Luckslinger

Genre: Action-Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

Luckslinger is an Action-Platformer released on PC in 2015 and ported to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2021. This game has players taking the role of the titular Luckslinger, a Wild West-era gunfighter using his magic luck-manipulating bracelet to help him in his quest to return some other bracelets that were stolen from a small town.

The presentation here is a bit odd and eclectic, mixing low-resolution pixel art visuals with electronica music that fluctuates from music befitting the Western genre to tunes that sound much closer to Hip Hop, with the latter being far more prominent here. This anachronistic element is brought into the game’s visuals, with players frequently coming across LP records throughout the game, either in the background playing the soundtrack, or acting as checkpoints. It’s an odd choice, but certainly one that sets this game apart from other Westerns.

The gameplay here is mostly pretty typical Action-Platformer fare, with players being able to jump, fire bullets, reload, toss a knife, and do an evasive roll. However, the game adds in an element of luck that shakes things up a bit – as you play, various elements of the game are affected by luck both for the good and the bad – bullets can seek out a target or sway away from it, hazards may fall or hidden platforms may appear, all based on the player’s current luck level.

While this is a clever gameplay element, the lack of any sort of player agency to really control this element makes it just feel annoyingly random more than anything. Players can save up glowy luck orbs from defeated enemies, which makes their chances of encountering favorable luck events higher. They can also expend some of their luck orbs to ensure they’ll have good luck.

However, it’s up to… well, random chance… whether or not an enemy gives you a luck orb. As a result it seems generally beneficial to just hang onto them rather than expending them, to gain the passive benefit of suffering from unlucky events less often. As a result, what could have been a really unique and excellent game mechanic ultimately just ends up being a random element more than anything.

This leaves Luckslinger feeling like an average Action-Platformer that has some good ideas, but doesn’t seem to know how to execute them particularly well. Players who enjoy this genre may find this game to be an interesting diversion, but it feels like a game that didn’t quite live up to its potential.

tl;dr – Luckslinger is an Action-Platformer set in the Wild West where players can collect luck from downed enemies to affect the frequency of lucky and unlucky events happening. It’s a clever idea, but the lack of control over this mechanic ultimately just makes much of the game feel random. This game isn’t without its charms, but it doesn’t live up to the potential of its clever concept.

Grade: C+

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