I’m not crying. It’s simply been raining on my face

What a blast from the previous! Gunbrella comes to make use of from Doinksoft, who final developed Gato Roboto (when you don’t rely Devolver Bootleg). That was the primary sport I reviewed for Destructoid, again once I was only a shy-but-plucky freelancer bugging Chris “Most Ups” Carter for an opportunity on the large time. For my first time, I did such an ample job that I used to be allowed to do it once more. Now right here I’m.

I didn’t love Gato Roboto. I didn’t hate it, both, it simply didn’t actually have sufficient substance to it. In that assessment, I mentioned, “It’s exhausting to advocate Gato Roboto after we dwell in a world the place video games like Cave Story and Iconoclasts exist.” Doinksoft should have taken that to coronary heart (in the event that they learn it in any respect) as a result of Gunbrella has many extra shades of Cave Story splashed throughout its rather more substantial physique.

Parabellumsol

Gunbrella is the story of the eponymous firearm-slash-accessory, and likewise the woodsman who carries it. His spouse has been murdered by the very weapon he now carries round, and he thirsts for revenge. Additionally, his baby has been kidnapped. It’s an actual fill-in-the-blanks introduction.

I suppose that’s other than the truth that a gun additionally has an umbrella constructed into it. That’s a brand new one for me. Not solely does it defend you from the rain, it can also block bullets, propel you ahead, and help you float gently again to earth. Gunbrella’s motion system principally facilities round this one gadget, and it really works fairly nicely in that position. Given that you’ve got it from the beginning, and it appears to have all its talents off the hop, you be taught all its capabilities early and might get round simply.

Rain of bullets

The preview supplied to me was a somewhat massive slab of the sport. It was actually greater than sufficient to see what Doinksoft goes for.

Whereas Gunbrella is a gated exploration sport the place you discover bigger and bigger chunks of an interconnected world till you’ll be able to transfer on to the subsequent space, it doesn’t actually match below the Metroidvania, erm, umbrella. You’re not enabled progress by choosing up new abilities or gadgets. Somewhat, you progress ahead by finishing quests. This is likely one of the senses that it’s just like Cave Story.

The opposite similarity is that it has a humorousness that lays a veil over a common ambiance of melancholy. There’s a whimsy to Gunbrella’s drab world that appears very human. A heat amongst all of the hardships that’s admirable.

Don’t get me unsuitable, I don’t suppose Gunbrella reduce a slit at the back of Cave Story and is making an attempt to put on it as a brand new set of pants. It’s simply that the 2 video games attain comparable excessive factors.

Puttin the ‘enjoyable’ in purposeful

Sadly, these excessive factors don’t actually translate into boss design. They’re not dangerous and are visually fascinating, however preventing them isn’t at all times satisfying. It’s the one place the place your Gunbrella feels prefer it lacks affect, and its brief vary makes it one thing of a hindrance. There’s nothing egregious about them, they only seem weaker when stood as much as the sport’s total energy.

Likewise, the story is an odd mixture of robust characters and fulfilling dialogue, and a bunch of stuff we’ve in any other case seen earlier than. If something, the trite plot does nicely to offer extra highlight to the worldbuilding and characters. It’s additionally doable that there’s a giant twist coming past the confines of the preview supplied that may make the entire thing repay. I’m simply uninterested in sport wives present for the only real goal of dying and driving their males to kill individuals.

The forecast

General, although, I used to be impressed by this serving of Gunbrella. An enormous a part of its success comes from its motion system, however past simply that, it offers a well-paced narrative with a considerate mixture of world-building. So, even when the story doesn’t wind up paying off with something and the gameplay doesn’t acquire additional depth, it’s nonetheless enjoyable to play and avoids being boring.

Nevertheless, I’ve religion that Gunbrella nonetheless has extra handkerchiefs jammed up its sleeve. Despite the fact that the preview was a sizeable chunk of tofu, I’d wager that the perfect is but to return. For now, I’m going to be trying ahead to the prospect to wrap my mitts round this highly effective style accent once more when it launches later this 12 months.

Zoey Handley

Workers Author – Zoey is a gaming gadabout. She obtained her begin running a blog with the neighborhood in 2018 and hit the entrance web page quickly after. Usually discovered exploring indie experiments and retro libraries, she does her finest to stay chronically uncool.

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