Shadowgun Review (iOS)

It's here! Madfinger's Shadowgun has garnered a tremendous amount of attention since it was unveiled earlier this year thanks to its incredibly crisp and fluid 3D action – this is one of the best-looking mobile games ever created. At its core, Shadowgun is a third-person cover-based shooter, quite obviously inspired by Gears of War. Players move with a left virtual thumbstick, and fire & reload their weapons with a pair of right-side virtual buttons. Gamers will blast their way through nine linear stages, dispatching waves of standard enemies as well as larger set-piece ending bosses.



I enjoyed Shadowgun, but ultimately the entire experience felt a bit bland. It's tough to escape the feeling that the game is a poor-man's Gears of War. The game doesn't commit any major missteps either, however. The voice acting is believable, the difficulty curve is nice and steady, and the shooting action is sharp & responsive. Sliding in and out of cover is as easy as walking up to a wall or barrier – no button required. Slick. Shadowgun is a fun ride from start to finish (besides the frustrating final boss), but it only excels at its visuals.



Shadowgun lacks replay value in its current 1.0 state. For your $8 you will receive a 5-6 hour single player campaign, and nothing more. Online Multiplayer is reportedly in the works however. We'd like to see a wave arena Horde-style mode added as well. As a technical showpiece Shadowgun is a triumph. As a shooter, the experience is passable. Anyone who has mastered Modern Combat, NOVA, and iOS's other top-tier shooters would be wise to grab Shadowgun. Other mobile gamers might want to wait and see how Madfinger adds to the title in coming months.

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