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36 people found this review helpful
2 people found this review funny

Recommended

0.0 hrs last two weeks / 12.5 hrs on record

Posted: May 1, 2023 @ 3:17am
Updated: May 10, 2023 @ 5:36pm

12 Is Better Than 6 is a top-down, good ol' Western shoot'em up.

It's a terrific game. Get it and play it.
Now for some juicy details.

The Good

Fun gameplay!
I had a blast shooting down bandits, rogue sheriffs and other colorful enemies!
Each firearm has its own feel
This is the Old West in 1873, a time before automatic firearms were invented.
12 Is Better Than 6 nailed the feel of this era's weapons.

There's a simple mechanic at play here. You need to c o ck your weapon before you can fire it. This takes a little getting used to.
Remember how in Westerns the gunslinger shoots with one hand while his other hand is frantically moving over his pistol? That's cocking his gun.
Translation: Right-click (or hold r-click, depending on the weapon you're wielding) each time before you shoot.
I personally think it's kind of genius how they conveyed the weapons of that bygone time in such a simple way.

You start off with a six-shooter, which feels a little clumsy to handle at first but very accurate. Then you get a devastating shotgun, which is a breeze to use, then a semi-automatic rifle, which sounds great but I soon switched back to the other weapons because they were just more fun.
In Act II, you get a pretty sweet bow that is so OP and simple to use.

You can carry and use only one weapon at a time, which was a refreshing change from other games and felt more authentic.
Upgrades
More ammo capacity and faster reloads make your life easier but you still better be on your toes!
Adorable, hand-drawn aesthetic
The game is just pleasant to look at. Beautiful drawings and the use of a plain white background against the crimson blood of your enemies is an inspired artistic choice ;)
Good story
It was honestly above average. Nothing worthy of a Nobel Prize in Literature but it's entertaining and actually good for a Western.
Replayability
You can revisit any chapter once you beat it. There are lots of chapters, too, spread among four acts.
Hilarious dialogues
Deadpan comedy is strong with this one, with quite a lot of references to Western classics.
A fine mess
Gore is abundant but seriously the blood splatters are beautiful to watch during and after. Dexter would be proud.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2968083292
Kill in style
Adorn your favorite sombrero, amigo!
You play a Mexican pistolero in the game so this is fitting in more than one way!
Easy achievements
You rack them up as you play without doing extra work.Only Find all the Hats! needs some tinkering on your part.
Skippable dialogues

The Bad
Janky ammo pickups
Sometimes moving over a dead enemy who dropped the same gun you're carrying refills your ammo; sometimes it doesn't.
You can pick up the dropped gun instead, till your ammo runs dry again and you need to find another.
Lacking inventory management
Showing the player how many sticks of dynamite they're carrying would be a big plus.
Music
Most of the tracks didn't really do it for me.
This will capture the mood for you so maybe play it in the background instead ;)
https://youtu.be/Jjq6e1LJHxw?t=204
Unnecessary cruelty
Yes, I know how that sounds! lol Don't worry though; I'm fine with e-killing in video games but this is different.
You're forced to kill guard dogs attacking you. That, I understand.
What I don't is that killing other harmless animals is encouraged in the game by having an achievement specifically for it.
I don't know how to feel about that. Well, I do actually: It's weird, needless and has no value.
Still I forced myself to slaughter tens of beautiful, innocent horses and countless, icky, corpse-eating mice to get that chievo. Sorry but yeah.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2968082969
No voiced dialogues
I wish they were voiced. I can envision the game being much more alive and even more enjoyable if some solid voice actors were employed instead of using silent, plain text.
Wordy dialogues
They are and thus sound a bit off sometimes. I understand the game was developed by an indie studio probably on a shoestring budget and, hands down, they did a wonderful job. They seriously did. Just saying another set of eyes on the script/dialogue would've given the game a polished feel and wouldn't have cost much at all. Heck, I would've done it for pennies or even pro bono if I were asked nicely.
^These last two remarks are for the future benefit of other developers out there on the miniscule chance they read this. I've seen this happen enough times to warrant being pointed out and addressed constructively. These things really do make a difference, devs, so please keep that in mind and do what you can. It's your game/baby.~

The Ugly
In short, 12 Is Better than 6 is a fun, beautiful game that you can 100% in less than a dirty dozen hours (kek) and have some chuckles along the way.
Absolutely recommended!
9/10
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2968041999

[b]12 Is Better Than 6[/b] is a top-down, good ol' Western shoot'em up.

It's a terrific game. Get it and play it. 
Now for some juicy details.

[h1] The Good [/h1]
[list]
    [*][b]Fun gameplay![/b]
I had a blast shooting down bandits, rogue sheriffs and other colorful enemies!

[*][b]Each firearm has its own feel[/b]
This is the Old West in 1873, a time before automatic firearms were invented.  
[b]12 Is Better Than 6[/b] nailed the feel of this era's weapons.

There's a simple mechanic at play here. You need to  c o ck your weapon before you can fire it. This takes a little getting used to.
Remember how in Westerns the gunslinger shoots with one hand while his other hand is frantically moving over his pistol? That's cocking his gun. 
Translation: Right-click (or hold r-click, depending on the weapon you're wielding) each time before you shoot. 
I personally think it's kind of genius how they conveyed the weapons of that bygone time in such a simple way.

You start off with a six-shooter, which feels a little clumsy to handle at first but very accurate. Then you get a devastating shotgun, which is a breeze to use, then a semi-automatic rifle, which sounds great but I soon switched back to the other weapons because they were just more fun.  
In Act II, you get a pretty sweet bow that is so OP and simple to use.

You can carry and use only one weapon at a time, which was a refreshing change from other games and felt more authentic.

[*][b]Upgrades[/b]
More ammo capacity and faster reloads make your life easier but you still better be on your toes!

[*][b]Adorable, hand-drawn aesthetic[/b]
The game is just pleasant to look at. Beautiful drawings and the use of a plain white background against the crimson blood of your enemies is an inspired artistic choice ;)

[*][b]Good story[/b]
It was honestly above average. Nothing worthy of a Nobel Prize in Literature but it's entertaining and actually good for a Western.

[*][b]Replayability[/b] 
You can revisit any chapter once you beat it. There are lots of chapters, too, spread among four acts.

[*][b]Hilarious dialogues[/b]
Deadpan comedy is strong with this one, with quite a lot of references to Western classics.

[*][b]A fine mess[/b]
Gore is abundant but seriously the blood splatters are beautiful to watch during and after. Dexter would be proud.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2968083292

[*][b]Kill in style[/b]
Adorn your favorite sombrero, amigo!
You play a Mexican pistolero in the game so this is fitting in more than one way!

[*][b]Easy achievements[/b]
You rack them up as you play without doing extra work.Only Find all the Hats! needs some tinkering on your part.

[*][b]Skippable dialogues[/b]

[h1] The Bad [/h1]

[*][b]Janky ammo pickups[/b]
Sometimes moving over a dead enemy who dropped the same gun you're carrying refills your ammo; sometimes it doesn't. 
You can pick up the dropped gun instead, till your ammo runs dry again and you need to find another.

[*][b]Lacking inventory management[/b] 
Showing the player how many sticks of dynamite they're carrying would be a big plus.

[*][b]Music[/b]
Most of the tracks didn't really do it for me. 
This will capture the mood for you so maybe play it in the background instead ;)  
https://youtu.be/Jjq6e1LJHxw?t=204

[*][b]Unnecessary cruelty[/b]
Yes, I know how that sounds! lol Don't worry though; I'm fine with e-killing in video games but this is different.
You're forced to kill guard dogs attacking you. That, I understand. 
What I don't is that killing other harmless animals is encouraged in the game by having an achievement specifically for it. 
I don't know how to feel about that. Well, I do actually: It's weird, needless and has no value. 
Still I forced myself to slaughter tens of beautiful, innocent horses and countless, icky, corpse-eating mice to get that chievo. Sorry but yeah. 
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2968082969

[*][b]No voiced dialogues[/b]
I wish they were voiced. I can envision the game being much more alive and even more enjoyable if some solid voice actors were employed instead of using silent, plain text.

[*][b]Wordy dialogues[/b] 
They are and thus sound a bit off sometimes. I understand the game was developed by an indie studio probably on a shoestring budget and, hands down, they did a wonderful job. They seriously did. Just saying another set of eyes on the script/dialogue would've given the game a polished feel and wouldn't have cost much at all. Heck, I would've done it for pennies or even pro bono if I were asked nicely.
^These last two remarks are for the future benefit of other developers out there on the miniscule chance they read this. I've seen this happen enough times to warrant being pointed out and addressed constructively. These things really do make a difference, devs, so please keep that in mind and do what you can. It's your game/baby.~

[h1] The Ugly [/h1]
In short, [b]12 Is Better than 6[/b] is a fun, beautiful game that you can 100% in less than a dirty dozen hours (kek) and have some chuckles along the way.
Absolutely recommended!
9/10
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2968041999

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5 Comments

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Volcanic ツ May 1, 2023 @ 1:03pm

@Dahl, You're welcome. It's worth the time if you're in the mood for fast-paced, somewhat frantic gameplay.

Ace -=666=- May 1, 2023 @ 8:41am

Dahl May 1, 2023 @ 7:08am

Thanks for the review and a reminder I own this from a bundle but it's buried in my backlog.

Seems odd there isn't a counter for the dynamite. I can see how that would be helpful.

Volcanic ツ May 1, 2023 @ 4:32am

Thanks! I hope your concern was addressed

DefiantShade May 1, 2023 @ 4:25am

Good review

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