Mighty Goose is a chaotic side-scrolling shooter in which you play as a cybernetically enhanced goose. This particularly aggressive bird is an intergalactic bounty hunter, and the game's loose plot takes you to a number of sci-fi locales as Goose brings justice to the baddies. It's all suitably dumb right from the word go, and the game can be an absolute blast once you're in the zone.

Goose starts off each level equipped with a rather basic arm cannon, but a range of different guns — and vehicles — can be found throughout. From spray-and-pray automatics to plasma dispensers, every weapon is fun to use, with the outrageously sized shotgun being a clear highlight.

It's the aforementioned vehicles that steal the show, though; hopping aboard a tank or one-wheeled speeder bike gives you some serious firepower or mobility. You can even embarrass smaller foes by simply running them over. Needless to say, there are a handful of fantastic vehicular set-pieces scattered across the campaign.

Mighty Goose has some great visual feedback. Enemies fly backwards in dramatic fashion as they're gunned down, while opposing tanks and aircraft explode into fiery chunks after eating too many missiles. At times, the screen can be utterly coated in death and debris. It's enjoyably over-the-top, but the sheer amount of chaos can often make visibility a bit of a nightmare.

Goose only comes with four bars of health, and with enemy projectiles flying all over the screen, it can be frustrating when you're hit with a bullet that was completely obscured by the surrounding mayhem. Fortunately, Goose has a speedy dodge roll that makes him invincible for a generous length of time — but spamming won't necessarily save you from unseen danger.

Uneven checkpoints also compound the problem. Some later levels threw us all the way back to the start of the stage upon death, which makes those seemingly unavoidable hits even more annoying. It's a shame, because Mighty Goose is an otherwise finely crafted and undeniably fun run and gunner.

It's worth noting that local co-op is available at any time, but your partner is limited to playing as one of the game's companion characters. They can't be damaged, but their attacks are weak, and they lack Goose's movement. In short, your co-op buddy is getting a pretty rough deal.