#benjamin croshaw

Yahtzee: Oh, got you right in the bullocks right there.

Yahtzee's girlfriend: I- I don- I don't have those.

Yahtzee: ...

So my personal hero, Benjamin “Yahtzee” Croshaw, released his latest game a few weeks ago. It’s a little side-scroll platformer called Poacher. I began playing it one week ago, and while I’ve found it more difficult than I expected, it’s been very fun indeed. It’s certainly been a refreshing break from modern triple-A gaming.

The premise is thus: you are Derek Badger, a simple man from Yorkshire. You have a wife, a shotgun, and a penchant for shooting rabbits with aforesaid shotgun. The game begins when you are caught poaching rabbits with your trusty 12 gauge on land belonging to one “Mr. Gamey.” However, in the middle of his reprimand, Gamey falls down a whole. You go after him only to be assaulted by demonic bunny rabbits. Then you meet up with a spirit named Rebecca and discover that there exists an entire subterreran world that surface-dwellers aren’t aware of. By forming a “Compact” with Rebecca, you use your gun and new spirit powers to save the world from the evil Dark Ones, all with the stoicism of a true country Englishman.

The gameplay is exceedingly simple: you shoot enemies with your shotgun. Oh, and movement is also necessary, but I’m pretty sure you had that figured out. There’s also grenades to throw, but that’s pretty much it. I kind of assumed that there would be other weapons or shotgun upgrades galore, but no, you’re just a man with a gun. You do, of course, unlock new abilities that allow you to access new areas, and the game is revealed to be a Metroidvania style platformer that lets you explore the world.