Showgunners is an action-packed, deathmatch strategy game with a gripping classic revenge story that is simply hard to put down.

Artificer is a relatively well-established game development studio from Warsaw, Poland. While they don’t have a long list of releases, that’s not always what matters. Looking at their first two releases, Hard West and Phantom Doctrine, it’s clear they specialize in turn-based strategy, but they also try to shake things up with interesting twists. Unfortunately, their first releases only got mixed reviews, though it looks like Showgunners, which was released on 2 May 2023, will be the game to put them at the top.

As you enter 4, you are met with an incredible cutscene that introduces us to our main character, who has red hair and looks like she’s been through hell and is still going. Even with her injured on the ground, she shocks the crowd and the announcer as we are introduced to Scarlett, who starts moving after being face-planted due to extreme damage taken by a prior encounter. In her pained state, Scarlett rips a piece of shrapnel out of her body and, with a tired but not yet defeated determination, states that nothing will stop her.

Scarlett, our main character, gets to her feet which works the announcer and crowd into a cheer. Though the same announcer hints that Scarlett doesn’t want to hang around some explosive barrels for too long, prompting Scarlett to move. This is where you are introduced to the basic tutorial of Showgunners, basic movement, and camera controls. Still, you’ll also get to see that your path is littered with burning trash and rubble in a dystopian future-themed environment.

As you progress past these explosive barrels, the announcer proceeds to notify the crowd and you as the player of Scarlett’s condition, making the immersion of the game so much more realistic. You’ll also learn on the fly that Scarlett is on a reality TV show called Homicidal All-Stars. Your first task in the game is to get to some sort of safety by completing the episode. The first obstacle you’ll be faced with will be to disarm a trap with obvious snare-like triggers, hinting that the battlefield is rigged with traps strategically placed, and if you don’t pay attention, it will hurt like hell.

Once Scarlett has disarmed the trap, she hobbles her way over to the next part of the tutorial while being live-streamed on Homicidal All-Stars by drones in the next area. You’ll eventually reach the door, and it’s just a matter of a click to open. This is the type of tutorial you don’t get to see often where you’re still in action but not thrown in the deep end.

Progressing forward, you’ll inch closer to a healing station, prompting another cinematic showing Scarlett falling prey to an ambush. This is where you’ll get to try your hand at the battle mechanics, and when you get to meet the ‘SCUM’, your everyday trigger-happy and overly murderous type of bad guy that you’ll get to take down. They got a spot on the show to avoid death row, which is oddly appropriate while offering entertainment for the masses in a twisted world.

What sets Showgunners apart from its counterparts is that even though it’s a turn-based strategy game, it only takes on that role during encounters with enemy hostiles. Outside encounters, you are free to walk around and explore, pick up loot, and eventually complete your objective.

Showgunners’ battle mechanics work like all Turn-Based strategies where AP (Action Points) determine what each character can do during his/ her turn, but once you’re out of AP, that’s also the end of your turn. Everything will come with an AP cost during an encounter, even moving to a different tile to flank your enemies. However, there are some caveats to this. Moving within a set range will only cost one AP, but if you need to go a bit further, it’ll end up costing you more.

Getting around is fine, but you can’t just stay out in the open, you’ll need to find cover to avoid getting turned into Swiss Cheese or being used as a stabbing dummy for melee attackers. This keeps you alive for longer and gives you a better shot at taking down more SCUM; however, they can do the same thing.

It becomes a bit more interesting and strategic because not every cover location is the same. Hovering over a cover will show you what the hit chance is for that cover, giving you a possible advantage to keep your health intact, or going on the offensive against your enemies. The right cover can be the difference between life and death.

You’ll naturally have guns in combat because a little firepower always helps. Though, melee is a fun option too, if you want to get up close and personal for some hack-and-slash time. This is where the real-time strategy gameplay comes into effect since you’ll have to choose your actions wisely between moving to a different tile, assaulting your enemies with gunfire or melee and using abilities.

Though a game in this genre needs an edge to put it over the top, and as you’ll soon see, it’s definitely there. Overwatch is an interesting action you can use that will put your character into a defensive state that will also fire at any enemy attacker that tries to move in your field of vision. You’ll need to plan out your movements and actions if you want to make the most of the encounter with minimal losses.

Another important thing to keep an eye out for is Healing Stations. While they are limited on how much health they restore, they are a godsend when you need them most, and you’re going to need every advantage you can get in Showgunners. From encounters eating away at your health to just getting caught in traps, this game doesn’t aim to show any kind of mercy, but slight reprieves are sometimes allowed.

While abilities are great, there are limits, just like so many things in life. Your abilities do sometimes come with a cooldown after each use, just to keep things fair, or it would get pretty boring. Once again, planning out your movements and actions is key in Showgunners to make the most of what you have.

Naturally, in a game like Showgunners, you won’t be expected to go against hordes of SCUM all by yourself. As you make your way through Homicidal All-Stars, you’ll get to meet all kinds of interesting people who’d join you as an ally or even your squad as allies. Each new squad mate brings their own unique twist that you’ll have to leverage to your advantage, but they all also have their own skill trees to delve into. It’ll be up to you to build and curate the perfect squad to survive the show.

The next two mechanics seem to work hand in hand. The first one is the shop, and the other is Fame. Throughout Showgunners, you’ll find the odd shop that will let you spend money on various pieces of gear like consumables or weapons. However, you’ll need money to buy anything.

This is where Fame comes in. You play the role of a rising star who’s also out for revenge and you’ll need sponsors, but this is easier said than done. Sponsors come in all kinds, and some of them will have personality requirements. You’ll need to interact with fans as you go and give the appropriate responses to cater to those requirements while building Fame. Though, killing your enemies in strategic or stylish ways can reward you with Fame as well.

Showgunners makes use of a very cinematic-driven gameplay that really helps the game shine but also helps the theme in every way since it is a reality TV show, after all. You’ll get slow-motion scenes for brutal kills, and similar cinematic introductions for new enemies or allies, this is great for the overall immersion and makes it feel like you’re watching the show, but also living it. The world design in general also speaks volumes, built around a futuristic dystopia with some post-apocalyptic era sprinkled on top, it’s got just the right amount of chaos and carnage to be perfect for the scenes you see.

Along with the amazing visuals, the captivating story is given life by the voice acting of the different characters, giving the game an almost real feel of an all-out deathmatch reality TV show. The game comes to life with the music, crowd, announcer, and all-voiced dialogue. With each episode completed, you get a closer look at Scarlett’s origins and how she came to be a contestant on the show. The Revenge is a classic narrative while keeping the story gripping and deep, urging you in each challenge to keep going and see the next segment of the story.

The art style and voice acting make the game more cinematic and feel more like a challenging TV show instead of just a strategy game. Overall, Showgunners is showing massive potential to shake things up in the turn-based strategy genre while maintaining a great story to keep you coming back. You’ll be made to think on your toes and sometimes outside the box, though this is also what makes it such a great game. The voice acting, visuals and general challenges in Showgunners pull it all together for a game that can appeal to everybody, making it well worth the time.