Potshot Pirates Review
I've been playing Potshot Pirates for hours on end, and although there really isn't any rhyme or reason to the game, my swashbuckling days are far from over. Actually there really isn't any swashbuckling or signs of Jack Sparrow in this latest Chillingo title. You travel to Yokka Pukkha, a vast island brimming with bountiful treasure. The booty you seek isn't protected by idiot bouncers or jealous boyfriends -- it's often resting on intricate structures that must be destroyed. To blow things up, your crew mates strap themselves onto cannonballs and are hurled into harm's way. Since this is the only human cannonball game on my iPad, Potshot Pirates is a total keeper.
With each stage, you are given several human cannonballs to work with, and if you fail to destroy all of the inhabitants by your final cannonball, you lose. Although the first few levels are simply point and shoot, it gets a bit tricky a lot sooner than later. In the below photo, notice the two cannonballs closest to the bottom can only cut through wood. With the third throw, the crew member with the goatee and green suit can blast through concrete, but it's imperative to wipe out as many villagers as you can before your final shot. The anchor on the upper left side offers weapon upgrades which you purchase with gold coins.
Firing your cannon is thankfully not a tedious, one dimensional tap and shoot deal. You can actually use two fingers to zoom in on your target before you shoot to kill, but if destroying from a distance is more your style, you also have that option. Whenever I'm tired of collecting gold or demolishing structures, I actually use my scope to check out my green nemesis. It's a nice way to take a break from game play, that is if you don't mind an occasional mooning.
There are certain levels which may need a few weapons to help you proceed to the next stage, and plunking down gold coins for cannons and guns is an absolute must. On certain levels, I exhausted all of my coins, used all of my power ups, and still couldn't complete a difficult stage. When that inevitability occurs, just go to an earlier level, kill the villagers and get the treasure, and repeat until you build up your currency. Once you have the money, purchase a sea monster to obliterate everything in sight. It does smack of cheating, but summoning up game changing monsters never gets old.
If you put your device down and pause your game, you'll hear the sound of the ocean and a few sea gulls in the distance. If a pirate's grumbling and coughing didn't get mixed into the audio a couple of times per minute, Potshot Pirates would also work as a pretty cool noise machine.
Although it's not as intriguing or addicting as some of Chillingo's best titles, Potshot Pirates is still a lot of fun, and the island is definitely eye catching. A bit more varied game play would have been welcome, but for now sea monsters and human cannonballs will suffice.
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