ChainStaff utilizes an incredibly cool weapon idea to engage in attacks and platforming to absurd perfection
ChainStaff is a new game from Mommy’s Best Games, who I always associate with the Xbox 360. They developed a game I liked called Shoot 1Up on the Xbox Arcade, which very much encapsulated that era.
And now they’ve made this absolute fever dream of a Contra-like.
In ChainStaff we’re a soldier who has an alien parasite attached to our head, which happens often. It’s a tale as old as time. And we have a weapon called the chainstaff. It’s extremely versatile, and does everything we need it to possibly do. I’ll get into that a little bit, but I want to mention that this game definitely has a sense of humor. It’s got a relatively grotesque art style, which I love, with big enemies and big bosses. It also has extreme verticality in some of the stages.
It definitely feels like somebody had an idea and just committed to the bit, and boy oh boy did they nail the landing on this one.
So the weapon itself, the autonomous chainstaff:
- It is a machine gun.
- A rocket launcher.
- It’s also a throwable, like a javelin, and it’s also a shield.
- And it’s also a grappling hook.
- It’s also…
Well, it’s everything.
The game functions like our typical side-scrolling run and gun platformer. When holding the trigger we can stop and aim our gun to shoot, or we can stop and push the chain staff button we can charge up the device. If we charge it a little bit it’ll launch in an arch.
But if we charge it all the way we can throw it out like a javelin that deals massive damage. As a grappling hook we can swing it around, or use it as a platform if we launch it in front of use and it lodges into a wall. We can also smash it into the ground and sending it up like vertical arm that acts as a shield, preventing bullets and enemies from getting to us. And we can use it as an object that we can climb, where when we’re on it we can hold one of the trigger buttons to get it to move around.
It’s is one of the most like interesting weapons in a game that I’ve played in a while. It’s super creative and feels like we’re using this one item in a million different ways.
ChainStaff is a sick cacophony of sound and color and wild enemy designs, crazy levels, and one of the coolest items in gaming. I don’t know. Content right there, you know? There’s money in there.
This review is based on a Steam PC code sent to SideQuesting by the publisher. This video first appeared on The SideQuest Live for April 23, 2026.
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