Einhänder

The Good
Once in a great while there are games within a genre that bust a mold, but still go frequently unnoticed. Einhänder, SquareSoft's first side scrolling shooter on the PS1, is just such a game. On the surface Einhänder is easily mistaken for a common side scrolling shooter. Nothing could be further from the truth however. Einhänder follows many conventions key to a good shooter, but Squaresoft thankfully was not satisfied with the status quo. Einhänder's primary attraction stems directly from a certain amount of quasi-realism and player adaptive game mechanics, to overcome nearly impossible odds, making you feel like a real hero. Einhänder's most irresistible feature is the collection and use of weapons, or "gunpods". Defeated enemies often cough up a vast collection of gunpods to be turned against them. These power-ups are ammo dependant and their possession is crucial to gameplay. Each gunpod type has characteristics that are very specific, and are geared for certain types of combat; long range, short range, wide attack, narrow, directional, charging, instant, delay etc. Ammunition dependency for the gunpods is a great reward / tension mechanic. Among gunpods, even the weakest of them will rip apart small to medium enemies with little or no effort. Cutting loose with gunpods blazing, turns your ship into a death machine and feels very potent. The notion of ammo count is very "real world" and grounds Einhänder into a feel more pragmatic and visceral than most shooters. Because ammunition is a factor in gunpod usage, they take a very significant role. They empower the player with choices, and more importantly... different styles of playing the game. The catch is when you're are out of ammo your ship drops the pod and you return to stock firepower, while nowhere near as impressive as gunpods it still packs a good punch. The equipping and disposing of gunpods could be considered nearly drug-like; always looking for the next fix in a struggle between highs and lows. Additionally, the pods also serve as a defense mechanism capable of shielding the player from enemy fire in a limited capacity. From the selection screen there are a total of 5 selectable ships to pilot, 2 are unlockable. Each version stores and utilizes gunpods differently. Some hold more, some hold less, some can use more than one at the same time etc. Within these variations a player can either position a gunpod above or below the ship on the fly with a button press. This is what makes the Einhänder ships incredibly flexible and lethal. As a player alternates the position of the gunpod high and low, its functionality also changes. A great example of this is the gunpod "WASP". The basic function is a rocket launcher. When positioned below the craft the missiles have a straight line firing arc and do more damage. Alternately placed above the ship the rockets change to tracking type missiles that do less damage. In effect a single weapon becomes two-fold in its usefulness to the player. Not all gunpods change so radically. Certain gunpods such as the "SPREADER" a basic shotgun weapon, simply changes directions firing forward or backwards pending a high or low position. With an impressive arsenal of weapons to choose from and twice the functionality in each, it is easy to see that Einhänder is very flexible in its design. It is this flexibility that makes Einhänder genuinely dynamic and thoroughly addictive to play.

The Bad
Einhänder does suffer from a couple of problems. Because the game is in a 3D world with 2D gameplay and activity in the background to boot, clutter and visual overload can distract from the players attention in a crucial moment. It is a frustrating thing to loose a life and not know why, or not see the shot that hit you. Secondly, collision is a bit dicey in gunpod pickup department, this can become frustrating when it comes to collecting gunpods. It is very easy to accidently grab a gunpod you did not want, or replace one you wanted to keep. Thankfully those situations do not occur often, but when it happens in a pressure situation it can be "slack jawed" annoying.

The Bottom Line
Einhänder is a shooter with tight, crisp and effective controls. The visual look of the game is gritty, well structured and convincing. The sound effects inspire, and the music keeps your toes tapping. The gameplay functionality Einhänder contains is breathtakingly effective and easy to understand. This game is an experience you should not miss.