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Sometimes you just want a spot of mindless action, ludicrous explosions and\u2026 cats. Knowing this eternal truth, Chunkybox Games have put together Wildcat Gun Machine, the purest articulation of violence and felines that we\u2019ve seen this side of Thundercats.<\/p>\n
To better understand this festival of gore, we got in touch with the mysterious \u2018Dave\u2019, the one-man-band behind Wildcat Gun Machine<\/strong>, and asked him some questions. If you like the idea of strapping yourself into a mech and laying waste to a level, then read on\u2026<\/p>\n\n
Could you please introduce yourself and your role on Wildcat Gun Machine?<\/strong><\/p>\nI\u2019m Dave and aside from the music which was composed by the amazing GODONTGO, I developed Wildcat Gun Machine as a one-person-team.<\/em><\/p>\nCould you give us a quick rundown of Wildcat Gun Machine?<\/strong><\/h2>\nWildcat Gun Machine is a bullet hell shooter packed with a massive arsenal of weapons, epic boss battles and a challenging level of difficulty. You can also pet the cats.<\/em><\/p>\nGoing by the over-the-top (and cat-filled trailers), Wildcat Gun Machine looks like it just wants to be no-nonsense fun. Is that fair?<\/strong><\/p>\nThat\u2019s right. I like to call the game an \u2018explosion rollercoaster\u2019. There\u2019s no story to the game, it\u2019s just about the action and making sure the\u00a0 moment-to-moment gameplay is as polished as possible.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nHow does a player progress?<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nThe game has a linear campaign so players navigate through sprawling maze-like dungeons filled with challenging enemy encounters. There are perks and weapon upgrades the player can use to upgrade themselves and become an unstoppable force of destruction.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n
You\u2019ve been at pains to point out that Wildcat Gun Machine is hand-crafted. Are these constructed levels, rather than something procedurally generated?<\/strong><\/p>\nThat\u2019s right. The levels aren\u2019t procedurally generated and there isn\u2019t a rogue-like element to the game, it\u2019s more like a classic arcade shooter. By taking randomness out of the gameplay, you can design very specific challenges and really mess with the player through the enemy encounters. It also means the gameplay can be designed around the types of weapons I know the player will have access to.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nWhat can you tell us about the forty gun types? Will they feel wildly different from each other?<\/strong><\/p>\nThe gun variety is there to keep the game feeling fresh. The player should be discovering new weapons pretty frequently and if a certain gun doesn\u2019t suit their playstyle, they\u2019ll find another pretty soon. There\u2019s classics like the shotgun and flamethrower, as well as more out there weapons like a gun that fills the screen with ice shards. The BFG also makes an appearance.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nThe highlight from the trailer for us (aside from the cat) is the ridiculously OTT mech that you can strap into. What\u2019s the story behind it? Do we get to use it frequently?<\/strong><\/p>\nThere are a few giant mechs in the game. After each major boss fight the player is rewarded with one of these mechs and a screen full of enemies to mow down. It\u2019s to make the player feel super powerful for a while and break up the challenging gameplay.<\/em><\/p>\nWhat was the inspiration behind the enemies? They mostly make us feel uncomfortable.<\/strong><\/p>\nThe enemy designs are intentionally gross to make it more satisfying to see them explode into piles of guts. It\u2019s just like popping pimples.<\/em><\/p>\n\n
In some ways, Wildcat Gun Machine looks like Returnal remade as an isometric shooter. Maybe with a spot of <\/strong>Enter the Gungeon<\/strong> and <\/strong>Hades<\/strong>. Are any of these comparisons on point?<\/strong><\/p>\nThe moment to moment gameplay draws a lot of inspiration from games like Enter the Gungeon (minus the rogue-like element) as well as high intensity shooters like <\/em>Doom<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nYou\u2019ve been building a Discord community. How much has that factored into the finished product?<\/strong><\/p>\nDiscord, as well as the <\/em>Steam<\/em><\/strong> forums have been a great way to reach out to the community. There have been a few online demo events where I was able to get feedback from players, which was invaluable developing through Covid and the lack of trade shows to get feedback from.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\nHow does it feel to be launching a first game? And a multiplatform one at that?<\/strong><\/p>\nSlightly nerve-racking but it is extremely exciting to finally have the game out there.<\/em>\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\nWhat\u2019s the secret to an awesome boss battle?<\/strong><\/p>\nI feel like bosses that require the player to learn their attack patterns and find opportunities to attack are the most rewarding. A heart pumping music track is also important.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n
The Steam page says there are \u2018monster closet combat puzzles\u2019. What is a monster closet when it\u2019s at home?<\/strong><\/p>\nI\u2019m not sure, but I\u2019m sure it doesn\u2019t smell great.<\/em><\/p>\nAnd finally\u2026 are we going to have our asses handed to us?<\/strong><\/p>\nFor sure. But it\u2019s ok, Wildcats have 9 lives.<\/em><\/p>\nAnd finally, finally\u2026 whose is the cat in the trailer?<\/strong><\/p>\nI wish I could say we hired a professional stunt cat, but it was the cat of someone at the marketing agency who put together the trailer.<\/em><\/p>\nHopefully that tickled your fancy, as Wildcat Gun Machine isn\u2019t far away. It\u2019s due for release on Xbox, PC, Switch and Playstation on May 4th, which will be here in no time at all. You can be sure that we will be giving it the traditional TheXboxHub lowdown and review when it arrives.<\/p>\n\n
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