clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Watch 10 minutes of Drawn to Death gameplay

PS4 shooter offers fast gunplay and plenty of silly jokes

Watch on YouTube | Subscribe to Polygon on YouTube

This is Drawn to Death, a PlayStation 4 free-to-play multiplayer shooting game from The Bartlet Jones Supernatural Detective Agency.

It's most obvious point of difference from all those other competitive shooters is a distinctive art style taken from the imagined schoolbook scribblings of a bored teenager. This aesthetic reference carries through to the game's play-style, characters, audio and its humor, which bounces around between a morbid delight in gore and death, rock 'n' roll larks and jokes about traditionally comedic wildlife like sharks and monkeys.

Drawn to Death takes a morbid delight in gore and death

There's also a lot of physical humor, as you'd expect. A transport pad comes in the form of a giant boot that literally kicks your arse from one side of a map to another. It's a fast-moving game that encourages players to make use of multiple elevation points, platforms, trapdoors and elevator shafts.

Characters are given the choice of a large arsenal of weapons, all of which have their own quirks and specialties. At point-of-entry, choices are available for primary and secondary weapons as well as a special and a throwable item. There are also melee moves for close-up encounters. Players can also choose weapons that are littered around the maps, which are also covered in boosts and juice packs for special-move meters.

Level props are also available, some of which are just for fun, and some are detrimental to the health of opponents. A flag can be shot to trigger a collapsing balcony. Or a mural can be shot to show a short set of fresco comics that are tied thematically to the look of the map itself.

The game is due to launch "soon," according to Sony, with full details on exactly how the game will be monetized yet to be revealed. You'll be able to buy characters, weapons and costumes that can also be earned through extensive play. Maps will also be sold. Only one person in a group needs to own a map in order for it to be playable.

The next level of puzzles.

Take a break from your day by playing a puzzle or two! We’ve got SpellTower, Typeshift, crosswords, and more.