Guns Gore and Cannoli 2 Review Updated)
Guns Gore and Cannoli 2 is an action platformer in which you must take on a whole manner of enemies while negotiating various themed areas. You do have a few melee weapons but by en large, you will do most of your negotiating with ranged attacks. You start off with a basic hand gun that takes a few hits to kill the standard enemies but very soon you will have picked up some of the more persuasive weapons. At your disposal is a selection machine guns, grenade launchers and my favorite: the hand cannon because it can take heads clean off with one shot.
Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2 follows the same design of the original game, a quirky and action-packed 2D side-scroller that injects heavy doses of guns, gore, and of course cannoli, plus zombies and Nazis. The story takes place 16 years after the events of the first game, with our gangster anti-hero Vinnie Cannoli doing what he does best, killing folk and spewing one-liners. His simple tastes land him in trouble and drew the attention of a masked figure known as the Dark Don, who wants him for a sinister plan. Vinnie decides to track down the Dark Don which leads him through crime-ridden Chicago, revisiting the zombie-infested Thug Town and even to Europe during The Second World War.
Guns Gore & Cannoli 2 isn't going to push back any gameplay boundaries, but then it doesn't need to. Vinnie doesn't have a vast set of skills to unleash on his foes, just your basic duck, roll and double jump. However, I love how these few skills have been used to good effect. Guns, Gore and Cannoli was refreshing, fun and very energetic. The Sequel is pretty much the same, having all the same elements that made the first game so much fun. The controls are easy to grasp, the action is highly immense, and the artistic detail is fantastic. What really makes Guns, gore and Cannoli 2 such an enthralling game is the high level of polish in the destruction, environments and the relentless number of enemies with the long line-up of brutal weaponry. Single or multiplayer grants an excellent display of carnage with plenty of NPCs to mow down, in tightly design levels that offer a variety of hazards, simple lateral elements, and challenges. This is all great stuff and overall, Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2 is just as much fun as the original.
Like any action/platformer, you will have to defeat a boss at the end of each chapter. In Guns Gore and Cannoli 2, there are only a few of these confrontations because the game is relatively short. Each felt fun to fight but a little too easy for my liking. The final boss encounter did put up a good fight and took a few turns before I found a way to best it. What these bosses lack in complexity however they make up for in visual flair and personality. You can also play the game with up to four players, myself and a friend linked up via Steam and the process was seamless. You both get your own ammo and health pickups, but the action is exactly the same for both of you. Like the basic skills, playing with other humans is more fun than I had expected, with one player covering the other from up high or leading groups into a trap.
One of my favorite parts of this game is the sound work, especially the one-liners from Vinnie. 'Everyone is a gangster until a gangster walks into the room' and 'making America great again' are two of my favorites and the second one shows a good degree of parody for modern world events. There are a few small scenes of dialogue in between each chapter and while clichéd, they are certainly meant to be. In this respect, the game is very self-aware, and I felt like I was laughing with Vinnie, not at him.
Despite the lack of new weapons, new enemy types, interesting story and the short length; it’s still a solid game. The level design is good, the action is amazing and the art style is so beautifully crafted that it’s difficult not to get sucked in and enjoy the madness on display. This is a sequel worth checking out if you loved the first game and is now available on Nintendo Switch!
