Guns and Bruises
If you want a break from the cosiness, then we might have just the game for you. Developer CIRCLEfromDOT has today launched its top-down shooter, Kusan: City of Wolves, on the Switch eShop. It’s fast, it’s gruesome, and it’s got more than a little Hotline Miami thrown in there for good measure.
You play as Jin, “an ex-soldier turned gun-for-hire,” who has to shoot his way through a tower block packed with baddies to protect a young girl capable of blowing up the city. Did we mention that Jin is also a panther, or some other big cat? That feels important.
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The top-down gunplay has some heavy hints of Hotline Miami to it, but things seem to be a little more extreme here, with multiple combat styles and weapons for you to play with as you please.
Here’s a rundown of the game’s key features and a handful of screens from publisher PQube:
Stylish Top-Down Combat: Master brutal and precise gameplay, where every movement matters and stylish combat is just part of the job. Utilize Jin’s signature weapons the War Hand and Quantum Knife, alongside frenetic gunplay to save the city and prevent atomic disaster.
54 Brutal Hand-Crafted Stages: Finesse your way through 54 intense stages spanning multiple chapters that include skill-based puzzles, challenges, and that sought-after S-rank for perfectionists.
Beastly Boss Battles: Face towering foes with distinct mechanics and high-stakes patterns. Learn, adapt, and execute to survive these cinematic duels that push timing and tactics to the limit.
Build the Perfect Killing Arsenal: Build your ideal loadout through the Techtrix, earn more resources with stronger builds, and continue upgrading. Strategically place your skills and upgrades to tailor a loadout that matches your preferred playstyle.
Adrenaline-Fuelled Soundtrack: Immerse yourself in an adrenaline-fuelled score from hip-hop artist Loptimist, serving heavy doses of energy every step of the way.
Graphic-Novel Storytelling: Follow Jin’s missions through dynamic comic-panel cutscenes with sharp frames and cinematic pacing that tell a gritty tale of violence, corruption, and fractured loyalties.
Neo-Noir Atmosphere: Explore the rain-soaked pixel-art metropolis where Jin is ready to cross every line to save the girl.
It might not be to everyone’s tastes, but those after some hardcore running and gunning can find this one on the eShop right now.
Bar some control and narrative issues, our friends over at Push Square had a perfectly pleasant time with Kusan earlier this week, calling it “a fun top-down action game that likes to challenge you,” in their 7/10 review.
