Kill Shot Bravo Review

Being a games journalist allows you to get your hands on some of the most intriguing new experimental titles out there today. The indie dev market is sprawling with creative games, and every new review you do can be an adventure into the unknown. So you can imagine my disappointment when I was told to review a first-person shooter game for Android, Kill Shot Bravo. That's not an indictment of the game's quality, but first person shooter games have flooded the market. They feel passé now, coming out in droves, like clockwork. I'm soured on them since the genre doesn't feel all that special any more, and I'm not a fan of 12 year-olds telling me to “get on their level”. Yet, Kill Shot Bravo from the Hothead team could very well be different as it's a mobile release, so let's venture in, soldier.

Kill Shot Bravo is the latest in a long, long line of pay-to-win games in that your average Joey Joystick need not spend a penny on the game, but if they want to unlock cool stuff or access missions and weaponry faster, they're getting their wallet out. I'm not a fan of the free-to-play approach, as it feels a bit too much like the developer's taking the game hostage. Nevertheless, if you have money to burn on a mobile game, you can buy the in-game currency and beat the game faster, but if you're a tight-arse like me, you'll need to wait the agonising period of these items becoming available.

Money-grubbing aside, it's an on-rails shooter where you're tasked to complete a series of micro-missions (of which there are loads) that last for no more than a minute, but the quick pace of play keeps you coming back for more. The main bulk comes in sniping missions, where you take point from a stationary position, and try and pick off your enemies as quickly as possible. These start off easy, but as the missions progress, you have to be more careful; for instance, if you fire off a shot, your other targets will not sit around in an orderly queue waiting to die, so it's imperative to figure out the best plan of attack to take them all out without getting capped yourself. A variation on this mode comes in the Black Ops missions, which are much of the same, except you have to take out a high-profile target. The sniping missions are incredibly satisfying due to the precision they require, and also for an amazing presentation reason that deserves its own paragraph.

Also available is Breach, which involves invading an enemy stronghold with a shotgun and taking them out before they charge you, which is fun, but feels less like an FPS and more like a quick time event, which takes the shine off the mode considerably. Rounding out the game modes is Assault, which is not segmented into missions, but is merely a task that a player can complete for in-game cash; it just involves shooting a cluster of enemies as they approach you, followed by sniping off a boss before he gets you first. Overall, all of these modes are largely successful, but the sniping games are so strong you'll be spending more time there.

Being a mobile game, Kill Shot Bravo is controlled entirely by using the touchscreen, and this works superbly, as it allows the player to be that touch more precise, making it a breeze to line up satisfying headshots. The controls work with absolute ease; navigating them was a genuine pleasant experience, and their smoothness only helped make the game better.

Aside from a stacked single-player campaign, one can also play online. Now, anyone with any sort of experience with Call of Duty should be instantly wary, as the online component of these games is generally full of jumped up little shits who love to brag about their non-existent sexual prowess with your mother, or how, if you roundly beat them in a game, how you have no life whatsoever. Kill Shot Bravo's is, relatively, okay. Some of the players in the global chat are a bit childish, and every so often you might see someone pop off about the size of their penis or go on an anti-black rant, but otherwise, the community is fair. The PVP component of the game is also excellent, coming to the player in sniper duel form. Taking the strongest part of the game and turning that into your competitive component was a shrewd move by Hothead, and as a result, it makes for insanely addictive online play. I've already sunk an unhealthy amount of time into the online portion – it's just that good.

Now, why exactly does the game grab your attention by the jugular the way it does? Earlier I mentioned that sniping was spectacular; this is because of the wonderful slow-mo effect that the game employs. As your bullet whooshes through the air, you can watch it slowly course into your opponent's head, and spin the camera for the perfect view to a kill. This makes the sniping very cinematic, especially at the point of impact, as the kill is complete with blood splatter; an effect that scarcely seems to get old. This, coupled with lining up that perfect shot, is why sniping is so good in this game.

Being a mobile game, there's a tendency for these titles to look a bit jagged and underwhelming, but no, Kill Shot Bravo looks crisp and smooth. The game doesn't really look pretty considering it's war-themed and it's full of the dull old greens and browns we're so used to these days, but put that aside: for a game that fits in the palm of your hand, Kill Shot Bravo is extremely well done.

Kill Shot Bravo has a lot going against it that might deter first-time players – it's a war-based F2P title, which is not usually a pleasant sentence, but this game is so much fun in what it does that neither of those things matter. The sniping action is addictive and oh so satisfying, and the game's emphasis on that part of the game has served it so well. As such, what we have here is a great, fun title that will leave you coming back for more, even if you don't hand over your wallet to the devs.