Secret Ponchos Reviews

There’s E-Sports potential in Secret Ponchos and that comes from its gameplay that’s based around quick matches and lots of skill. Every mistake you make is your fault. There’s no way around it. Add to that a presentation that fits the setting and theme of the game and you have a core that’s worth paying attention to. Yet, in its case that’s not quite enough. As with every online game out there, the community is an important element and, right now, the playerbase is not that large. However, gamers can fix that, and, with a price tag of 15$, it is very much worth considering, as Secret Ponchos is quite unique, at least for the moment.

Secret Ponchos is a Spaghetti Western-themed multiplayer game that, at the point of its arrival on the PlayStation 4, is also available to play through the Early Access programme on Steam. This is a little worrying, as for all intents and purposes, the PC version isn’t considered ‘finished’, but yet the console edition is part of the most recent crop of titles for PlayStation Plus subscribers. So is developer Switchblade Monkeys' first offering a completed product, or does it need a little more time in the saloon?

Twin-six shooter.

The frantic action of the twin-stick shooter genre makes it a perfect fit for co-op, but rarely do developers tackle competitive multiplayer. Head-to-head gunslinging is the sole focus of Secret Ponchos, but while the short matches favor skill over twitchy reflexes, myriad drawbacks will run you out of town faster than a belligerent sheriff.

Abnormally complex and pretty for a twin-stick arena shooter, Secret Ponchos throws you into the deep end and demands you figure things out for yourself, usually while under heavy fire. Stick it out, however, and the real fun starts to shine through. While the experience is hamstrung by glitches and a general lack of content, there are enough rewarding opportunities for discovery and creative strategy here to keep determined players entertained for at least a few days.

Although the foundation for a great online twin-stick shooter has been laid with Secret Ponchos, it’s going to need more content and a meatier core mode to really keep people interested — until then, I think the game will struggle with keeping some of its community. Personally, I really hope that Ponchos catches on and doesn’t have to ride into the sunset.