Game Reviews

Groundskeeper 2

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| Groundskeeper 2
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Groundskeeper 2
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| Groundskeeper 2

There's an enormous mechanical stomping device smashing down into the ground at irregular intervals.

It flashes its arrival at the top of the screen, but I'm far too busy murdering spindly-egged supernatural alien head crabs to pay that much attention.

A triple gun power-up appears on the other side of the screen and I sprint over, spraying out a gout of hot lead-based death as I do. A quick jump and the power-up is mine.

Or, it would be, if the enormous alien finger hadn't chosen just then to prod into the ground and squish me into forlorn defeat.

It's okay, though, because I'm probably a clone, and within 30 seconds I've strapped on another gun and leapt through a portal to shoot alien robots, steal their innards, and try and survive a little longer than last time.


It missed this time, but you get the idea

Groundskeeper 2 is a game of try and try again. Its violence is pitched perfectly, and as you get a better handle on the arcade rhythm it offers you more tools for survival.

Everything is presented in thick-edged pixels, with a bright palette and creature designs that pay homage to everything from Half-Life to RoboCop.

You sprint left and right by tapping buttons, and shoot and jump by tapping some more. There's a nice weight to proceedings, and your chunky guns have some fearsome recoil too.

Each single-screen level sees you snaffling a set number of cogs, nuts, and bolts from downed enemies. When you've got enough you open a portal and get sucked up to the next destination with your health refilled.

But the further you go the tougher things get. Flying enemies, mechanical worms that smash out of the ground beneath your feet, and bug-eyed sentry turrets all do their best to mash you into bits.


Pew pew pew pew pew pew pew pew pew

There might not be a great deal of depth here, but there's a coin-op simplicity to Groundskeeper 2 that makes it almost irresistible.

You bounce through the levels, unlocking shields, weapons, and new stages, as a counter on the main menu ticks up the percentage of the game you've conquered.

And it's all fun. A big pixel-y bundle of grinning fun. You won't lose yourself in it forever, but Groundskeeper 2's hop-scotch of pow-wow violence and instant retries will leave you flustered and satisfied.

Groundskeeper 2

A big old bundle of laser blasting fun, Groundskeeper 2 does what it does with style and a cheeky smile
Score
Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.