Shooting Birds 3D is an Android game that puts you in the shoes of Elliot, a 24-year old guy who’s gone to visit his grandparents and practice his skills as a hunter. In the near future, global warming has taken the world and there are extreme highs and extreme lows. Your job is to hunt for food or be hunted by the ravenous birds. In this 3D arcade style shooting game, you need to reach certain targets in each level, shoot crates to unlock more ammo or extend your time limit. Over time, you will get better at the game, and hopefully learn to survive for long periods at a time.
Once you download Shooting Birds 3D from the Play Store, you can go ahead and get started. This is the Island, and there are a number of missions here that you’re tasked with having to complete.
Each level has a certain target that you need to hit in order to progress to the next level.
First time players are introduced to the game’s mechanics fairly nicely.
In the level, you can’t move around in a full 360-degree circle and instead need to to move left and right as well as up and down in order to aim and fire at birds.
I found the targeting reticule a little difficult to work with, but it just took some time getting used to. The gun sound effect is excellent, the dying bird sound however, is very annoying. Should you be good enough to complete a level, you’ll be given a scorecard and the opportunity to move on to the next level.
To help you out in the later levels, there are neat features like crates you can shoot to gain more time, and more ammo.
The game carries on in much this vane, however, as you progress into the more advanced levels, there are more challenging environments to deal with.
Shooting Birds 3D is, frankly, a pretty basic game. Having said that, if you’re in the mood for something with very little story, simple and easy to understand controls, then this will do nicely. It definitely doesn’t take itself too seriously, it poses a decent challenge for players and it’s easily accessible. The falling crates remind me of countless hours spent in the arcade as a child, and there’s a real arcade look and feel to the game. I was very impressed with the gameplay of the game, aside from niggles not being able to move 360-degrees, but overall I found a lot to like about the game. The presentation however, seriously needs work. A lot of the 3D environments are fine, but birds sort of appear out of nowhere at warp speed and the target reticule is just not accurate at all. With some added polish, this could be a great arcade-style classic.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – The game runs just fine, and there are few issues with the pace of the game.
- Theme (3/5) – Shooting Birds 3D needs some polish in the overall look and feel. The environments look good and so do the birds, but little things need some polish and refinement to bring it all together.
- Features (4/5) – The gameplay here is classic, and reminiscent of arcade games, and it all comes together fairly well.
- Overall (3.5/5) – With some good gameplay and fun sound effects, Shooting Birds 3D has a lot going for it, but it needs some extra polish.
Pros
- Fun, arcade style gameplay is accessible to most players.
- Simple control scheme helps players focus on the gameplay.
- Falling crates are a nice addition and a blast from the past for some players.
- Doesn’t take itself too seriously, allowing players to just play.
Cons
- Overall presentation could do with some extra polish.
- Might be a little too simple for players expecting more.
All-in-all, Shooting Birds 3D is a simple, 3D shooting game that doesn’t take itself too seriously and doesn’t too much from its players. It’s just good fun, without any hassle or any baggage. Fire it up and play with nothing too serious getting in the way and it’s all good.