Hyper Gunsport review

A future sport that doesn’t involve revolve around bloodshed?

Adding guns to volleyball seems like a dubious idea. But in Hyper Gunsport’s semi-utopian future, firearms prove to be an ingenious addition to the sport. The game imagines a setting where the world’s populations acknowledge the futility of fighting and bloodshed. Here, guns are only used to influence the trajectory of a ball, with the outcome of matches resolving international conflict.

Like the best faux sports, Hyper Gunsport’s play and rules are rather simple. On each side of the two-dimensional court are two virtual athletes: a striker and a keeper. The former can slide left and right a bit and leap high into the air, potentially performing Gunsport’s version of a spike. Keepers might not be able to move about but they have a shorter cool-down between shots. Given their position at the back of the courts, they’re indispensable at defense. But with a well-placed shot, keepers are still capable of scoring a goal.

Yes, you read that right, there are goals in Gunsport. Behind each team is a trio of targets and putting the ball into one earns (from top to bottom) one, three, or five points. Adding to the intensity is scoring that increases every time the ball crosses the net. So, during the default 60-point game, it’s quite possible to earn 10 points at a time, keeping the action properly intense, and surprise victories are a persistent possibility. Unlike standard volleyball, you don’t have to worry about the ball touching the ground.

Shot timing can be especially important during a match and it’s possible to bank two shots if you refrain from using your gun for a few seconds. When a striker and keeper fire almost simultaneously, that’s called a Focus Shot. When this occurs, the ball flies around with much more speed and power, likely scoring a goal against unsuspecting opponents. Each team has its specials as well, allowing for everything from bulky bullets that are ideal for a last-ditch defense to rapid-fire arcing grenades that can be advantageous when scoring gets lofty. Collectively, there are a lot of small strategic details and after a few days of heavy play, I was still uncovering techniques that were helping my performance.

But that’s not to say that Hyper Gunsport will be relished by all audiences. The game’s single-player campaign has your team facing a succession of rivals. There’s an attempt at variety by tweaking rules. Sometimes the goals will open and shut, forcing you to be prudent with your shot timing. Other times, there will be a pair of larger moving goals, encouraging you to score a quick ace. From different ball sizes and speeds, fluctuating gravity, and even special scoring thresholds, there’s an attempt at variety.

However, Gunsport isn’t evergreen for individualists. Typically, competitive titles offer an inventory of unlockables to incentivize replay. But beyond two unlockable teams and alternative skins, there’s not quite enough enticement to proceed through the game’s championship circuits multiple times. And that’s a shame because Gunsport teams don’t succumb to caricature, with representations of countries (Cambodia and Congo) that don’t frequently receive acknowledgment in gaming. I would have liked to have seen more than seven teams in total. Others might have appreciated different difficulty settings for the game’s AI.

Another missed opportunity is the lack of any online matches. Sure, Hyper Gunsport is well-suited for local competition, and matches between friends quickly become fiery. I could see the game drawing impassioned crowds in barcade-style settings, given its blend of accessibility with more advanced play techniques. But for those who don’t have robust social circles, the absence of net play is unfortunate.

As such, Hyper Gunsport is best suited for players who regularly settle rivalries in person. From after-hour workplace hangouts to college dorms, Gunsport could become a catalyst at gatherings. For soloists, playing against the AI can be absorbing in brief sessions. I see the game having a permanent place on my Steam Deck’s storage. It’s well-suited for a short break, helping you re-energize by beating some AI drones.

Hyper Gunsport was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.