Jets'n'Guns 2 Review (Saturmorn Carvilli)
Jets 'n' Guns 2 takes a little bit to get used to the user interface, and figure out the basics of loading out your jet. Once you do, it becomes a lot of fun mixing, matching and finding your favorite or most powerful configuration.
Found most of the fun in Jets 'n' Guns was in playing around with your jet's configuration. The game encourages buying upgrades. Since you can re-sell them back at the price paid to either try something else or upgrade to the more expensive more powerful weapons. Your jet is limited to four guns. Three in the front and one in the rear. Each weapons can also be given a 'gem' that modifies the effect of the gun its linked. Such as the rear gun targeting the closest enemy instead of just shooting behind you. The jet also can be equipped with missiles and bombs. As well as special abilities that require anti-matter. Purple pick-ups that allow to use these abilities fairly often. And finally general modifications such as more hull (hit points), satellites or ways to earn more credits.
In addition to a generous, but still limited amount of upgrade slots; the player has to manage the heat of their weaponry. As many of the best weapons greatly increase the jet's heat gauge when fired. This can be done with certain modifications to the player's jet. Or just letting off the trigger to let things cool down a bit. Often it's going to be a combination of both.
As for the game itself, honestly, it's a pretty mediocre shooter. The nothing awful about the stages, and the game mixes things up to keep the stages fresh. But there's also nothing particular innovative or outstanding either. Where Jets 'n' Guns 2 has all of its fun is all the weapons for the player to try out. Not really the actual stages. And once the player gets a solid load out, the stages aren't overly challenging. It's still very fun, but more in a see how much destruction can you cause over the satisfaction beating a challenging boss.
My biggest complaint would be the load out user interface. It's functional, but a little clunky and takes some playing around with it to figure things out. I was about halfway through the game before I even started buying and equipment some upgrades because I didn't know they were there and which slot they were for.
Jets 'n' Guns 2 is a fun beginner type shmup. I wouldn't necessarily suggest it as a person first STG. But I would recommend it for someone like me who likes shoot 'em ups, but isn't particularly great at them and likes doing a little rpg style grinding to buy some upgrades to play around with.