BioGun – Review

If Metroidvanias and twin-stick shooters had a baby

I know, I know. We’ve talked about a lot of Metroidvania games recently. Some good. Some bad. Others just okay. But every full moon, I get excited about a game that approaches the formula… a little differently. And this excitement is a double-edged sword, because it sets my expectations very high and I’m afraid of being disappointed. I spoke with the folks at Dapper Dog Digital long before BioGun’s release. I even did a lengthy interview with them about how the game came to be. I also frequented their Discord server often, as the developers were always working while chatting with the community.

Now it’s time to see if all the trust they built was worthwhile. Or if it remained just unrealistic expectations.

Save the dog at all costs!

BioGun starts telling its story even before you get to play. The animated menu features Doc, one of the secondary characters, desperately trying to save his dog. You can see the furball on an operating table, kept alive by machines. She whimpers and wiggles her ears anemicly as she breathes with difficulty. And in the background, news reporters talk about the Dooper Virus, which comes from pigs and only affects dogs. I don't think there could have been a better introduction to the story.

To make things even more personal, you can even choose the dog’s name before you play.

Doc comes up with one last desperate solution to save his four-legged friend. It involves creating a vaccine containing both pig DNA and his own DNA. The result is Bek, our piglet protagonist who is injected and has one mission: to neutralise the Dooper Virus.

Throughout the adventure, you’ll also meet other characters representing different micro-organisms. And I must admit that this is one of the few situations where I’ve encountered intelligently constructed characters and a cleverly written story in a recent Metroidvania. They stand out through their design, personality, and manner of speaking. I think the term that best describes them is “unique”. From the NPCs you briefly encounter to those who play a crucial role… it simply doesn’t feel like they’re taking up unnecessary space. Doc is the only one whose voice we can actually hear. And the other characters mumble in an invented language. But this doesn’t make them irritating to listen to. On the contrary, it’s a way for them to convey their states and feelings. It’s not just the same audio file playing on repeat, no matter how happy or serious the situation.

Nor do those who send you on missions waste your time. In fact, most missions and activities are tied to the story’s progress. You either have to complete them to advance, or you’ll find their objectives naturally while exploring the game’s main route. Or you’ll simply discover them by being curious. In short, the game doesn’t artificially prolong playtime.

And your curiosity about the game world and its inhabitants will be rewarded. At some point, you’ll unlock a scanner that… scans everything you encounter. This won’t just provide you with more information about the different objects or micro-organisms found. You’ll also receive certain bonuses or effects, depending on how many entities you’ve scanned. It’s nice to be rewarded for doing something so simple.

I also appreciate the animated scenes or events that appear after you complete certain crucial objectives. For example, the heart cells will throw a party after you free this organ, and Bek will dance alongside them. It’s a nice way for the game to say, “Good job! Now you can take a short break.” Plus, I love how Bek builds friendships with the other characters he saves in this way.

The game currently includes only one ending. But the developers recently released a roadmap that also includes an alternative ending for Bek’s story.

Who would have thought a twin-stick shooter Metroidvania could be so much fun?

I played BioGun with a controller and I encourage you to use one. Before you get started, you’ll be able to choose between two control schemes. One is Bumper Jumper, which is more suitable for fighting enemies. I say this because you aim where the right stick is pointed. The other option is Manual Fire, which is better suited when you want to navigate the game world. I was encouraged to use the first one by the developers and members who had already played in Early Access, so I tried it. I got used to it, and I never changed it.

Another detail worth mentioning is that the game was developed in Construct 3. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Construct 3 is a game engine developed for creating browser games. This affects frame drops and resource consumption when you have other browser tabs open. You are even encouraged at the beginning of the game not to keep them open while playing.

Another aspect affected is the shorter time you can spend in the game. Specifically, the game creates many temporary files and had lag or frame drops somewhere around two hours of gameplay. The solution is to restart the game.

If I speak from my own experience, I don’t usually keep the browser open when I’m playing, and I certainly don’t like having to restart the game every two hours. It ruins the sense of immersion. But if I were to relate to a generic gamer, both aspects are negative. I’ve heard discussions about porting the game to a C++ based engine, and this is likely to happen with the console port. But until then, we have to deal with these shortcomings generated by Construct 3.

As expected, combat relies heavily on firearms. You can find different weapon variants called Mods as you play. Initially, you have access to the Blaster Mod, which is quite balanced. But it won’t be long until you find other Mods that suit your playstyle. Do you like to shoot like a maniac left and right? There’s a Mod for that. Do you like to be more tactical, like a sniper? There’s a Mod for that. Are you not good at shooting and want a weapon that hits its target no matter what? You guessed it… there’s a Mod for that too.

Don’t get too excited and think there’s one weapon that’s better than all the others. Well… actually there is, but you’ll have access to it later in the game. But until then, you’ll have to choose weapons based on their attributes. Maybe you like Mods that fire at a high frequency, but they don’t have a very long firing range. If you’re familiar with sniper rifles, you know they deal more damage and are more accurate, but their firing frequency is reduced. And if you choose the auto-aim Mod, its attributes are lower.

At the end of the day, there’s something for each of us.

The other important piece of equipment is the Chips. You can only have one of them equipped, and they have more of a utilitarian role, supporting your playstyle. For example, I used Viral Protocol the most. It gives you a drone companion that automatically shoots enemies. It suits me because I like to wipe them out as quickly as possible. I also occasionally used a Chip that allowed me to teleport to locations where I frequently died due to bosses or during more intense parkour sequences. I liked the design behind it, because you only have to equip it once to create a wormhole between where you died and your last save point. Then you’re free to equip another Chip.

There’s also a Chip that allows you to use the best weapon in the game. Without it, the weapon will lose attributes as you take damage. Another intelligent design decision in my opinion, as you can only use the best weapon in the game if you give up the Chip slot.

Last but not least, you also have access to the Critical Blaster Chip, which reduces your health to 1. “Hold on, hold on. That’s rubbish.” You might be right. But there are two achievements you can only unlock if you finish the game with it equipped. It’s worth it if you’re as dead set on getting everything in the game as I am. Plus, the people in the Discord community will help you with advice if you need it.

You can upgrade Bek’s vitality, as well as something called Atomic Energy. The vitality part is self-explanatory. Atomic Energy is what you can use to recover Bek’s lost lives. It also allows you to use a set of secondary weapons, which you unlock after defeating certain bosses. I used these weapons more when I needed to unlock certain areas, but they are just as useful in combat.

You’ll need to find at least three Ionised Atoms if you want to upgrade one or the other. Then you’ll have to choose whether you want to be a bit more durable or if you want more energy to recover lives and use secondary weapons. I chose a balanced approach and alternated between them, but that shouldn’t stop you from choosing what’s most useful to you.

You’ll also find Enzymes that apply different effects. Some of them regenerate Atomic Energy faster. Some work like a ticking time bomb. Some allow you to cross acid zones, and others generate light in dark areas. As you’ve probably figured out, they help more with exploration. And later you’ll be able to capture Enzymes for when you need them. For example, it makes sense to catch an Enzyme that helps you cross an acid zone if you know such a region is coming up.

Another utility item type is Tablets. You can find or buy them, and you can only use them once, after which they disappear from your inventory. For example, one of them instantly recovers two lives. Another recovers Atomic Energy. And the list goes on. Friendly advice: use one of each kind to unlock an achievement.

Probably the most fun to use is the scanner. I say this because it adds a lot of Quality-of-Life improvements and encourages exploration. You’ll get a series of upgrades for it as you scan more and more allies, enemies, consumables, etc.

The first lets you see bosses’ health bars when you scan them.

The second makes coins dropped by enemies float towards you.

The third will signal false walls that you can destroy.

The fourth will magnetise Enzymes when you scan.

And the fifth will let you use scanning unlimitedly, without waiting for it to recharge.

Again, it’s very useful for saving precious time.

You won’t have to worry about enemy variety. Why? Because the developers have maximised the environment they’re working with: the dog’s body. It’s very rare, if not impossible, to encounter the same type of enemy when visiting a different organ. I wasn’t particularly fond of biology, but that doesn’t stop me from appreciating the various viruses and bacteria that try to make our lives difficult in BioGun. What’s more, normal enemies and bosses aren’t frustrating. Plus, each boss fight is unique, and the tricks you have to use to defeat them don’t make fighting them trivial. They’re just there to show you how to defeat them. My only problem with them is that sometimes they feel like damage sponges. But you won’t realise this at the moment, because the attacks they throw at you will keep you busy and attentive.

The feeling that bosses have a lot of health can also come from the fact that you have to follow a certain main route, and from the places where you find the optional ones. You might have the same feeling if you’re like me and collect all possible upgrades before advancing. But if you prioritise speed and finishing the game faster, you might have a different experience. What I mean is that you’ll reach a point where you’re not stuck in the boss arena, but they’re stuck there with you.

Also, I want to mention that you’ll remove certain environmental obstacles when you defeat some of them. You’ll also unlock shortcuts when you complete certain puzzles. I simply appreciate it when a game respects my time and doesn’t drag on unnecessarily.

Apart from these aspects, the path you have to follow is pretty set in stone, and the NPCs and their missions are there to guide you. You really have to try hard if you want to get lost in BioGun. I don’t even think Zoro from One Piece is capable of that. You’ll find the items you need along the way. The map is extremely detailed and marks all important objectives. And even backtracking for secrets isn’t difficult. I could say, however, that save points are quite scattered, and my dear map pins are limited in number and cannot be placed in some locations. You already know me: I’d put pins in my own house if I could.

Speaking of the map, you can reveal the main points of interest in a region as you connect Synapses in the nerves of that location. To save you a bit, you don’t have to worry that these Synapses are limited in number. I initially thought the opposite, but I spoke with the developers and they confirmed that I would be able to buy an unlimited number later.

There are also Bio-Mats and Bio-Shops scattered throughout the organs. Both sell pretty much the same things: Tablets, Enzymes, and Chips. The difference is that Bio-Shops sell cosmetic items depending on the region they are in. Also, within them you can find save points. PS: Shoot a Bio-Mat and see what happens.

PPS: Also shoot the cassette players that look like pills for another surprise.

The save points allow Bek to take a bath and thus recover lost lives. Just be careful when using them inside a Bio-Shop. Let’s just say the vendors aren’t too thrilled to see Bek stark naked, even though he theoretically only wears a mask normally. In any case…

The game also includes fast travel points. Doc will extract you using a syringe and inject you into another location within these. There are enough such places, so you don’t have to stress about walking too much to traverse the organs. What’s more, you can also teleport to points you haven’t accessed. You just need to connect enough synapses to discover them on the map.

I’ll leave you with a few final gameplay mentions:

• I like the fact that Bek starts sweating uncontrollably and panicking when he only has one life left.
• The way they balanced the Chip that creates a drone is clever. I say this because when your character shoots enemies, they gain Atomic Energy, but not if the drone shoots them. This aspect doesn’t make the Chip easy to abuse.
• You can see the NPCs you save during missions returning home.
• Many of them are displayed on the map as if they were at the location they just left.
• Sometimes it can take a while for the game to start.
• I like that you can find secrets everywhere and that the game rewards curious players. The developers mentioned beforehand that this was one of the principles they wanted to apply, but I didn’t expect it to be implemented so satisfactorily.
• Not all bosses are displayed on the map after you defeat them. It happens quite early in the game, and then you can go scan them in time. But it becomes a problem if you forget about them.
• I got the achievement for scanning everything when I only had 30% of the catalogue complete.
• There’s a miner’s helmet that’s supposed to help with dark areas, but it doesn’t generate any light.
• If you have four tablets in your inventory and find a fifth, you can only replace one of the existing ones or trade it for coins. It would be useful to also have a third option that lets us consume one of the tablets. A bonus is a bonus, even if you have to use it forcibly.
• There’s a fight where you have to use the weapon dropped by the boss to leave the arena, and you can very easily miss the animation where it uses it to lock you in there in the first place.
• Situations may arise where you cannot scan bosses after defeating them. This is resolved by exiting and re-entering their room.
• You can access tabs for equipment, upgrades, map, etc. from the same menu. But you can also quickly access a mini-map to see what’s around. What surprised me is that enemies can move towards you when you use the larger menu. This pretty much makes having a separate mini-map useless, since neither option stops time in the game.
• You risk losing the discounts you find on items if you don’t buy them in time.
• I didn’t feel the need to farm at all.
• There’s an optional activity where you participate in a race with a sperm (no, I’m not kidding). And you can clear the track of obstacles and enemies before starting it. But if you want to restart it, the obstacles will reappear. The race itself isn’t difficult and you can win it on the first try. But constantly clearing the route will become frustrating if you want to win the race fast enough for an achievement.
• The collision system seems to have problems sometimes: you can get stuck under lifts or at save points. I got stuck without escape while trying to complete a difficult platforming puzzle. I had no other solution than to restart and lose progress for another difficult platforming section. Not to mention that the game froze after I went through that section a second time.

Impressive Graphics. Nostalgic Music

Now that the year is ending, I can say I’ve played and seen quite a few Metroidvania titles. And I must admit: the art in this game is among the most original and unique I’ve seen. The only Metroidvania that impressed me as much visually was BIOMORPH. It seems the trick was to play something with “Bio” in the name in 2024 if I wanted a cool artistic experience.

Everything is hand-drawn. Each character and enemy has a design that fits the environment they are in. The transition between regions feels organic and natural. And even if the light and colours are more vibrant, the developers understand what balance and contrast mean in terms of colours. And this results in an experience that doesn’t hurt your eyes as if someone is stabbing you with a knife. I was even present when the artist behind it was working on different models and adding them to the game. I know I sound more enthusiastic than I should, but BioGun is simply a spectacle of colour and forms for this genre of games.

There’s only one thing they could improve: creating animations when Bek has different helmets equipped. These are the cosmetics I mentioned you can buy from vendors. Some of them are ridiculously funny. Others refer to popular characters from other franchises. And they all look great. The problem is that they are superimposed over Bek’s model, and the fit isn’t always perfect. That’s why you’ll sometimes notice his pig ears moving outside the helmets, or how his model spins behind them when he double jumps. They could work on creating animations and sprites for each one.

The music and sound effects scream “ARCADE!” at the top of their lungs. The rhythm is fast-paced. The mixers go wild, and the hype is real for every combat sequence. The ambient music is a bit calmer and more suspenseful compared to the battle music.

Probably the best example of visual and audio spectacle you’ll encounter is when you defeat a boss and unlock a new power. The animation and music for that sequence make you feel like a superhero who has become even stronger. You can forget how useful the unlocked abilities are – because they are useful. The pure emotion you feel when this sequence hits you is worth every penny. You have to experience it to understand what I’m talking about.

Final Verdict

BioGun manages to impress in many ways as a Metroidvania shooter. It starts with the narrative and unforgettable characters. It continues with the solid combat system, tools, and upgrade system. It subtly includes references and secrets. The exploration part is fun and rewards you as a player – there’s always something waiting around every corner. Progress and missions don’t feel artificially adjusted to make you spend more time than necessary. And the mix of music and art is unique compared to any other Metroidvania I’ve played.

It doesn’t lack elements that could be improved, like any other game. Things like the underlying game engine that leads to frame drops and lag at certain intervals. The collision system could be improved to avoid generating bugs when your life is dearest. Plus many other minor adjustments that can enhance the gameplay experience.

I’ll be honest with you, I was afraid that the nice interactions with the developers and the community would make me biased. I thought this heavily influenced the fact that I liked the game. But I’m glad I took a break before writing this review. And now it’s clear to me that the game is simply incredible. I initially planned to give it an 8/10. But after looking at the notes again and weighing the positive and negative aspects, I came to a conclusion: BioGun easily deserves a 9/10.

The price of €19.50 is more than justified for the experience and content it offers. You can frequently find it on sale for €14.62. And now it’s slightly reduced and you can get it for €17.55. Again, it’s worth the money no matter how much you pay for it.

Dapper Dog Digital has also released a roadmap with their future plans. This includes new content for the game, as well as a Kickstarter campaign around February. Their goal is to raise enough money to port the game to consoles, or enough money for three DLCs. Now, I’m not going to tell you to throw money at them. But if you like BioGun and want more in this universe, it shouldn’t be a difficult decision. And if you don’t like it, you don’t like it.

That’s all from me. See you soon with a new review!

Played on: PC
Release date: 31 July 2024
Developer: Dapper Dog Digital
Publisher: Dapper Dog Digital

Review by Constantin Dumitru