Sombrero: Spaghetti Western Mayhem Review

Alliance Digital Media and PixelMetal have teamed up to create the multiplayer party game Sombrero: Spaghetti Western Mayhem. Though it takes liberal notes from Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros series, it unfortunately fails to capture the same magic.

Sombrero: Spaghetti Western Mayhem Review

The action of this title is purely a multiplayer affair for two to four people. There are no single player modes or options here – the focus is primarily on fighting your fellow man. Unfortunately, the company also forgot to include support for bots. This is a glaring oversight, as that means the game is literally unplayable solo. A barebones online mode is available, but there is nobody online as of this review.

Let’s say you find a friend or three to throw down locally – what can you expect? Players can choose from one of four modes, which include Deathmatch (self-explanatory), Capture The Flag (also self-explanatory), Loot (which has you grabbing bags of money on the battlefield), and Banditos (which has players nabbing a golden monkey idol and holding on to it as long as possible). Each of these modes has a number of variables you can adjust, but the number of modes and options are pretty par for the course. It’s just a shame that the number of maps available here is limited.

Players can then take control of a number of different characters, including the spacewoman “Ariel Futura,” “The Meatslayer,” a block of cheese, or “Jim from Cleveland.” Each character is random and uninspired, and they all play the same – changes between the cast are purely cosmetic.

When it comes time to throw down on the battlefield, the general control scheme is something players will no doubt know. Players navigate zones in a platformer-like setup, grabbing powerups like bombfists, shotguns, dynamite, boomerangs, and more. However, there are some questionable design choices. The 360 rate of fire means that controller users face a distinct disadvantage, which means that local co-op isn’t always fair without multiple keyboard and mice setups. In addition, the way the controls are mapped is somewhat odd – jumps are mounted on the right mouse button or triggers, with players holding it down to jump higher. Fire is also handled automatically by pointing in the direction on a controller, which leads to a bunch of bullets flying every which way. The ability to remap the control scheme would have made things a lot easier.

Sombrero: Spaghetti Western Mayhem could have been a solid party game, but a number of questionable design choices really hinder it in the long run. The lack of bots, limited amount of modes, and unorthodox control scheme rob it of any potential it may have had.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_4UEAKf4VQ