Nongünz Review

Welcome to Nongunz, a nihilistic action platformer where you take control of a skeleton or at least, some parts of a skeleton. To raise from the ground to battle through an ever-changing nightmare-filled gothic dungeon is the life of said skeletons. It is within this dungeon that you will slowly evolve the world around you and learn more of it at the same time. In this black and white (with the odd bit of orange) world you will need to overcome horrible creations to finish your runs and get the highest score. Death might be a continuous theme and an ever-lingering threat but with it comes the the challenging of defying its embrace for as long as you can. This title is like no other rogue-like you have played before and it's brilliant because of it.

Movement within Nongunz is the star of this title and allows you to fight through the dark themes and design of the game. Standard left and right movement with a jump is present but with a slide to allow you to shoot upwards is a nice chance of a pace. As you are normally headless, finding a skull and completing your character will unlock additional powers. When you have a skull equipped you can perform actions such as a powerful slam or just being able to run. Additionally you have access to a dodge that can be used to avoid damage both in the air and on the ground. By tying all of these together you can pull off some sweet moves to help you through any situation you might find yourself in. Though it can take some time to master these controls it will be worth it because Nongunz will throw a whole range of challenging enemies in your path.

When you come face-to-face with the many interesting enemies within Nongunz you will soon find that you have a fight ahead of you. On their own, each one does not pose too much of a challenge. However, when put together in any number of combinations, you will find that the difficulty jumps up a whole level. From toenails that shoot goo at you to the swarms of flies that will chase you down there is a surprising amount of variety to be found. But of course, this is where the fun really starts.

You see, in this dark and twisted world you find power in the form of cards. Cards that will give you a number of benefits and that will need to be managed effectively to survive this nightmare. Each card you pick up will offer up to two perks which can range from larger bullets, higher firing rate, increased movement speed and so much more. These will be your key to surviving your runs of the hellish dungeon. That said though, you have to spend health to open chests which is where you find these cards. There is therefore a continuous need to manage your health as you run a tightrope of risk and reward. Then again you can scrap any cards you pick up to replace some of your health. How much is dependant on the level of the card but of course once gone, you lose the cards effect.

The trouble with Nongunz is that there is next to no help with understanding what anything in the game does. In fact, the game starts with barely any text or indication as to the controls, menu or even gameplay. To learn what the cards did I had to read a guide online which goes to show how little support you will have. The lack of tutorial or information does not ruin the experience but does put a tight learning curve on at the start. Once you have an understanding of the systems in place though, Nongunz really starts to become a tonne of fun.

There is a sense of mystery around Nongunz that you slowly unfold as you play through the title. With each run you learn more about how to overcome the challenges along with what combination of cards and weapons work best for you. With a number of unlockables and different ways to improve your chances of survival, there are plenty of ways to play this title. Though the initial learning curve can be somewhat tough to get around it is worth as Nongunz is a satisfying title when you get the hang of it. Of course, it is not a game that will click with everyone but if it does you will absolutely love it.