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Cover based shooter Not a Hero is quite clearly from the makers of skateboard game OlliOlli. That is quite an odd statement to make but let me clarify; you play the game in a 2D world with a minimal number of controls at your disposal and need to master these (as well as memorise the levels) to maximize your enjoyment. It can also be frustrating as heck as well!

The action itself takes place in a side-scrolling world and allows you navigate the various environments clearing corridors like only a John Woo action star can – with a high degree of extreme violence. The limited array of controls have you navigating left, right, up and down stairs, knee sliding, shooting (naturally), reloading and using special pickups. That’s really it. It’s how quickly and seamlessly you perform these that count as one misstep/mispress or poorly timed reload results in death and back to the start to try again. Over 80 levels as well as a number of secret stages to locate are on offer with nine diverse charismatic characters to unlock each with a unique ability (damage resilience, ammo count etc.) that suit certain levels and your gameplay.

The premise for the action around Not a Hero is the simple tale of killing folks to help a rabbit from the future (BunnyLord) become Mayor of the city. If you couldn’t tell from that last sentence the game aims for humour and in my opinion masterfully hits its target with an extraordinary amount of giggles, be it Meta self acknowledgment or witty zingers. The character voice work that accompanies the game is also exceptionally fun giving each playable killer and fodder AI his or her own personality.  Mike the Northern drunk exclaims how drunk he actually is and “gangsta” enemies typical threaten to “Murk” you (or want to borrow a pound).

Characters come in all flavours with no two really feeling alike. For a long time I favoured Welsh Eve Myles/Gwen Cooper alike Samantha as she was great for running and gunning but also can reload whilst moving. Others such as Frankie Boyle sounding Cletus I found slower but dished out more damage with his smaller capacity shotgun and had the ability to blast open doors. I later favoured drunk angry Northerner Mike as although he only had two rounds in his powerful gun is given the ability to perform silent takedowns – which was very handy when rescuing hostages as gunshots alert enemies in neighbouring closed door rooms. Each of the nine characters become unlocked by achieving level objectives (save hostages or completing in a certain time) which improves your in-game “approval” rating. As you progress it does becomes necessary to chop and change amongst your available killers so revisiting early levels to beat these objectives is essential albeit quite annoying.

A lot of the enemies you encounter can be knocked down and stunned using a knee slide then dispatched with a melee or point blank blast finisher. As soon as you become adept at this the game introduces bigger enemies who are immune to this tactic and give you a swift punch for your troubles. Later still you’ll get to shake hands with Ninja and Samurai katana if you dare to get too close and personal resulting in instadeath.

Thankfully as you explore the levels many enemies drop alternative ammunition for your packed heat. This is particular invaluable as they always even the overwhelming odds that you face …if utilised correctly. Be it the obligatory explosive bullets to the ability to vaporise your enemies with lasers you’ll always want to stop and grab these. Other ammo type pick-ups can also include projectiles that ricochet around rooms, drilling shots that can pass through multiple people, ones that shoot through enemy cover (particularly handy) or even handier a pickup that doubles your clip capacity. Special crates are also dotted around to provide grenades, landmines, Molotov cocktails and even an explosive cat that wanders up to the enemy before detonating in blazing feline martyrdom. Everything is in limited supply so must be used considerately as even a premature gun reload will lose any remaining special rounds that you’re holding!

Graphically Not a Hero is minimalistic and practical in its design but this allows things to rattle along at a hefty pace but still includes heaps of background items and character in the world. As well as windows and doors to smash through, you’re treated to questionably health and safety noteworthy positioned barrels and fire extinguishers to use to your gunplay advantage.  Musically chiptunes are on the order and are perfectly placed for the game. None of which are offensive and are certainly well crafted for the experience however regrettably not noteworthy.

Not a Hero tries to make an addictive game however like its skateboarding predecessor some may be left frustrated at the rinse/repeat gameplay. Much like OlliOlli you never know what’s up ahead until you’ve seen it so too frequently you’ll take slow cautious steps edging around the level for fear of dying from the sudden appearance an unexpected ninja and be forced to start the level again. Once completed each level the developers hope you’ll take the time to do it all again faster/more skilfully to get a better score but I found myself tired of the experience. The plus side of doing better is the improvement of your rating which allows you to unlock the later characters.

Overall Not a Hero is high on humour, exquisitely written but borderline fiendish in its difficult to master. Created with an eye for replayability and folks with a penchant for speed runs but this may alienate casual gamers who may find it too tough. Fans of OlliOlli should certainly sign-up to assist BunnyLord’s in his campaign to become Mayor.

Not a Hero is available now on PC with a PS4 and PS Vita coming soon. Vote BunnyLord.

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