Goldrushers Demo

Split-screen multiplayer is almost a lost art nowadays, most likely because modern games are designed to be much too detailed to be rendered twice by the same computer. Granted, there are still titles out there that feature this option, but it’s not nearly as common as it used to be. Thus, it’s nice to see an indie production that tries to perform CPR on split-screen multiplayer.

Goldrushers is a third-person action game in which two players have to compete against each other by gathering the most gold nuggets or various other valuable items. As you might have guessed, the action takes place in local multiplayer, and you actually get to choose whether you want to split the screen in two or use separate monitors, which is a great solution to keep everyone happy.

In essence, the game allows you to explore a fairly small map and use your tools to break rocks in order to look for precious gems or gold nuggets. A pickaxe is certainly useful, but then again dynamite can do a lot more with barely any effort, but it’s not nearly as safe. Thus, the competition between the players can turn pretty violent if they choose to turn their tools into weapons.

There are other ways to make sure you come out victorious, such as hiding bear traps around the map and hoping that the other player steps into them, thus slowing them down. On top of that, you can also throw horses at your opponent in order to stun them, which is about as fun and ludicrous as it sounds. You can also choose from three different maps, so the experience doesn’t get boring too quickly.

Lastly, it’s important to note the fact that you cannot play this by yourself, and you need at least one controller connected to the computer. Thus, even if one player can use the mouse and keyboard combo, the other is forced to use a gamepad. The graphics are surprisingly smooth and enjoyable, even if the controls can be a tad unusual sometimes.

In the end, it’s great to see split-screen multiplayer making a comeback, and Goldrushers does a wonderful job in this regard. The action is always entertaining, especially since the competition is pretty fierce and fast-paced.