PixelJunk™ Shooter

Don't buy this - you want PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate. Same price, more content.

⣿⣿⡻⠿⣳⠸⢿⡇⢇⣿⡧⢹⠿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣾⣿⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⡐⣯⠁ ⠄⠄ ⠟⣛⣽⡳⠼⠄⠈⣷⡾⣥⣱⠃⠣⣿⣿⣿⣯⣭⠽⡇⣿⣿⣿⣿⣟⢢⠏⠄ ⠄ ⢠⡿⠶⣮⣝⣿⠄⠄⠈⡥⢭⣥⠅⢌⣽⣿⣻⢶⣭⡿⠿⠜⢿⣿⣿⡿⠁⠄⠄ ⠄⣼⣧⠤⢌⣭⡇⠄⠄⠄⠭⠭⠭⠯⠴⣚⣉⣛⡢⠭⠵⢶⣾⣦⡍⠁⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⣿⣷⣯⣭⡷⠄⠄⢀⣀⠩⠍⢉⣛⣛⠫⢏⣈⣭⣥⣶⣶⣦⣭⣛⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⢀⣿⣿⣿⡿⠃⢀⣴⣿⣿⣿⣎⢩⠌⣡⣶⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣆⠄⠄⠄ ⢸⡿⢟⣽⠎⣰⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢀⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣦⠄⠄ ⣰⠯⣾⢅⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡄⠄ ⢰⣄⡉⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠄ ⢯⣌⢹⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄ ⢸⣇⣽⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄ ⢸⣟⣧⡻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⡻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄ ⠈⢹⡧⣿⣸⠿⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⠗⣈⠻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡇⠄ ⠄⠘⢷⡳⣾⣷⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣾⣿⣿⢀⣶⣶⣶⣾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠇⠄ ⠄⠄⠈⣵⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠘⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠇⠄⠄

It is a somewhat simple action space platformer. The interesting part is the somewhat destructible environment where you can strategically destroy stuff to help your goal. It is an interesting gimmick worth to experience.

Just so you know what you're getting yourself into; This version only has the first half of the levels from Ultimate, since Ultimate was a combination of this game and it's sequel. The cool remastered visuals are locked to Ultimate. If you really want those, you'll have to go there. This game has local co-op, but if you want access to the (pretty much entirely dead) online versus, you'll have to play Ultimate. So why play this? Why not just go play Ultimate? I'm not sure if this is a problem that everyone encounters, but I (along with some other people) have encountered a nasty audio bug that completely butchers the dynamic music. For me, the music is a pivotal part of the experience, and it's hard to play when the music is so badly messed up. But the original game doesn't have this bug! So that's why I recommend it! And hey, It's the Steam Sale! You've still got a little bit of time to pick the game up for pocket change!~ (Well, as long as you didn't take too long to find this review...)

Developed by Double Eleven and Q-Games Ltd. and published by Double Eleven, PixelJunk Shooter is an inventive action-puzzle adventure that transforms a simple rescue mission into a rewarding journey driven by physics, exploration, and environmental interaction. Players take control of a compact underground rescue craft tasked with saving trapped scientists scattered throughout a sprawling cave network. While the objective appears straightforward at first, the game quickly introduces an impressive variety of hazards and mechanics that require careful observation and experimentation instead of relying solely on fast reflexes. The result is an experience that successfully blends arcade shooting with intelligent puzzle-solving, creating a gameplay loop that remains engaging from beginning to end. The game's greatest strength is its sophisticated use of dynamic environmental systems. Water, lava, ice, poisonous gas, and mysterious dark fluids constantly reshape the underground landscape, forcing players to think several steps ahead before advancing. Every liquid and hazard behaves according to believable physics, allowing players to cool molten rock with water, redirect flowing liquids…

PixelJunk Shooter is a charming twin-stick exploration game where the real star is the fluid physics — watching lava and water interact dynamically, cooling your ship or solidifying into new terrain you can blast through, never gets old. The controls feel smooth and responsive, and rescuing stranded scientists while hunting for hidden gems gives each level a satisfying sense of purpose. It's on the easier side and can be finished in around 3-4 hours, but the laid-back pace works in its favor — this is the kind of game you settle into rather than fight through. My one practical warning: PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate is available on Steam for the same price and includes this game plus a full sequel, so unless you have a specific reason to grab this version, that's the smarter buy.