Guns, Gore & Cannoli puts you in the stylish shoes of mobster Vinnie Cannoli. Residing in Thugtown during the 1920's, Vinnie soon finds himself in the middle of not only a zombie apocalypse, but a war between two mafia families. The game is a 2D side-scrolling shooter that is promised to be packed with action. The real question here, is whether or not this title is worth your time and money.
The hand-drawn graphics have a great comic style to them, and they're very pleasing to look at. There are vibrant colors abound, which off-set the overall noir style and tone of the game. Completing the 1920's gangster era vibe, the jazzy music is a classy touch that completes the overall immersion of the setting. However, there are relatively few enemies that you will encounter; although Vinnie does make a quip about this from time to time, noting that it feels like he's killing the same people over and over again. Oddly enough, the lack of foes does not hinder the game much, as the backgrounds and foregrounds are consistently changing to something new and fresh. That, and the amount of fire, bullets, and explosions pretty well cover up the bad guys anyway.
When it comes to gamplay, Guns, Gore & Cannoli is pretty straightforward. There are copious amounts of weapons that you will acquire throughout the game; a shotgun, mini-gun, flamethrower, rocket launcher, and a magnum are just a very small amount of the large arsenal that you will come across. Likewise, not only do you have grenades at your disposal, but the ever-so-handy Molotov as well. All ammunition, with the exception of your starting handgun, is limited and you must be conservative of your bullets. Like your bullets, your health can also deplete rather quickly in a large swarm of zombies, and you can only heal by gobbling up delicious cannoli that is scattered throughout the levels; usually after a well placed checkpoint.
The game only clocks in at roughly 2 hours in the longevity department, and this is if you take your time to explore and kill as many enemies during your first run through as possible. This time frame is pretty well to be expected for most run-and-gun types, just be forewarned that this is not a title that will keep you entertained beyond one or two playthroughs at the most. The good thing is, is that there are multiple difficulties to try, and a very handy level selection menu in case you want to try out that new laser weapon at an earlier point in the game.
All in all, Guns, Gore & Cannoli is a fairly decent side-scrolling shooter. It takes a unique twist on the over-saturated zombie market of today, by throwing in some Italian gangsters, humor, and a nice plot twist at the end. For the two hours of play time, I wouldn't recommend grabbing this title at its full price, but on sale it's a definite steal. I didn't get the chance to check out the 4 player local co-op, but if you have some friends over they could make this game even more fun.
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