“Mothergunship” is like a 2018 update of the game “Tower of Guns” by the same developer. Despite the rehashed feel, there is a lot to like about it.

The Story

“Mothergunship’s” story isn’t the most interesting or the longest but it more than makes up for in colorfully written characters and gameplay integration. You are a nameless and voiceless “recruit” who is tasked on destroying an alien mother ship called a “Mothergunship.” The game’s story is simple with a few twist and turns along the way. The writing combined with superb voice acting makes the game’s narrative very enjoyable. Pop culture references are used sparingly and jokes are more subtle which can be considered a very virtuous gesture nowadays. Another great thing that “Mothergunship” has done well was gameplay integration. In theory, “Mothergunship” is a game than can be played forever and the story’s ending sets this up in a very clever way. The only that hinders this game’s narrative is that the credit rolled a bit too early even though there are still some story to be told. I was able to roll the credits at around my 10-hour mark and that includes quite a bit of side questing.

The Feel

The game is developed by Terrible Posture Games who also developed the game “Tower of Guns,” where “Mothergunship” borrows many of its gameplay elements. The main thing that is new in “Mothergunship” is the heavily customizable arsenal. There is a huge variety of guns and attachments that can be mixed-and-matched to create the perfect loadout. The guns can even chage the way you play and the way you traverse each room. Players also have a simple upgrade tree for their armor as well to upgrade your health, energy consumption, etc.  The objectives of the game consist of clearing rooms filled with turrets, drones, environmental hazards and traps.

The rooms are very well designed considering that there are a lot of them. However, some of the rooms are repeated in some levels. Each levels gives random rewards such as coins, experience, new guns or a combination of everything. However, death has a very high price to pay like many rogue-like games. All items in the player’s inventory will be wiped, even the ones that was brought in during the mission. This is where “Mothergunship” truly shines. Not only does this give another degree of difficulty to an already difficult game, it gives the player a risk-reward in almost every situation. Do you elect to possibly double your loot by clearing the room or push towards the end to cash out? Some people might think these types of games may come as repetitive but games like “Binding of Isaac” are popular for a reason and “Mothergunship” has the pedigree to be in the top.

The Sound Design

Some people say that the best sound design is when you don’t notice it; this is not the case for “Mothergunship.” This game has great sound design and it is in your face. The music of “Mothergunship” isn’t mind-blowing like the 2016 remake of “Doom” but it does the same effect which is get you hyped up. When the guitar starts, you know it’s time to let it rip. The sound effect of each gun corresponds to their payload as they should and that’s all you could really ask for.

The Verdict

“Mothergunship” has the capability to dethrone “Binding of Isaac” as the king of rogue-like shooters. The decent story, awesome gameplay, and kick-ass customization will hopefully draw people in. If Terrible Posture Games continues to support this game in the future and fulfills all of their promise towards their growing community, this game will be one of the best rogue-like on the market.

The Score: 8/10 Very Good