Hey you…Christmas Tree!!
As a fan of the XCOM series I was intrigued by Showgunners when I first played the demo at Steamfest back in 2022. Its premise isn’t anything new, certainly games have been using these dystopian type settings for years now. But its blend of the 80’s type TV show that turns murder into ratings ala the superior version of The Running Man starring Arnold Terminator is one that feels fresh in its approach, even if the presentation is sometimes a little buggy.
In Showgunners players will take control of Scarlett, an ex-cop who is looking for revenge. She is taking part in the gladiator type death battles known as Homicidal All-Stars. The basic premise is that players will have to work their way through ‘episodes’ all the while getting rid of the killers along the way. And to help, just in case anyone is feeling bad about mowing these dudes down, the enemies are all bad guys who only signed up as a way to avoid their death sentences; gives it a real suicide squad kind of feel.
MSRP: $34.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $34.99
Showgunners manages to blend together both real-time exploration and turn-based combat gameplay. When players load in to each level they walk around the are and avoid or disarm traps in their path. Players cannot be attacked during these segments which makes exploration smoother without the worry of being killed, well unless you miss a trap. Players will control Scarlett via a 3rd person camera, here players can find cash, items and more to help upgrade their team for success.
There are even hidden challenges that players can find and unlock. Some of these involve environmental puzzles where players may have to figure out a puzzle before a room fills up with fire while others may require a certain enemy to be killed withing a specific time. All of them were a nice way to break up the pattern of the usual fights that players will enter into in order to progress the story.
Speaking of combat, this is where Showgunners borrows from the likes of XCOM and a great many others. Real-time tactical combat with an emphasis on cover is the name of the game. If you have ever taken a shot with a 99% chance of it being a hit and it ended up being a miss; well, you know what you are in for with this one. Players will need to use the environment to help take down their foes, in addition to cover mechanics the battlefield will also be littered with explosive barrels and traps that can be used to defeat the many enemies as well.
But this is a game show after all and what’s a game show with out fans? In Showgunners players will be able to interact with fans in-between battles, here how you choose to respond matters greatly. These responses will help to shape how the viewing audience sees Scarlett and it will also decide which sponsors choose to pick you up. This is important as it can net you gear, XP and cash which will only help to make you stronger.
In the end I enjoyed my time with Showgunners quite a bit. Surprisingly there were little to no issues on the technical side of things, I was able to play the game without crashing, which I am honestly surprised about in 2026, especially from a smaller studio. But the developers at Artificer have done a great job with the world-building, action and story here and I am excited to see more from this universe in the future.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
