaining game, my only negative is that it could have provided better guidance and information on the animals that needed to bought at the shop. The arcade mode does not introduce them to you so you will need to buy them and actively set them up yourself. This was a little annoying as it took me a while to figure it out.
Verdict: 4.5/5 Another excellent title from Com2uS, obviously taking inspiration from Angry Birds but have made enough changes to make it a game in its own right. The super cute characters and beautiful animations make are thoroughly entertaining making it difficult to put down. Swing Shot is a title that everyone should play and with a being free there really is no reason not to.
Swing Shot Promotional Youtube Video
Developers: Com2uS
Swing Shot QR Code
(Click on the image or scan the barcode with your Android phone to goto Google Play)
