Gamespot got it right on the money!
You control an undead puppet gunslinger seeking revenge on his old posse after they betrayed him and left him buried in the desert. If you can't get behind how ludicrous the story is, then you won't appreciate Twisted Pixel's brand of humor, but if you've played any of their previous work ('Splosion Man, Comic Jumper, etc.), then you know what to expect.
Gameplay is simple enough. Seemingly all of Twisted Pixel's games operate on a very simple, "one-trick pony" game mechanic, but they manage to keep it interesting and fun throughout. It's an on-rail shooter that has you controlling the Gunstringer's lateral movement and jumps with your left hand (as if you're operating a marionette). The right hand controls your gun - you "paint over" your enemies and flick your hand up toward your shoulder to fire (as if you are experiencing a gun's recoil). The motions all feel very natural and it doesn't take long at all to get the hang of how the controls work. The game throws in a couple different movements, such as punching your opponents, but your primary weapon is the six shooter. I can't tell you how fun it is the first time you get dual magnums - your guns go into autofire mode and you just blast away at everything on the screen with both hands.
My biggest issue with the controls was the left hand character movement. There will be numerous times in the game where you will miss a jump and fall to your death (of course, the game is very generous with the respawns and you basically come back right where you were). The little bit of lag between making the required movement and the Kinect translating that into the game is significant enough to throw you off at times. On the loading screens the game gives you hints for a better gameplay experience, such as making smoother motions to give you the desired results, but that can be easier said than done when you're trying to shoot at one thing, dodge another, and jump over a gap all at the same time. There are moments in the game when I felt like I couldn't physically move my character out of the way enough to dodge an oncoming object, and took a hit for it. I have found that crossing your arms is problematic; during some of the boss battles you will be required to move your character over to the right side of the screen while trying to shoot the enemy on the left side of the screen... understandably, Kinect gets confused and the game tweaks out as a result. The quirks inherent with the Kinect aren't enough to ruin the experience, but they are slightly annoying.
The boss battles were very uninspired - they each have basically the same move-set and you go through exactly the same routine to beat them. It was interesting at first, but I would have liked to see some more originality in the way that you take out the bosses (come on, they are BOSSES! Provide some sort of challenge or interesting tactic to defeat them). Some of the gameplay sequences get too long or repetitive - occasionally you will feel that some parts were just tacked on and it drags the game down. I won't hold that against it too much, because there is so much that it does right.
"The Gunstringer" is shorter and easier than I would like it to be (you probably could beat it in 4 hours or so), but there is plenty of replayability to be had. If you thought that the in-game store in "Ms. Splosion Man" was big, wait till you get a load of this. It will take multiple playthroughs to unlock everything, and a hardcore mode helps to keep the game fresh.
Alright, enough of the problems with the game, time to focus on what it does right. First off, the humor is amazing. Maybe it's not for everyone, but I've been a fan of Twisted Pixel for a long time, and they have outdone themselves with this game. The game takes place in a theater, and the Gunstringer's journey is played out on the stage. The live action shots of the audience as they react to what's happening in the story are insanely over the top and absolutely hilarious - you'll have a hard time suppressing your laughter. And the game's ending had me literally rolling on the floor laughing. You can tell that Twisted Pixel had a lot of fun making it, and the care and polish that they put into crafting a unique and fun experience is without comparison. Live action/green screen work is truly their bread and butter, but they are the masters, and I hope they continue ratcheting up the craziness with every release. If you can't appreciate watching a CG alligator and lumberjack "making sweet, sweet love," then give this one a pass, for it's definitely not your game.
There is also a multiplayer mode...I have not tried it out, but I believe that the first player controls the Gunstringer, and the other just provides extra gun fire. Pretty basic and expected; nothing to see here.
I will quickly finish my review with the extras. Of course, the game comes with "Fruit Ninja Kinect," which is a nice bonus. I'll just say that "Fruit Ninja Kinect" is a lot more fun than it has any right to be. There's something about flailing your body around wildly that is just such a blast. Also, there was free DLC on day one (The Wavy Tube Man Chronicles). I have not yet played it, but hey, it's FREE DLC...what's not to like? Already after beating the game I want more, so I'll be checking this out very soon. They definitely threw in enough extras (in my opinion) to make it well worth the $40.
Sorry for the long winded review, here's a recap of my thoughts...
Pros:
+ Interesting Story
+ Oozing style out of every pixel
+ Twisted Pixel's crazy sense of humor
+ Tons of replayability
Cons:
- Some gameplay sequences feel like a chore
- Uninspired boss battles
- Minor control issues (with Kinect to blame)
- A little bit too short (hoping for plenty of dlc)
Thanks for taking the time to read my maiden voyage into the world of video game reviews. I appreciate any and all constructive criticism :)