Our Review of 12 Is Better Than 6 For Nintendo Switch

… But One is Still the Loneliest Number.

At some point in the life of the average American, we have been caught in – even if for the briefest of moments – a wild west fantasy. I don’t mean the romance novel kind of fantasy, but the guns and glory kind… which may or may not include some romance of its own. The success of games like Red Dead Redemption are proof positive of the power of such fantasies. For all of their guns and glory, Western tales are not all horses and hi-jinx with sunset sendoffs, many a legendary folk hero died alone. It is within to this loneliness that we dive into a Western tale of a man with neither memory nor home, a man longing for a distant country. This is our review of 12 Is Better Than 6 for Nintendo Switch.

Developed by Ink Stain Games and published by HypeTrain Digital, 12 Is Better Than 6 was originally released in 2015 with great enthusiasm through Steam’s Greenlight program – a process that only took 4 days! 

Presented in a simple, yet beautiful pen-and-paper-drawing style, 12 Is Better Than 6 tells the story of an escaped Mexican slave with no identity, only the memories of his imprisonment, the six-shooter at his hip, and the sombrero he “borrowed” from the last man to get in his way. With all of this mystery, why is “12 better than 6?” Because it is far batter to be tried by a jury of twelve than to be carried dead in a box by six pallbearers. I would also argue, in context, that there are moments that two six-shooters (12) are better than one six-shooter.

12 Is Better Than 6 plays as a top-down shooter that takes advantage of stealth and an interesting shooter mechanic that I have not seen before in period-based game such as itself. Not only are you responsible for reloading each and every bullet in the chamber, you also need to remember to cock your gun. A full magazine isn’t worth a hill of beans unless the gun is ready to use it! Another fun thing: you can strap dynamite to rats and watch them scurry into your enemies for an explosive end.

Each level has you traverse a dangerous landscape on your way from the servitude of a Mexican prison camp and into America. You will meet those willing to help you (for a price) and those who need a little convincing to help you… at their expense. You will make it to a waypoint, interact with it, and travel to the next location.

Since this is a port to the Nintendo Switch, does it function well on the platform its? 

My biggest gripe with 12 Is Better Than 6 is that when you die, there is no clear button to press to reset the level. You will either find yourself kicked back to a title screen or starting a level but firing off rounds… leading to another untimely death because you have just spooked everyone within that level. So much for the stealth.

On the whole, 12 Is Better Than 6 works on the Switch because its very design. Where some titles suffer as a result of the Switch being a multipurpose system, this is one that feels at home in both the mobile and the console space. The limited field of view and tight camera angles put you into a state of situational awareness that is needed to survive. 

Note: Our copy was reviewed on Nintendo Switch with a code provided by PR.

Summary
If you are looking for an interesting top-down shooter with some fresh mechanics, something with a pen-and-paper art aesthetic, or you just have a soft spot for a good, old-fashioned western, 12 Is Better Than 6 is a good title to consider. It’s mix of face reaction with stealth setup can turn the tides from calculating to chaotic at any moment, keeping you on your toes.  12 Is Better Than 6 is $9.99 on the Nintendo Store.
Good
  • Unique pen and paper design
  • Fresh shooting mechanics requires careful planning
  • Field of view allows it to work in both the mobile and console space
Bad
  • No clear reset on death means many trips to the menu
8
Great
Written by
Born in the heyday of mullets and the El Camino to a tech-foward family, Damien (a.k.a. Dame, PastorDame) quickly embraced the reality that “normal” is just a setting on a dryer. Damien is a pastor by trade and loves talking with anyone who is interested about life, God, and video games (in no particular order) - so, much so, that he and fellow MMORPG/GameSpace writer Matt Keith (Nexfury) create a podcast dedicated to that conversation. At the end of the day, Damien is a guy who loves his wife, his Mini Schnoodle, and crafting gourmet bowls of Mac N’ Cheese.

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