Shot in the Dark

At first glance, Shot in the Dark looks like any other side-scrolling run 'n gun platformer. But look again, because this stylish 8-bit action game shares more in common with light gun games like Gumshoe and Duck Hunt than Mega Man or Metal Slug. It's a clever mix of genres set against a Wild West backdrop filled with scary ghosts and flesh-eating monsters. But is Shot in the Dark yet another example of style over substance? That's what I want to find out in this review.

Armed with only a hat and a trusty six-shooter, this is the story of a lone bandit who will stop at nothing to get his man -- even if that means dealing with a supernatural apocalypse. What starts as a simple play on the Man With No Name-style western quickly spirals out of control when demons, cultists, dead gunslingers and all kinds of ghouls and ghosts show up to get in the way. It's now up to us to help the bandit brave the Wild West through 64 short yet challenging stages filled with tough platforming puzzles and lots of monsters to gun down.

It's the shooting that sets Shot in the Dark apart from every other run 'n gun platformer. For one thing, there's no running and gunning. The bandit can run and jump around like any other game, but the moment he needs to shoot, he stands in place, takes careful aim and then pulls the trigger. In that sense, it feels a lot like the side-scrolling platforming stops in order for the game to become a de facto light gun shooter. You'll have to use the mouse instead of a Zapper, but the concept is basically the same. Line up a shot and kill those demons.

And it's not just enemies the bandit is lined up with. If the monster is on the screen, you can shoot at it, no matter if there are walls, ceilings or any other obstacles getting in the way. What makes this tricky is that the bandit can only shoot six bullets before reloading. This forces us to play more cautiously, something that can be especially difficult as evil gunslingers take aim from far away. Between juggling platforming and taking aim at the enemies, this is a surprisingly tense game.

There's no way to talk about Shot in the Dark without gushing over the gorgeous graphics. The levels are simple yet stylish, using only blacks, whites and reds to paint the world. From the forests to the graveyards to the zombie-filled catacombs, every inch of the game is as haunting as it is beautiful. Best of all, the game uses the limited palette to create monsters that can take full advantage of the 8-bit backgrounds. Enemies will completely blend in, becoming practically invisible to the human eye. A lot of the challenge comes from picking up signs that an enemy is nearby, a skill you'll hone over time. Sometimes it's looking for the beady red eyes, watching them pass by a white pillar or seeing their reflection in the pond. You're constantly put in these situations where, like the title suggests, you need to take a shot in the dark. The way the game uses the monsters in the world is masterful.

It can also be frustrating. Shot in the Dark is a purposely challenging game that can't help but be cruel. Even if you're slow and careful, the game is designed to want to kill you with an enemy or obstacle you couldn't possibly predict. As a result, many of the levels can be boiled down to a lot of paranoia and basic trial and error memorization. You might not see that invisible pit or bad guy the first few times, but you'll start to piece the path together through repetition. Yes, you're going to die a lot while taming the Wild West, and some of it will definitely feel cheap.

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That said, the trial and error approach didn't annoy me here as much as it normally does. For one thing, the levels are long enough to be challenging but not too long to be unfair. When you die, you can restart the level in less than a second, so you're never out of the fray for long. There are also simple touches -- like using the enemy's blood to paint a safe path or watching the grass rustle as the ghouls creep by -- that help illuminate a world made up of darkness. But even with these clues, you'll still need to play and replay these stages over and over in an effort to learn the safest path.

In that sense, Shot in the Dark often feels like a puzzle game. Killing multiple gunslingers in a stand-off will suddenly be more about finding the correct order than just lining up the shot. There will be levels where you won't have enough time to kill every bad guy, so it ultimately comes down to figuring out what enemies to avoid and which need to be killed. Sometimes it's advantages to leave the red ghouls alive, that way you'll be able to see their pitch-black counterparts. Although the devilishly cruel stage designs can sometimes be frustrating, I still loved working out the solutions and overcoming something that previously felt impossible.

Shot in the Dark is a great game overall, but not without a few flews. There are a few stages with some very interesting glitches, including one where you can move the enemies around using the arrow keys. Speaking of which, I'm not a huge fan of using the keyboard to move and jump. I ran into a lot of problems when trying to make precise leaps. Finally, it's not always clear where your cursor is going to be when you want to aim. Because the cursor disappears when you're platforming, you'll need to remember where you left it the last time you pulled out the gun. Thankfully, none of these nitpicks are deal-breakers and won't ruin your enjoyment of this great game.

This is 2021's first big gaming surprise. Shot in the Dark is an inventive new action game that expertly mashes together genres, all while painting a gorgeous pixel world filled with darkness and paranoia. It can be frustrating and cruel at times, but this sophomore release from Possum House Games wows with its old school looks and fresh new ideas. With only three colors and a six-shooter, Shot in the Dark stands apart from all of the other run 'n gun platformers. Highly recommended.