Fast action, cool weapon, impressive moves, tough enemies
Can you call a video game a shooter when the killing tool is always a boomerang? Boomerang X is a game developed by DANG! and published by Devolver. I played on the PC via Steam and the game is also available on the Nintendo Switch. The title mixes action and platforming in some very cool ways. At the center is a boomerang that the protagonist picks up very quickly and spends about one hour learning to use. Yes, it does the classic boomerang thing of hitting a target and then returning to the hand. But there’s a ton more it offers and each of the options needs to be mastered to make good progress. I played with a mouse and keyboard, using the left mouse button to charge the boomerang before launching. Click Shift and time slows down for a little while, offering more opportunities to aim. Clicking again after the boomerang is launched the player can teleport to its location. With a little practice, this means a gamer can basically fly in the wide-open levels. The movement options are impressive even in arenas that are designed to be somewhat claustrophobic. The right mouse calls back the boomerang to the hand immediately.
