Switchblade Monkeys Entertainment took a good swing at their PS4 release of Secret Ponchos late last year. Released at launch as a PlayStation Plus title, it seems that their idea was to get the title into as many hands as possible and make up the difference with paid DLC once players got a taste of what was on offer. The issue was that it was, in the end, still a game with a sticker price. Soon after launch, the servers became a ghost town. That is not to say that there were not fans of the title, but anyone who hops on now to play a pick up game will find themselves waiting.

Fortunately, the developers know that they have something good here and they are putting all their weight behind the Steam release. It's totally worth it. For all the real and perceived missteps taken with the console release, corrective actions have been taken with Secret Ponchos: Most Wanted Edition. Folks wanting to know if this new release is worth the double dip can rest easy. It is. Those who are unfamiliar with this western arcade action title, read on.

Secret Ponchos is a multiplayer focused, top down arena based shooter that rewards tactical thinking. Knowing when to shoot is just as important as how fast the shot is taken. Players are dropped in one of many maps and are forced to jockey for position using cover, sneak around to flank and use special weapons and powers to press the advantage. Before beginning play, an outlaw must be chosen. There are now quite a few of them, each with their own flavors. Kid Red was an old favorite on the console release with his dual pistols and dynamite. Many players during the review events seemed to love the new Mad Trapper. Or they love his bear traps. His stupid, stupid bear traps. Personally, Gordo ended up being my favorite. He's slow and his gatling gun doesn't do a ton of damage, but he can soak up the hurt, wallpapering over stupid moves and providing a chance to do better. Combining dash with his stun maneuver can reverse a sticky situation quickly, and he has a Molotov cocktail secondary weapon. There are a total of ten well balanced characters here, so it should be easy for players to find one that fits their style.

There is a character progression treadmill in place, as well. During matches, players can earn (or lose) bounty that is added at the end of each match. Based on performance, as well as odds placed based on character level and previous matches, players can rank up, earning loftier titles and additional stats. Mixing an experience system with the fighter levels found in titles like Street Fighter IV  seems simple on the surface, but quickly becomes a cycle that can wreak havoc on many a good night's rest. Since the matches are so quick, playing "just one more" becomes compulsive.

There are also a wealth of modes here. The one versus one doesn't do much to excite. The maps are simply too large to maintain the pace, and the systems here make team play the more palatable option. Everything else is quite fun. The free-for-all deathmatch is sublime chaos, the two-versus-two puts the focus on great team work, and the three-versus-three found in the ranked match playlist opens up the options extremely well. The true star of the modes is absolutely Posse Leader. Found only in ranked 3v3, each round designates one player on each team as the leader. The goal is to eliminate the other leader. While leaders only get one life, other players have unlimited spawns. The way to succeed here is to soften up opposing player's heath bars, and allow the leader to get the kill. This earns them "grit," upping their stats and making them a force to be reckoned with. These concepts are simple enough that pick up groups can work together easily, while introducing enough depth to make it a satisfying experience.

There are two potential pitfalls to be noted. First, due to the multiplayer focus, the only way to review the final build was to play during a designated period when the developers were all playing to provide the needed population. During this time, there was significant lag. Using guile and an advanced journalistic technique called "asking a question," it was discovered that they did not shift resources from the early access version for these periods, as they did not want to detract from the experience of paying players. Testing out matches on the public version revealed the truth of this statement, as these ran very smoothly. The reason that this is brought up is because more folks are bound to check this game out now that the full version is released. If Switchblade Monkeys is not prepared for this influx, there could be some major issues. This portion will be updated to reflect how it turns out. (Update: On launch day, the servers ran absolutely great for us. Actually, the play was smoother than the Early Access test I ran for review.)

Also, there is concern about player count. While a single player mode is included for practice, this truly is a multiplayer game. If this does not get the player base that it deserves, finding a match and actually playing the thing could become an issue. (See the current state of the PS4 community.) When testing the public early access version, there was a five minute wait to get into the first match. After that initial lull, though, it was easy to find a constant stream of new teammates to join and targets to perforate. Switchblade Monkeys have taken a remarkable step to ensure that this does not become an issue. In addition to the normal discounted bundle of multiple copies that can be found with various titles on Steam, even a purchase of one copy yields a second, gift copy to share. This is a smart step to take, and one that should hopefully prevent an anemic player base.

Closing Comments:

After how disappointing the PS4 version of Secret Ponchos became, it's a tough sell to get gamers to give it another shot. Switchblade Monkeys has earned that shot, though. Secret Ponchos: Most Wanted Edition is the thinking man's western shooter. By placing equal emphasis on tactics as well as smarts, they have created the exciting addictive multiplayer title that it always could have been. Instead of doing a quickie port to try to get more scratch, attention was paid to the details needed to bring this up to the level it deserves. Like The Man with No Name, Secret Ponchos took one to the chest. With bravado, it stands up, reveals the furnace door beneath and is ready for the real duel to begin.