Monday, February 7, 2011

Bow Man Review

Bow Man is one of those games that was created to amuse you for very short amounts of time, very infrequently. The game itself is fun and all, but its hard to stay interested. The highest point about the game is probably the two player mode, which allows you to shoot your friends in the vitals and make them bleed all over.

Overall: 34/50


Gameplay: 7/10
Bow Man features several different game modes, all of which will be somewhat fun. Firstly, there is practice mode which you can use to get in tune with the game, figure out the physics, and get good at it. Next, there is Versus mode. There are actually two modes for Versus: against another person (locally) or against a computer. All in all, playing against another person is the best thing to do as it offers the most fun. Playing against the computer can be fun as well, but there aren't difficulty adjustments, so it can be really easy to beat them. Lastly, theres the Bird Hunting mode. This is also pretty amusing, especially the Unlimited Mode. The only reason this is fun is because you can launch an infinite number of arrows very quickly, raining hell both up and down on the poor birds that fly past. The Challenge Mode under Bird Hunting is probably the most lasting part about Bow Man, which gives you limited ammo to kill birds with, but really, it isn't that challenging.

Playability: 9/10
Bow Man is extremely simple. Touch somewhere, drag your finger, let go. What really matters is how far and where you drag your finger to. The physics of the game are quite nice, especially with wind included. The minute angle and draw length crossed with different wind speeds make almost unlimited possibilities for shooting an arrow, but really it doesn't matter too much. All in all, you will be able to get even your parents to understand how to play, and maybe they will even play with you!

Entertainment: 6/10
When the game is first downloaded, its somewhat boring. Once you discover the other modes and how to play well, it becomes fun. From here, there is just a hill down. Bow Man simply becomes boring way too fast.

Graphics: 7/10
The simple black and white stick figure animations are really quite fitting for Bow Man. Its nothing over the top or complex, but almost soothing. Not just the simple animations and style, but the blood red blood is so perfect; beyond perfect almost. But really, I think that the developers could've made the game much better by attempting to improve the graphics, at least a little.

Sound: 3/10
The sound is by far the most disappointing factor of Bow Man. There is only one sound: the sound of your bow shooting. There is no variation of this sound. Thats all you will hear, so turn the sound off. But hey, at least the devs gave it sound.

Overall: 34/50
Bow Man, would be good if what it was offering wasn't offered in other games. The two player, which is probably the best feature, is pretty much just a really shallow tank battle game. The Bird Hunting will offer some periodic entertainment, but even that won't last long. Unless you wan a bow game or something simple to play with your family, Bow Man isn't even worth the download.