The 1920’s was a time to be alive. You had jazz, women’s rights, and… zombies? Everyone loves the stories of the Italian Gangsters and their tommy guns but what better way to jazz up history than by throwing in a zombie apocalypse? Crazy Monkey Studios and Claeysbrothers did just that in their Guns, Gore, & Cannoli 2D platformer, released on Steam, Xbox One, and PS4 in 2015, and more recently Nintendo Switch. This time we are plunged into the middle of WWII. Guns, Gore & Cannoli 2 gives our beloved Vinnie Cannoli another chance to kill rival mobsters, the living dead, and Nazis.
This game is called Guns, Gore & Cannoli 2 for a reason. There are guns and gore, though comedic and 2D, so people who are squeamish and/or triggered by guns, violence, or blood should not play this game. Body parts go flying from zombies as well as mobsters and Nazis.
While Vinnie has had an upgrade to his character mobility since the first game, gameplay is still interesting. You can use the keyboard or a controller. If you choose to use a controller, be prepared for a trial and error period. The controls are a little weird so it may take you a little while to get a hang of it but it does get easier after a while. I suggested using mouse and keyboard for this game because it seems to be smoother and more like usual controls. This game is one of the more difficult platformers I have played. There are several difficulty settings ranging from easy to impossible. I don’t want to even try impossible because only on normal I kept dying. I wish there were more check points and a better saving system. I haven’t tried the multiplayer campaign but it is an option.
One of my favorite aspects of this game is all the nods at the Italian gangsters stereotypes and the time period. Your health is restored by eating some delicious cannoli. The classic fedora and trench coats and Tommy guns makes this game the favorite of anyone who loves Al Capone or “Lucky” Luciano. The cars and furniture are accurate to the 1940s and just add that much more to the atmosphere. Something that most people wouldn’t have noticed, but we all know I’m a nerd about video game music and art, was that in the background there would be old-timey radios playing jazz music. This really helps set the time period and just a really cool detail. Crazy Monkey Studios did their research with this game and it really pays off.
The animations for this game are really well done and smooth. With all the limbs flying, blood, and fire, you would think that the game would be slow or laggy but it isn’t. While being 2D and a simply art style, there are a lot of little details and the colors are really well done. I really enjoy the variety of character designs. The mobsters and italian gangsters all have their own style that still fits the stereotype and is recognizable. They have realistic weapon choices and seem to all have their own personality. It is the same for the zombies and Nazis.
I suggest investing in both Guns, Gore & Cannoli games. They are funny, bloody, and pretty challenging. It’s nice to have such an immersive game in such a simply 2D style. The use of history and accuracy to the time period really took this game to the next level. Though, because of the weird controls and saving system, I’m going to rate this game a 7/10.
7/10
Check Out the Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2 Steam Launch Trailer:
Guns, Gore & Cannoli 2 is now available for PC and Mac via Steam, 2018. Console versions for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are scheduled to arrive in the coming months.
PC Review
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Overall Score - 7/107/10
I'm a postgraduate Information and Library Studies student at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. I'm originally from Texas and have a BFA in Creative Writing from SFASU. I grew up playing video games and now enjoy watching other people play as well. I love anything with a good story!
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