GunBound

"A Family Game: Either Addictive or Vindictive"

GunBound is a turn-based strategy game that involves tanks that appear like living creatures that your "person" rides that have individual pros and cons and different types of attacks. In it's recent release, GunBound 2.0 has introduced a new play mode, called Powerball, and a new item system.

The following ratings are based on GunBound 2.0:

Gameplay: 8 / 10

This game is fun-tastic and somewhat easy to pick up, though incredibly difficult to master. The primary reason that this is a 8/10 is that it's free, allowing me to boost it up one point. They improved the mobiles in 2.0, making them more balanced and therefore encouraging players to use different things. My primary complaint is the new item system. Players must buy consumable items, and item slots, to use these "secondary items", along with the original items, to use them in matches. These items are simply overpowered. A player can end another player's life in one turn with "Team Offense Up" added on with a Dual. "Dual Thor" pretty much doubles Thor damage for three turns, making the Aduka a killing machine, and also making full-team Adukas even more overpowered. Players can't afford to keep using items, so matches usually are free from their tyranny.

Controls: 7 / 10

It's somewhat tedious to use the Drag system, which requires timing and a decent mouse. Slice is disadvantageous to play because of it's speed and it also requires timing, to a lesser extent. There is a nice interface, and the option of changing it. The angle and power ideas are nothing new, but tried and true nonetheless.

Graphics: 6 / 10

There's nothing new here for your average gamer. You won't be shocked and awed by the visuals.

Music: 5 / 10

The music in this game used to be very limited and also awful. It's now more spread out and less annoying, and so this gets a basic 5 / 10.

Community: 6 / 10

Since beta release, the community of this game was awful. Most of these people have been weeded out fortunately, for a fairly above-average community.

Replay Ability: 8 / 10

This gets 8 / 10 because it's free and easy to pick up. People have come back to this game after years, like myself, and enjoy it. Of course, there will be those who get frustrated and never come back.
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Overall, this game is fairly good; if the "GCoins" avatars were removed, new mobiles were introduced, and secondary items were balanced, the game would attract even larger audiences.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 06/06/08

Game Release: GunBound (US, 2004)