Developer: Kabloop
Publisher: Kabloop, GrabTheGames
Platform: Switch, PS4/5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Tested on: PC
Diggergun – Preview
Games that have a proper retro vibe often come from the heart of a developer who reminisces about the games they played when they were younger. We suspect it’s the same for Diggergun, an upcoming retro-styled game that’s currently on Kickstarter. The 2-bit pixel art (meaning black and white graphics) game has a demo available for PC, Xbox series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PS4/5 where we picked up the PC version to see what the game is about.
In Diggergun the player falls from the sky to be enlisted by some evil corporation that’s digging into the ground for Lithium. Many are trapped by this corporation in a dystopian world, and they all need to go to the mines five days a week to collect as much as they can in return for money. Every day, the player needs to collect the precious things found in the mines while keeping track of their energy. To keep their energy level up, the player will have to eat and sleep when needed. Not every day will be the same though, as prices of food can change, and you won’t always catch the same amount of sleep.
The ultimate goal seems to be escaping your contract by buying yourself out for a price of 3000, though how fast this can be achieved is unclear. Diggergun‘s demo doesn’t implement all its end mechanics. While you work and deliver Lithium, your money isn’t going up but is actually going down by paying for food every day. Also, there is no story progress or upgrade system apart from leveling up currently in the game. The demo is simply not substantial enough to properly evaluate what the game will be like in the end. It offers a small glimpse of the main gameplay but fails to showcase any progress or rewards for your hard work, and the demo ends before you even know what’s up.
We did enjoy the music so far, with melodious MIDI-sounding tracks and sounds that have a strong retro vibe. The graphics are simple but effective, which is good too. The gameplay feels classic like the late 80s, and we can kind of see where the developer is going with his game. You only use a few keys to walk around and destroy blocks around you to dig a way to Lithium. There are some simple enemies present that can be killed with one or a few shots, and one (random) level is way more profitable than the other. It seems you will have to go deeper and deeper into the mines as it probably will progressively get harder, while at the same time you’ll have to manage your time and upgrade your gear and skills. So far though, we only managed to dig deeper while the levels seemed about the same. We tried to do our best by sleeping enough between the days and collecting as much as we could, and then the demo already abruptly ended after a short in-game week.
Conclusion
Does Diggergun have potential? Yes, it seems that there is enough setup to make an interesting little game. The demo, however, barely shows any of it. We would advise the developer to make a more extensive demo in the future that actually utilizes the full potential of the mechanics that have been set up. That being said, if you want to check the game out and support it on Kickstarter, follow the link right here.
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