Something went wrong. Try again later

Giant Bomb News

83 Comments

Twisted Pixel's Kinect Game "The Gunstringer" Announced

Finally, a game where you can control an undead cowboy by waving your hands around.

Another one of Splosion Man creator Twisted Pixel’s in-development projects has been revealed. IGN has the scoop on the The Gunnstringer, a Kinect-supported Western shooter that stars a skeleton puppet looking for revenge on the dudes who made him a skeleton.

It looks like Gunstringer is taking more than a few cues from Twisted Pixel's last Xbox Live Arcade downloadable Comic Jumper, as it’ll feature 2D side-scrolling action as well as double-fisted, perhaps on-rails shooting sections created in full 3D. And as for the controls, it appears as if you’ll be holding out your hands above the action, acting as if you were controlling a character on strings (which makes sense, strangely). 
  

  
The game’s development blog has a few more details on the Kinect support in general, soothing some fears out of the gate. Lead designer Dan Teasdale promises that you’ll be able to play the game sitting down. Also, he says that won’t be any motion-controlled shenanigans like mini-games, impromptu photos, or dumb gestures.  

The blog post also gets into the look and feel of the game. As you’d expect, Twisted Pixel is going a bit unconventional with the aesthetic. The game will feature handcrafted “actors” and props and even some actual people if that video shoot in Texas last weekend is any indication of what to expect.  
 

No Caption Provided
 
“The Gunstringer marries all of this with really fresh and fun gameplay mechanics,” the post reads. “From the start of this project, we’ve focused on getting across the feel of marionetting a puppet’s movement through a 3D world, then mixing that with the fun and mayhem of targeting-focused shooters like Rez."  
 
"One minute you’ll be navigating the Gunstringer over tricky ravines or towards secret paths, the next you’ll be ducking behind cover to take out a half-dozen clockwork alligators with your six shooter.”

83 Comments

Avatar image for charlesalanratliff
CharlesAlanRatliff

5763

Forum Posts

13647

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 34

Twisted Pixel has yet to disappoint me, so I'll be looking forward to this!

Avatar image for 1nfinitum
1nfinitum

224

Forum Posts

6

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 3

Edited By 1nfinitum

I have a feeling they needed actors not for the game, but to show off the game.  I mean it is a kinect game after all.

Avatar image for julmust
Julmust

1650

Forum Posts

108

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 15

Edited By Julmust

What the hell are you guys on? This looks like some budget game, Twisted Pixel have truly lost their touch.

Avatar image for tourgen
tourgen

4568

Forum Posts

645

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 4

User Lists: 11

Edited By tourgen

doesn't look good.  looks like a mediocre PS2 game.  $5?

Avatar image for traynrek
traynrek

124

Forum Posts

9

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 4

Edited By traynrek

I think I really want this. I think? Gotta love Twisted Pixel's zaniness though.

Avatar image for little_socrates
Little_Socrates

5847

Forum Posts

1570

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 16

User Lists: 23

Edited By Little_Socrates

Skeptical, but also very interested. Let me know when we have an ETA.

Avatar image for justinsane311
JustinSane311

358

Forum Posts

15

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 2

Edited By JustinSane311

So far everything Twisted Pixel has worked on has been great,  can't wait to give this a try.  

Avatar image for mrcellophane
mrcellophane

570

Forum Posts

3969

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 6

User Lists: 7

Edited By mrcellophane

I actually just finished Comic Jumper today! Now I'm looking forward to more TP games, although I don't have Kinect

Avatar image for jjweatherman
JJWeatherman

15144

Forum Posts

5249

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 10

User Lists: 18

Edited By JJWeatherman

Dan Teasdale?! What?! Since when is he not working for Harmonix anymore? What the hell. I totally missed that announcement. 
 
Edit: Turns out I'm nearly a year late on this one. I feel like I just walked out of a time machine or something.

Avatar image for rising_ixa
Rising_ixa

49

Forum Posts

10

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By Rising_ixa

I'll definitely check this out

Avatar image for hibikirush
HibikiRush

273

Forum Posts

1178

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 2

User Lists: 11

Edited By HibikiRush

My Kinect has been gathering dust for a few weeks now.  Excitement died down pretty quick and these future titles aren't looking all that hot either.

Avatar image for soulglove
Soulglove

167

Forum Posts

27

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 1

User Lists: 1

Edited By Soulglove

You are the strings

Avatar image for jacksukeru
jacksukeru

6864

Forum Posts

131

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 22

Edited By jacksukeru

Funny how there was a Wii-mote in there.

Avatar image for saucysala
SaucySala

381

Forum Posts

1883

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 3

Edited By SaucySala

This looks so awesome! 

Avatar image for rjaylee
rjaylee

3804

Forum Posts

529

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 2

Edited By rjaylee

 Well if it doesn't play that great, I'm sure it will be hilarious.

Avatar image for mystyr_e
Mystyr_E

1475

Forum Posts

24

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 93

User Lists: 4

Edited By Mystyr_E

looks underwhelming actually. If it didn't have the Twisted Pixel name, this probably wouldn't be on my radar

Avatar image for professoress
ProfessorEss

7962

Forum Posts

160

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 11

Edited By ProfessorEss

Nice to hear something at least.

Twisted Pixel have more than proven themselves in the "Trailers & Presentation" department for me, but are still very much in the "Prove Yourself" territory.

Avatar image for bricewgilbert
bricewgilbert

270

Forum Posts

1

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 12

User Lists: 25

Edited By bricewgilbert

Wish there were strings hanging from the top of the character.

Avatar image for skullomania
Skullomania

184

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Skullomania
@City17 said:
" The actual gameplay footage looked pretty bad to me. I hope they can show something better than that. "
Yup, looked like bad Comic Jumper.
Avatar image for borgmaster
borgmaster

843

Forum Posts

908

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 24

Edited By borgmaster

at least the trailer had dumb FMV.

Avatar image for city17
city17

30

Forum Posts

9

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By city17

The actual gameplay footage looked pretty bad to me. I hope they can show something better than that.

Avatar image for ryanwho
ryanwho

12011

Forum Posts

-1

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By ryanwho

Kinect lightgun game. Ew.

Avatar image for dany
Dany

8019

Forum Posts

416

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 4

Edited By Dany

So its an XBLA game?

Avatar image for jayross
Jayross

2647

Forum Posts

1791

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 11

User Lists: 6

Edited By Jayross

Oh, I thought this was an article about the release date for PixelJunk Shooter 2.

When is that game coming out, anyways?

Avatar image for wiseblood
Wiseblood

900

Forum Posts

24218

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By Wiseblood

Those reticules reminded me of something and it just hit me.  Those are totally the things you put into cap guns.

Avatar image for 49th
49th

3988

Forum Posts

26

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 5

Edited By 49th

That was a cool trailer but I don't know how well it will work.

Avatar image for jjor64
JJOR64

19700

Forum Posts

417

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 3

User Lists: 5

Edited By JJOR64

Looks great.

Avatar image for wintersnowblind
WinterSnowblind

7599

Forum Posts

41

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 4

Edited By WinterSnowblind

Twisted Pixel have made some really excellent games and it's nice to see something for Kinect that seems to give you a little more control over the character..  I'll be interested to see how this turns out but it's far from a reason to own a Kinect.

Avatar image for shoddyrobot
shoddyrobot

112

Forum Posts

21

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By shoddyrobot

a friend of mine did some music for this. should be good!

Avatar image for vinny_says
Vinny_Says

5913

Forum Posts

3345

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 14

Edited By Vinny_Says

cowboys.....

Avatar image for byrjun
byrjun

221

Forum Posts

17

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 1

Edited By byrjun

first? 
 
EDIT: Wait, how does that quest work? I thought I finally had it!

Avatar image for ursa1979
ursa1979

42

Forum Posts

0

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 25

Edited By ursa1979

sounds cool... although I am skeptical about any kinect shooter. 

Avatar image for bradnicholson
BradNicholson

1557

Forum Posts

665

Wiki Points

0

Followers

Reviews: 0

User Lists: 0

Edited By BradNicholson

Another one of Splosion Man creator Twisted Pixel’s in-development projects has been revealed. IGN has the scoop on the The Gunnstringer, a Kinect-supported Western shooter that stars a skeleton puppet looking for revenge on the dudes who made him a skeleton.

It looks like Gunstringer is taking more than a few cues from Twisted Pixel's last Xbox Live Arcade downloadable Comic Jumper, as it’ll feature 2D side-scrolling action as well as double-fisted, perhaps on-rails shooting sections created in full 3D. And as for the controls, it appears as if you’ll be holding out your hands above the action, acting as if you were controlling a character on strings (which makes sense, strangely). 
  

  
The game’s development blog has a few more details on the Kinect support in general, soothing some fears out of the gate. Lead designer Dan Teasdale promises that you’ll be able to play the game sitting down. Also, he says that won’t be any motion-controlled shenanigans like mini-games, impromptu photos, or dumb gestures.  

The blog post also gets into the look and feel of the game. As you’d expect, Twisted Pixel is going a bit unconventional with the aesthetic. The game will feature handcrafted “actors” and props and even some actual people if that video shoot in Texas last weekend is any indication of what to expect.  
 

No Caption Provided
 
“The Gunstringer marries all of this with really fresh and fun gameplay mechanics,” the post reads. “From the start of this project, we’ve focused on getting across the feel of marionetting a puppet’s movement through a 3D world, then mixing that with the fun and mayhem of targeting-focused shooters like Rez."  
 
"One minute you’ll be navigating the Gunstringer over tricky ravines or towards secret paths, the next you’ll be ducking behind cover to take out a half-dozen clockwork alligators with your six shooter.”