Weapon of Choice was originally released in 2008 in the indie section of the Xbox Live Arcade and has reemerged as Weapon of Choice DX for Xbox One. This is totally a Mommy’s Best Games game. Meaning, the stupid ridiculousness is cranked up to 11 and features super gross character design. Whooo boy, this game is something to see.
Check out my stream embedded below to get a taste of the ridiculousness.
In summary, Weapon of Choice is a Contra-clone but with twin-stick controls. The control interface really only uses the LT trigger to jump so anyone can pick up and play. At certain points within each stage, the player is given a choice to take one of two paths. Each path features different enemies and different outcomes, encouraging replayability. It worth pointing out that this is not a rogue game so each stage features the same enemies, hazards, and platforms so players can eventually succeed through memorization. But it plays well and the difficulty is never reaches stupidly high levels.
If the gross enemies, ridiculous character designs, and insane narratives were not goofy enough, the repertoire of maneuvers of the player is also bonkers for no reason. For example, if you hold the jump button, the circular/flipping jumping animation continues into the air as if gravity doesn’t exist; it is so bizarre and literally makes me laugh out loud each time I see it. Holding the right trigger extends the player’s weapon on a Dr. Octopus-like arm; it doesn’t really serve any purpose as there is no tactical advantage whatsoever. It just looks super weird, just like everything else in this game but glad it is there for no reason. The General, who talks to the player through dialog panels, looks like Wilford Brimley and the player has to decide to assist the aliens or go against orders to protect the planet. Each moment is more absurd than the last and the game is better for it. If you played any Mommy’s Best games before this, you will know what to expect.
If the player is about the die, whether through contact with an enemy or projectile, the game slows down and gives the player a last second chance to change direction and avoid a negative outcome. It is a thoughtful feature that is respectful to players of all skill level. Each playable character also has a unique weapon loadout and switching between say, the flamethrower and machine gun, is easy as it just requires the tap of a button. Using the spider backpack is cool too as it allows the player cling and climb walls. There are times when the player might parish or find a wounded NPC. If one of these comrades are carried to the goal, thanks in part to the spider backpack, bonuses are rewarded. There is a lot going happening beyond just the jumping and mindless shooting. If that wasn’t enough, the player enters each stage by missile insertion. Meaning, you ride inside a freaking missile to the spawn point! Again, super crazy stuff here.
Weapon of Choice, in all its illogical glory, can be finished in about 10 minutes. The quick campaign offers different levels of challenge and the branching paths lead to different stages and endings so there is plenty of replay value. It isn’t the most polished experience but it isn’t supposed to be. In fact, the WTF wonkiness is what makes this experience unique.
SCORE: 7/10
Not As Good As: a polished action platformer with much bigger budgets and larger dev teams
Better Than: its initial release, hidden in the indie release section
Wait For It: the next over-the-top game by Mommy’s Best Games
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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