First Person Stapler is exactly the kind of silly little FPS that I can appreciate because it takes one ridiculous idea and actually builds a whole game around it. I am working a night shift in an office call center, except instead of doing anything productive I am running around with a stapler shooting targets and causing as much chaos as possible. The goal is simple. I need to reach the exit while destroying as many targets as I can before the timer runs out. It is very basic, but the whole thing has a fun old school arcade feeling that makes it easy to pick up and play.
The time limit is what gives the game most of its energy. I start with a limited amount of time and have to move through the office quickly while looking for targets. Shooting clocks gives me extra time, while coffee temporarily makes me move faster. I also get more points for things like headshots, so I am not just trying to finish the level. I am trying to finish it quickly and get a better score at the same time. I like that because it gives the short levels a reason to be replayed instead of making them something I only complete once.
I also like the different staplers. I start with a normal stapler, but I can find other versions during the levels, including dual staplers and a stronger pneumatic stapler. They give me slightly different ways of dealing with the targets, and the unlimited ammunition means I can keep firing without worrying about running dry. There is also a kick that I can use around the office, which fits the deliberately stupid nature of the game. The newer content adds a renovation level, a shooting gallery and pieces of flair to find, so there is a little more to do than the original basic target shooting.
The office setting is probably my favourite part of the presentation. I can break photocopiers, kick doors, mess with computers, pop balloons and generally wreck the place while trying to get my score up. The low poly visuals give it a late 1990s feel, which works really well with the arcade design. It looks rough in places, but I think that is part of the charm rather than something that completely works against it. The strange music also fits the ridiculous situation surprisingly well.
The biggest problem for me is that First Person Stapler is very short. The game is built around replaying its levels to improve scores and get better results, but there is not a huge amount of completely new gameplay to discover. Once I have learned where the targets and clocks are, the challenge becomes mostly about getting faster and more accurate. I enjoy that kind of arcade scoring loop, but it will not keep me interested for a huge amount of time on its own. The game is much better when I treat it as a quick score attack rather than expecting a full length FPS.
I also think some of the roughness is noticeable. The controls are simple and responsive enough for what the game needs, but this is clearly a small indie project rather than a polished commercial shooter. There is barely any story because it really does not need one, and the office destruction is more about having fun than providing meaningful interaction. That is fine with me because adding a complicated story or progression system would probably take away from the simple joke that makes the game work in the first place.
Overall, First Person Stapler is a fun little FPS that knows exactly what it wants to be. I like the ridiculous stapler weapons, fast time based levels, score chasing, office destruction and retro style presentation. The short length and limited depth stop it from reaching the higher ratings I give to games with much more content, but I do not think it needs to be a huge game to be worthwhile. It is free, easy to understand and genuinely amusing to play for a while. For me, it is a good example of a small game taking a stupid idea seriously enough to make it enjoyable without stretching it far beyond what it needs to be.
Rating: 7.1/10
