Pizza Bandit Blends Gears of War with Overcooked for a Delicious Shooter Experience

Oh man, you ever wonder who’s the genius that first thought, “Hey, let’s mix peanut butter and chocolate”? Part of me wants to think they’re living in luxury now, just swimming in a pool of Reese’s money. But maybe they’re like that dude from “The Wire” who invented Chicken McNuggets—just a high-five and back to the grind. No idea, really. But sometimes, you stumble on a combo that’s so perfect it makes you go, “Why didn’t anyone think of this before?” Like those moments when my crew and I would dash back to our time-traveling spaceship, battling Time Reapers, and I’d ponder why no one ever yelled, “Hey, what if we mash up Overcooked and Gears of War?” before Pizza Bandit came along.

So, let me set the scene: Pizza Bandit—simple setup, yeah? You play as Malik. Used to be a bounty hunter, now dreams of making pizzas. But gets hoodwinked out of his pizza joint and dragged back into the bounty game to help his old squad in a pickle. The game’s dialogue? Total goofball vibes, and I love it. Like, when Albert the android says he can’t apologize for ruining your shop because he’s just a robot. Or when my co-pilot gets all misty-eyed about missing the fog. It’s all just goofy fun setting the stage for some Pizza Bandit madness.

And let me tell ya, this ain’t your everyday bounty hunting gig. Nah, you’re zip-zapping through time, dealing with pesky Time Reapers who really seem to have it out for pizza entrepreneurs. I mean, do they not have hobbies? Anyway, pizza heals and bullets… well, you know the drill.

Here’s the kicker: you’re not just rattling off shots. You’re whipping up pizzas, like in Overcooked, but with guns blazing. Picture this: my gang’s tackling the first mission at this sneaky little joint called the Restaurant from Nowhere. Task? Whip up and ship out pizzas using time-traveling rocket pods. So, you’re tossing dough, getting drink orders right, and maybe throwing in some extra firepower when the spice level hits the roof, all while fending off those Reapers who seriously hate the little guy. It’s chaos, but like, the fun kind.

Now, these Time Reapers are no joke. You got all sorts—crawling, leaping, giant hammer-wielding types. They keep ya on your toes, gotta say. The arsenal you build along the way is bonkers. Start off with your typical rifle, maybe a minigun, but get this—they ramp up. Landmines, grenades, and even this disco ball that draws enemies in for a dance-off before going boom. Totally wild. Oh, and don’t get me started on the pizza slicer that’s like the size of a human. Life-changing, that’s what it is.

Best part of the game? Team play. When you’re shouting pizza orders and gunfire’s going off all around—makes for some epic moments. You gotta make those tactical decisions, like when to call in your supply drop and where to place it. Blocks stairways, y’know? It’s a pizza party on steroids.

And another thing, I’ve barely scratched the surface about the levels. Take over a sushi joint? Yup, that’s a thing. Wrangling tuna, frying eggs, prepping cucumber rolls while dodging Time Reapers—it’s a juggling act. There’s no downtime because the customer’s needs never stop, and neither do the Reapers.

But hold on—sometimes you’re not even cooking. Like in Wizard’s Tomb, where you’re solving puzzles and avoiding traps to snag a sarcophagus. Oh, and did I mention you use jetpacks to haul it back to your ship? Just a regular day in a pizza bandit’s life.

There’s a level where you guard a cabin with Dr. Emmert Browne (back to the future nod, much?). Keeping him fed and warm while fending off nasties trying to kibosh time travel. You’d think they’d understand time paradoxes, but nah. Guess they missed that memo.

And then there’s breaking into a safe with a laser drill that seems to have a tendency to explode. Safe, right? But there’s this magical cookbook in there, and duty calls, explosions or not. Classic bandit move.

Between jobs, it’s back to the Pizza Bandit hub. Upgrade your gear, spruce up the joint, whip up pizzas for boosts, snag some fresh threads—ya know, keep things stylish. That milk carton backpack? Chef’s kiss. But I’ve got my sights set on the cat backpack. Fashion priorities, am I right?

Funny thing is, I had no clue I needed Pizza Bandit until I played it. Caught it at PAX a couple of years back, and it was like a piece of gaming nirvana. A concept that shouldn’t work, but then you dive in, and it just clicks. Didn’t realize something could be so out there yet feel so right.

Pizza Bandit—a game where pizzas heal and bullets reign. If Jofsoft nails it, we’re all in for a treat. Here’s to hoping they serve us a perfectly delicious slice of chaos.