Defend yourself against ever encroaching subterranean monsters in Turret Rampage.  Move your turret up and down levels as you fire different shots to take down various foes in this 2-D single screen shooter that mixes tower defense elements into the gameplay.  It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.

Use the analog stick to move up and down and switch between shooting enemies from the left and right.  You have three different kinds of shots corresponding to three different buttons.  There is a single shot, a double shot, and a shot that explodes the whole screen.  Each type of enemy is weak against a certain shot, or a combination of different shots.  It’s up to you to quickly figure out which shots you must use on each level.  If an enemy reaches the end of that tunnel, you’ll first automatically fire a shot that explodes everything on that side.  But if a second enemy reaches that area, it’s Game Over and you’ll have to start the level over again.

There are eight levels in all, and each one adds a new element or enemy to the mix.  You pass the levels by reaching a certain amount of waves where you must take down a number of enemies.  But the last level is endless and just keeps getting progressively harder.  On the menu screen you can also check leaderboards and change the color scheme (the game is kind of monochrome like a Game Boy title).  My main problem with the game is that it’s a bit light on content, and I wish you could’ve used the D-pad as well as the analog stick to move, as it’s easy with the analog stick to accidentally move up and down as you switch sides.

Kid Factor:

Turret Rampage is rated E with an ESRB descriptor of Mild Fantasy Violence.  You shoot crudely drawn enemies that look like cave paintings so violence is pretty minimal.  Instructions are shown with only picture cues, so reading skill isn’t needed, but it may be tough for younger gamers.

Tags: Game Reviews