The Gunstringer

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 47 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 35 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 47
  3. Negative: 5 out of 47
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. megaD
    Sep 3, 2012
    4
    This game is pretty boring. Running "on rails" and shooting stuff isn't exactly what I expected from a full price game. Maybe more from an "Kinect Arcade" title.
  2. FabioSooner
    Sep 13, 2011
    3
    Take a collection of Wii minigames - not the Wii Sports fun variety, but of the shovelware 'tradition' - give it a coat of paint of 'weird' humor, release it as an independent company and you have The Gunstringer: a game that's idiotic in all levels possible but critics and 'core' gamers will praise because they want to 'support the small guy' - not to mention justify the fact they didTake a collection of Wii minigames - not the Wii Sports fun variety, but of the shovelware 'tradition' - give it a coat of paint of 'weird' humor, release it as an independent company and you have The Gunstringer: a game that's idiotic in all levels possible but critics and 'core' gamers will praise because they want to 'support the small guy' - not to mention justify the fact they did bought Kinect but are too lazy to use it to play what it's generally best for, dancing and sports/exercise games.

    Don't believe the hype: this game no different from what most 'core' gamers have come to expect from Wii/Kinect/Move shovelware minigame collections. It's totally on rails, it's gimmicky, it tries to rely on the idea of 'making gaming fun' by removing any kind of challenge or depth - just an example, wherever else you would get to play platform sections *on-rails*, just flicking your arm up to jump? Even 8-bit games had more depth than this. Worse yet, it doesn't do anything with Kinect that better games, such as Child of Eden or Rise of Nightmares, haven't done before. It just hides it in a uncensored humor sheen and the promise that you can play it sitting on the couch.

    Oh, and it's by an indie company, which makes people *way* more forgiving. The only real upsides to the game are the controls, which work very well, but even then it's hard to give it much credit since they're absurdly simple - that is, the game doesn't really go the distance to use Kinect such as Rise of Nightmares or even Kinect Sports did.

    What's even more annoying is that the game tries so hard to be funny that just ends up being silly. There's a difference between crazy, out-there humor such as in Shadows of the Damned ,and what Gunstringer tries to do when it shows a grown cowboy stickin' it into a giant alligator; it's not toilet/dick humor, it's 10-year-old-giggling-at-porno-magazines humor. Which says a lot about how the industry, even its indie side, views 'core' gamers: as complete idiots who will never grow up. And in part they're right, given how this trainwreck of a 'game' is being received by so-called 'trusted' sources such as Joystiq and Game Informer.It's sad to notice how platform wars and political ideologies have trumpled people's best judgements. But time will show how Gunstringer is forgettable, I hope.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

88
#88 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2011
83
#83 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 60 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 46 out of 60
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 60
  3. Negative: 2 out of 60
  1. AusGamers
    May 15, 2012
    80
    Satirical and self-referential, short and sweet, Twisted Pixel has provided a multitude of six-shooting fun, and their quirky creation tucks itself nicely into several age-groups. The Gunstringer is one of the most inventive and chaotic titles for the Kinect to-date.
    Read full review
  2. Console Monster
    Feb 15, 2012
    86
    So if you own a Kinect, and you aren't playing Zumba seven days a week, The Gunstringer is a game you shouldn't pass up. With its lowered retail price and accurate controls, the game delivers on the Kinect's promise of an innovative and fun game experience. With the only flaws being the length and 'sitting' mode, The Gunstringer is a game all Kinect owners should try.
    Read full review
  3. DailyGame
    Dec 12, 2011
    90
    In spite of an abundance of cheap shots, the game's personality and originality elevate The Gunstringer into the upper echelon of Kinect titles. In fact, it's my favorite Xbox Kinect title to date.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »