Gal Gun: Double Peace
Shoot, Shoot, Avoid Fake Love!
Here at 1UP Infinite, we are an open book that is able to take on many various games from various genres and walks of life. By "we" I mean myself generally speaking, but with every new release comes to a new experience. At times, these experiences tend to fall on the 'risque' absurdity levels of fan service. The "Senran Kagua" tier of anime-themed fan service, to put it more precisely. However, I am quite fond of games such as Gal Gun Double Peace which pushes the envelope yet retains interesting gameplay elements to spice things up.
Truthfully, this would be my first ever Gal Gun experience, not having played the first title. This one isn't necessarily new either, having been released in the mid-2010s. For the Nintendo Switch, however, this is an all-new experience for many who missed out on the PS4 release. The Gal Gun series centers around a troubled youth who becomes a target for every girl's desire within the school's radius. While this may sound like the "dream," it quickly becomes a nightmare for various reasons. I also found it amusing that the game was banned in New Zealand, but, I think they also banned Mortal Kombat too so, no surprise there.
Playing Hard To Get Is The Key To Survival
The plots for both titles are similar, with the difference being different characters and a different school setting. One of the angels who bear the title of Cupid is tasked with overlooking the protagonist. Unfortunately, the protagonist is also the target of a devious devil girl and this realization distracts the angel. Instead of firing a bullet, a "charged shot worth 35 arrows" rains down on the protagonist, knocking them unconscious. When the protagonist comes to, they are swarmed by zombies love-stricken girls and the survival horror begins. At least our favorite Cupid didn't screw things up this bad.
Gal Gun Double Peace's gameplay acts like a light gun shooter similar to Time Crisis and House of the Dead. It's more similar to the latter as accuracy is more important than shooting things as quickly as possible. The girls must be calmed down with these bullets called "pheromone shots," and aiming them at a girl's "weak shot" causes a critical shot. Chaining critical shots together and "one-shotting" enemies are the key to getting high scores and grades. These spots vary depending on each girl, identifiable by hovering over the target before firing.
Become The Lady Killer Or Become Lady...Killed?
Players won't have to worry about bullets or reloading as you're technically not "firing a gun" (heh) but you're overwhelming your targets with your charm. This leads into a special mode known as "Doki Doki" mode. When you have at least one charger in your heart meter, you can enter a mode where you enter a one-on-one scenario with a girl. In doing so, you "attack their weak spots" personally until a bar fills and they, uh, become overwhelmed with euphoria. Fun fact, this is where the "double peace" in Gal Gun Double Peace comes from as it's the pose the girls make with their two fingers posed in a "v-shape."
Right, anyways after the Doki Doki mode finishes, any and all girls caught in the blast are also taken care of. In most light gun and rail shooters, this is the equivalent to a "Bomb" powerup, except much more "hands-on." There are hidden objects that, when shot, will give the player more points or unlock biographies of the various girls in the school. As with most games like this, there are hidden enemies that give the same benefit. Long-range enemies "attack" the protagonist by shouting verbal confessions from a distance. It's a solid arcade shooter just with an entire bag of absurdity coating the final product like a doughnut drowned in sugar.
Find Your True Love Or "You're Gonna Have A Bad Time"
This is the advice that the angel gives the player should their health fall to 0. Again, it sounds great on paper to be the subject of attention by various women, but, it's not "real love." The one way to undo this curse is to find the protagonist's real love or else they would be doomed in the throes of "fake love." Fortunately, there happens to be a pair of sisters who doubled as the protagonist's childhood friends. While they both moved for unexplained reasons, they mysteriously return around the time all of this unfolds.
At the end of Chapter 1, it's revealed that the pair of sisters are demon hunters, with one of them chasing after the same deviant demon girl that was in the introduction. Everything comes full circle and now the protagonist must woo the girl they like in order to end the curse. Which girl? It's up to the player's choice. In the beginning, the player can only choose between the two sisters but under subsequent playthroughs, more options are hinted at. These include shacking up with both girls, choosing the angel or demon girl, or someone completely unrelated altogether.
Gal Gun Double Peace's Replay Value Relies On Its Branching Paths
At its core, GGDP is a simple lightgun-style shooter, with various options unavailable to the player on an initial playthrough. Different character archetypes specifically state that a player must clear the game once to unlock. The aforementioned routes also require the player to complete at least one of the default routes. Unique to the Switch version is its included DLC, which are nothing more than bonus costumes for the main heroines. Again, par for the course for "waifu" games such as these, but at least the outfits range from "lewd" to "comical" and everything in between.
Gal Gun Double Peace is a game that pulls no punches towards its target audience. Underneath the amount of unapologetic fan service lies a game that rewards quick aim and accuracy. The controls and their various mechanics may take some time to get used to. From an arcade shooter perspective, GGDP is made for the Switch. Perhaps if motion control support was added, it'd make aiming a bit unique and easier. I was never a fan of motion controls so it doesn't pertain to me much, but, for fending off waves of lovesick girls on the go, look no further.
Gal Gun Double Peace is available on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Windows.