ShootMania Storm

 PC
  • Publisher: Ubisoft
  • Release Date: Apr 10, 2013
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 47 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 47
  3. Negative: 0 out of 47
  1. Cheat Code Central
    Apr 11, 2013
    74
    ShootMania Storm is a breath of fresh air in this world of carbon-copy military shooters. It’s a new take on an old genre that will satisfy anyone who grew up alongside the early shooters.
  2. PC Gamer
    Jul 9, 2013
    73
    A good shooter that’s buried under a baffling UI, confusing rulesets, and a movement scheme that’s needlessly complex.
  3. NZGamer
    Apr 29, 2013
    73
    It does get a little tiresome, however, with so few options and - more importantly, perhaps - the lack of variety in the look of the maps.
  5. CD-Action
    May 13, 2013
    70
    Addictive, fast, balanced gameplay quickly induces the state of total focus which is the most important source of pleasure in ShootMania. [CD-Action 06/2013, p.70]
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  6. Hyper Magazine
    May 9, 2013
    70
    In the case of Shootmania Storm, access to a thriving community is really needed. [June 2013, p.70]
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  7. DarkStation
    May 1, 2013
    70
    The biggest disappointment about ShootMania is how confused the game is, and the lack of direction will almost assuredly be the death of it.
  8. Eurogamer Sweden
    Apr 26, 2013
    70
    ShootMania is a difficult game to rate. The pre-made game modes that come packed with the game are kind of disappointing and not that fun to play. At the same time, the tools for creating own content such as new game modes, maps and weapons are fantastic in every way, and gives us players everything that is necessary to create splendid game-play in an entertaining way. If you like creating or modifying things, this is the game for you. If you just want a good shooter game on the other hand, you should probably wait and see if the community will create any amazing game modes before you buy ShootMania Storm.
  9. Gameblog.fr
    Apr 23, 2013
    70
    Completely aimed at eSport, Shootmania offers a gameplay that will not please everyone. The weapon system will be hated by many, loved by some, who will praise that skills is everything in this FPS. A good title but aimed at a niche market.
  10. GamesRadar+
    Apr 16, 2013
    70
    Despite its bland and overly simplistic exterior, ShootMania Storm is like a blank canvas for FPS fans' creativity.
  11. XGN
    Apr 13, 2013
    70
    ShootMania Storm is a shooter in every inch of the game. To get the best out of this game it is advisable to play with a group of friends, since the game is heavily focused on eSports and teamplay. ShootMania Storm lacks a few features like voice-chat and outdated graphics. Despite that, it is a great game for people that just want to play a fastpaced shooter.
  12. Metro GameCentral
    Apr 12, 2013
    70
    An impressively ambitious attempt to open up game modding to everyone, although at the moment the action is curiously backwards.
  13. IncGamers
    Apr 11, 2013
    70
    A faithful recreation of the rapid-fire FPS’ of yesteryear, with Nadeo’s usual sturdy foundations for community development.
  14. Gamereactor Sweden
    Aug 27, 2012
    70
    Shootmania Storm certainly has all the tools to build an amazing community, but it does at the same time lacks a real identity.
  15. PC Master (Greece)
    Aug 31, 2012
    69
    If your favorite movie was 'Tron' or if you were a UT99 fan, chances are, you will love Shootmania. If you were expecting a single-player experience, you're out of luck! Shootmania is one of those games: you either go crazily addicted with it, or you ignore it. You can pick it up in no time and there's a strong nostalgic gameplay element- and that will undoubtedly gain Shootmania quite a few followers. [September 2012]
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  16. GameWatcher
    Apr 10, 2013
    65
    If Shootmania can gather creative types into its playerbase, capable of bringing it new modes, weapons and maps then it could turn out to be a varied and lasting experience. But for now it feels like a shell or wraparound for a game that hinges on players engaging with the myriad tools available.
  17. PC PowerPlay
    Jun 4, 2013
    60
    A return-to-roots competitive FPS romp, let down a little by its niche target audience and our smaller local community. [June 2013, p.89]
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  18. Digital Spy
    Apr 29, 2013
    60
    It's too early to say whether ShootMania's custom maps will boost its staying power, but we're not sure if an inspired community can draw us back into the FPS.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 78 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 49 out of 78
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 78
  3. Negative: 14 out of 78
  1. Juranec
    Apr 10, 2013
    10
    I don't play many FPS games, but this one is really simple to understand and fun to play. You don't have to choose guns or so, just run aroundI don't play many FPS games, but this one is really simple to understand and fun to play. You don't have to choose guns or so, just run around and shoot at other. Still have fun after almost a year of playing (since closed beta).… Full Review »
  2. Likan
    Apr 10, 2013
    7
    In my humble opinion Shootmania is the first shooter in over a decade to actually hold a candle to its venerable ancestors in the same genre,In my humble opinion Shootmania is the first shooter in over a decade to actually hold a candle to its venerable ancestors in the same genre, Quake (3) and Unreal Tournament (99). For those of you who know these games well, just think of Shootmania as a well-executed mix between the two in terms of character-handling, weapon feel and overall game speed and sense (with a small twist, I'll get to that).

    If Q3 or UT99 doesn't ring a bell, let's just say Shootmania is a very "core" multiplayer FPS. Across various team or FFA game modes (Capture the Flag, Dominion, Last man standing, just to name the most well-known, there's actually a lot more) you are pit in small-to-medium sized arena against other players with a single weapon and a couple of health points. And that's it! No power-ups, no additional weapons to pick-up (although some maps include particular tiles which provide life regeneration or control of a specific weapon as long as you stand on them). In some modes you will respawn immediately upon death, in others death means waiting for the next round, CS-style.

    That's the beauty of it! By going back to the arcade-FPS fundamentals, Shootmania is both very accessible (no complicated multi-layered objectives or elaborate weapon selection to remember or unlock) and very hard to master, as it focuses solely on the most basics of skills precision, reflexes and tactical sense.

    Some people are put off by the relatively neutral (some say bland) graphic design. While it is true the "ancient ruins upon green scenery" is far from spectacular, its merits are many it's rather undemanding and will behave well on lower-end rigs, I find it quite soothing (agreable relief from the frantic action) but most importantly the action remains clear at all times which is paramount in this type of game.

    Shooting is well handled (no ammo but instead an automatic reloading timer preventing mindless spam), the controls are responsive and the weapon inertia is familiar. Movement is very satisfactory in its simplicity. At first, it's a basic WASD ZQSD scheme to move strafe, space to jump and you're all set. You will then discover and master wall-jumping and most importantly, the ability to tremendously boost your speed based on the use of the Space key and your character's intertia. Hard to explain, hard to master, yet very fun once you get the hang of it.

    SM is a fairly community-oriented product, and while it means there's already a plethora of game-modes and an almost unlimited supplies of maps (ranging from great to "wtf?"), it also means the orientation of the game (and ultimately, his success) will heavily depend on its population.

    I'm writing this review as the open beta ends, and I must say I'm disappointed to note that the most popular game modes include Royal (Last Man Standing with a twist) or Battle (Dominion with a twist), as I find them to amongst the least interesting. Simple case of player taste here. Alternatively, it's become quite hard to find, in Europe at least, good servers proposing iCTF (instagib-CTF with the railgun-equivalent) or any instagib modes for that matter. I'm also dubfounded by the success of modes such as Obstacle (a kind of obstacle racing, no shooting involved) which is arguably fun and original but in my view quite far from the game's original intent.

    The population is a bit on the elitist side but the general attitude remains several orders of magnitude better than the modern military shooters will all know. In other words, you won't be flamed endlessly if you are a beginner, which is quite agreable in this gaming age!

    Overall, if you are longing for "old-school" arcade shooters like Q3 or UT99 or are looking for an arcade shooter that rewards player improvement over sheer playing time, and a steep-but-manageable difficulty curve doesn't frighten you then give SM a try, it's definitely worth its moderate price.    … Full Review »
  3. EXtraDonut
    Apr 11, 2013
    10
    Shootmania at this point has to be my favourite game to sink time into. Some would argue that this game is too "simple". Yes it may beShootmania at this point has to be my favourite game to sink time into. Some would argue that this game is too "simple". Yes it may be simplistic in its design, but this simplicity allows the users to get creative with the tools they are given. Multiple different game modes are already released as well as a whole lotta custom maps. Over time this number will continue to grow and more content will keep flooding in. Both from community creators as well as nadeo themselves. I highly suggest giving this game a try, as it is quite addicting.

    Mind you it is a twitch shooter, so don't expect to be able to just run around at normal speed and do good, you gotta go fast and react to fast movement. Simple game, hard to master.    … Full Review »
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