Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • Home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • GTA 6 pre-orders
  • Summer Preview
  • New Games 2026
  • Best gaming tech
  • Tennocon 2026
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Games
  2. Action Games

Secret Poncho tosses you into a frantic Wild West shootout

Features
By Hollander Cooper
Published 13 June 2013

This town ain't big enough for the both of us

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Feeling lucky, punk?

Feeling lucky, punk?

As we tumbled towards our enemies--a slob with a chaingun and a slender man with a whip--we wondered, "what are we fighting for?"

Nah, not really, we just whipped out our dual revolvers and kept shooting, blasting our foes and forcing them to hide behind cover, which we then rendered useless with the toss of a stick of dynamite. That's just the way of the west in Secret Ponchos, a top-down shooter with a focus on player-versus-player combat. Our time with the game was brief, but long enough to give us a good idea of the basic gameplay, which feels more akin to a third-person shooter than any other top-down game we've played.

Players will battle across five maps in a number of different game modes, choosing between a number of different interesting characters. Each has a weapon with two functions (like our revolver, which could be altered to shoot powerful close-range shots and fast long-range blasts) as well as a secondary item (like our dynamite), adding plenty of variety to the brawls. Visually it was nice, but didn't really feel like it needed the power of the PlayStation 4 to function--something the developers plan to address by adding cloth physics and ambient lighting inclusion for the next-gen version. There's also talk of adding new modes and characters post-launch, including a capture-point map with AI-controlled opponents, turning Secret Ponchos into League of Legends. Will it win the west? We don't know, but we're gunning to find out when it releases early next year.

Check out the following slides for additional images and more information.

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
There's a cover system and it works fairly well.

There's a cover system and it works fairly well.

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
Old west style shoot-outs are too infrequent in modern gaming, if you ask us.

Old west style shoot-outs are too infrequent in modern gaming, if you ask us.

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
One of the first images released for the game shows off a bunch of fun characters.

One of the first images released for the game shows off a bunch of fun characters.

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
This is the character we played as--he was super fun.

This is the character we played as--he was super fun.

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
...and here's what he looks like in-game.

...and here's what he looks like in-game.

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
This is "The Killer" and he, apparently, kills people.

This is "The Killer" and he, apparently, kills people.

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
CATEGORIES
PS4 Platforms PlayStation
Hollander Cooper
Hollander Cooper
Social Links Navigation
Former Features Editor at GamesRadar+

Hollander Cooper was the Lead Features Editor of GamesRadar+ between 2011 and 2014. After that lengthy stint managing GR's editorial calendar he moved behind the curtain and into the video game industry itself, working as social media manager for EA and as a communications lead at Riot Games. Hollander is currently stationed at Apple as an organic social lead for the App Store and Apple Arcade.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter
Read more
Key art for Chivalware showing a yellow disk knight zooming through exploding enemies on a cyber grid while slashing with a sword, with the orange GamesRadar+ Summer Preview 2026 frame
Roguelike Games Chivalware reimagines Mega Man Battle Network's action RPG combat as a hectic roguelike I'm struggling to put down
 
 
Terminal War at FGS Summer Showcase 2026
Third Person Shooters Pick a faction and fight for territory across a fractured America in brutal shooter Terminal War
 
 
Crossfire screenshot, showing tactical war combat
Third Person Shooters With its "genre-reinventing cover system", Crossfire wants to change third-person shooters forever
 
 
Key art for Mistfall Hunter showing a group of player characters of different classes, cropped for a header
Action RPGs Steam Next Fest's top demo is basically Dark Souls but PvP Extraction – adding ARPG to the genre might finally hook me
 
 
Warhammer 40K: Boltgun 2 gameplay showing a nurgling being chopped up with a chainsword
FPS Games Warhammer 40K: Boltgun 2 wants to recapture "lightning in a bottle," but I think it already has
 
 
007 First Light screenshot of Bond pointing a gun at an off-camera enemy
Action Games Zelda Breath of the Wild's most important lesson lives on in 007 First Light
 
 
Latest in Action Games
The key visual for the Black Myth: Wukong Global Concert in North America
Action Games Black Myth: Wukong is taking another Journey to the West as it moves from game screens to the global stage
 
 
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced reveal screenshot shows Edward Kenway stood next Blackbeard looking through a telescope.
Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced star's remake leak has been turned into official promo
 
 
Pragmata Diana hacking in the Shelter with her arm outstretched
Action Games Pragmata's initial internal feedback called Capcom devs "incompetent at level design"
 
 
GTA 6 Ultimate Edition screenshot
Grand Theft Auto GTA 6 studio Rockstar "will arrange to meet" union reps after devs' request for recognition
 
 
Batman Arkham Asylum cover
Action Games 17 years later, Batman: Arkham Asylum is still the best game for Batman fans
 
 
Marvel's Blade with fangs exposed
Action Games Xbox could cancel Marvel's Blade and close Arkane in July bloodbath, report says studio may be sold
 
 
Latest in Features
Sonic looks shocked in a screenshot for Sonic Pico Park, surrounded by the GamesRadar+ Summer Preview badge
Sonic the Hedgehog Even Takashi Iizuka wasn't sure about Sonic Pico Park at first, but Sega's learned a lot from indies
 
 
Death Stranding Norman Reedus and baby
Games PlayStation killing discs is bad for everyone, whether you care about physical games or not
 
 
The key visual for the Black Myth: Wukong Global Concert in North America
Action Games Black Myth: Wukong is taking another Journey to the West as it moves from game screens to the global stage
 
 
Batman Arkham Asylum cover
Action Games 17 years later, Batman: Arkham Asylum is still the best game for Batman fans
 
 
X-Men '97 season 2
Marvel TV Shows What are the X-Force and X-Factor in X-Men '97 season 2?
 
 
Guild Wars 3 promotional screenshots
MMO Games Guild Wars 3 may have cracked the MMO code for tired millennials
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Sonic looks shocked in a screenshot for Sonic Pico Park, surrounded by the GamesRadar+ Summer Preview badge
    1
    Even Takashi Iizuka wasn't sure about Sonic Pico Park at first, but Sega's learned a lot from indies
  2. 2
    Xbox is reportedly testing a feature to digitize physical game collections
  3. 3
    Epic Games CEO says "Steam charges such high fees" that companies like Genshin Impact maker skip it
  4. 4
    PlayStation killing discs is bad for everyone, whether you care about physical games or not
  5. 5
    PS6 "won't arrive until 2028 at the earliest," analyst says, and the base model mightn't take discs

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...