Game Reviews

GUTS

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| GUTS (iPhone)
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GUTS
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| GUTS (iPhone)

If the apple doesn’t fall from the tree, then the good people at TAG Games are seriously weird.

Exploring the inner workings of dictator General Schmerdiakov isn't a matter of running through government buildings and city streets, rather stomach, spleen, and colon.

Like an authoritarian sequel to Inner Space, GUTS shrinks you down to microscopic size to rid the General's body of nasty germs and carry out lots of repairs to his aging body. You move around in an old Soviet diving helmet delivering the General from what aims him.

Lethal injection

The game perfectly simulates what it would be like to steer a massive chunk of metal with only a couple of thrusters in liquid. That is to say the ship is slow to respond to movement, even with the sharpest tilt of your handset. At least firing up the thrusters is easy enough thanks to on-screen buttons.

At first, movement proves annoying, but every now and then there's this strange sense of satisfaction from navigating a particularly tricky section with some careful tilting, which makes you forget - albeit only briefly - annoyances experienced up to that point.

As the game progresses, the forgiving moments becoming less and less prominent. I found myself sniping enemies through walls to preemptively prevent their fatal attacks against my rusty vessel - it felt like cheating.

It's not enemies are especially clever or tough, just hard to target. Once stuck to your hull, it's near-impossible to shake them loose as they drain your health to nothing.

Dying wouldn't be so bad if the loading wasn't so drawn out, not to mention if you weren't asked to post your score again for the umpteenth time, and the gameplay itself wasn’t so slow.

Inner beauty

Where it falls down in its controls and frustration-inducing nature it picks itself again up in terms of presentation.

Before each level is a stellar cut-scene showing the two heroes looking out the window at the following body area. The whole adventure bears a hand-drawn style that's quite charming. You can see the comical Soviet theme throughout, and it really defines GUTS as unique.

While such an original visage makes it mildly pleasing to work your way through the General's body - blood, guts and all - 'mildly' isn't something you would tell your friends about. For that reason you won’t want to come back to GUTS in a hurry or even complete it for that matter.

GUTS

GUTS is at best a unique and well-presented game, but moments of good gameplay are few and far between
Score
Ben Griffin
Ben Griffin
Having said farewell to university life, Ben decided to follow his ultimate dream of getting paid to play games. Luckily, Pocket Gamer was more than happy to help in his quest.