I’ve had quite a few games to review over the last few weeks, with more coming too. Today though, a friend of my site, Dave Corn takes a look at Guns and Spurs 2 from Frozen Lake Games.

“Become a bounty hunter and capture the most wanted criminals of the West in a vast open world filled with life and activities.”

Guns and Spurs 2 for Nintendo Switch is a single-person developed game and ‘a love letter to Red Dead Redemption’ (or a terrible attempt at cheap replication? RDR bought on Wish). That’s where you and I are obviously going to go with a comparison for this game. You know it and the publishers advertising it know it… but this game was made by one person and RDR was not made by one person.

The trailer for the game is somewhat deceiving. Yes, you can ride a horse across open western spaces. Yes, you can have shoot-outs and do side-missions but sometimes you play games that make you think…. ‘in 10 years time, this will be some kid’s homework’. It’s impressive when you keep reminding yourself of the fact that it was made by one person, but that doesn’t stop a bad game from being a bad game, as much of an achievement as that may be. This is just glitchy awfulness.

Advertised as a journey into the heart of the Wild West, players become a bounty hunter called Jack Lane and are quickly introduced to an open-world with little filling it, NPCs randomly wander around and mutter (if you shoot at them you will become wanted, the word ‘wanted’ appears and you get shot at. Much like RDR’s wanted system). The game sets the stage with just 2 seconds of narrative, dropping you into the life of a cowboy and having to navigate the challenges of terrible controls and glitchy graphics for yourself.

One of the standout features is the game’s straight-to-it approach, who needs a story, eh? Manoeuvring through the vast landscapes feels clunky and a chore, whether you’re riding across the prairie on horseback or engaging in intense shootouts. The controls don’t work. This gaming experience, in a world of gaming where we now have Red Dead Redemption on Switch, is not worth your time. It’s simply broken. You are tasked with catching 33 bounties throughout this game. With a pistol, a lasso and a horse… you set off.

When finding a bounty it’s safe to say that they won’t be alone. The combat in this game is awful, think early PS2 twin-stick. Jack’s body moves like a 2-part action figure and aiming and hitting is awful. Plus your ammo runs down fast. Once your enemy’s lackeys are down you can then lasso your target and bring them back to jail to get paid. This gets harder and deeply repetitive. Side missions are dull, delivering parcels and hunting animals.

When you achieve tasks in the game you can use the money you are awarded to buy various items. These can range from new weapons and upgrades to cosmetic customisables for Jack and your horse.

Visually, Guns and Spurs 2 looks the part. The Old West with its detailed environments looks ok as you ride through it. The attention to detail adds some authenticity, from the rustic towns to the rugged landscapes. The open-world design has a variety of missions and side activities scattered throughout the map. Whether you’re pursuing the main storyline or taking on optional tasks, the game offers some sense of freedom and choice. You can chase down the bounties, herd cattle or hunt animals and more.

The sound quality of Guns and Spurs 2 is patchy. Music is what you’d expect and repetitive, it cuts out and stops randomly and some of the SFX can happen completely out of sync (eg; you fire a pistol and the sound happens 2 seconds later). While the game succeeds in capturing the spirit of the Wild West, it is not without its quirks. Some players may find certain missions repetitive, and the technical glitches disrupt gameplay continuously.

In conclusion, Guns and Spurs 2 for Nintendo Switch is an impressive pet project, visually catfishing you into a journey into the rugged landscapes of the Wild West and offers a budget alternative to RDR. However, stay clear. It has more glitches and bugs than nearly any game I’ve ever played before, there’s no story and the controls are terrible. There are plenty of better westerns on the Switch if you want a cowboy fix such as the likes of Call of Juarez Gunslinger, 12 Is Better Than 6 or Gunman Clive. All very different but much more worthy of your time.

3/10 for a decent solo effort – even if it does play like a dog had chewed it up and spit it out.