Under my Gunbrella, ella-ella, ayy, ayy, ayy.
At a glance, Gunbrella may seem like a simple action platformer built around a gameplay gimmick but the titular Gunbrella is more than just a whimsical word to utter. The versatile rain repelling weapon coerced me into a handful of hours of blood bubbling battles, punchy platforming bliss, and more world building than I was expecting. Although it may not reinvent the genre, Doinksoft’s latest pixelated revenge tale floats towards rain and blood soaked heights and is worthy of respite from the drizzle.
Gunbrella wastes no time throwing you right into the grim world of Orwell as you begin your quest to return your newly found Gunbrella to its previous owner, bullets first of course. The overarching narrative of seeking revenge at all costs mixed with the gameplay of Gunbrella could’ve sufficed for both the style of game and length. So I was pleasantly surprised with how much more there was to the world and characters hidden under the raindrops. Each area you visit you’ll encounter ravaging vagabonds, religious zealots seeking comfort and worship in a dire world, or maybe just some honest conversation and in its harsh yet sometimes comedic interactions with the characters inhabiting this world it feels full of life even though the setting may prescribe otherwise.
The main quest is broken up throughout while helping others in order to get access to the places you need to venture. Some of these excursions are necessary in order to fulfill the brooding bloodlust of the protagonist, but some minor side quests will peek out allowing you to revisit areas usually resulting in a health upgrade or some other form of reward. Again not earthshattering but for the size and scope of this game it was unexpected to have more diversion from the main plot than I expected and welcomed in an optional pacing that worked well.
The overall narrative had its moments of intrigue and unexpected nuances, touching on topics easily related to our own world such as the reliance on natural resources or the oppression of authorities. The way these and other aspects of this world exist overtly and in the shadows continues to illustrate how Gunbrella is slightly deeper than you’d expect. Although, the ending did leave me wishing for something a tad more impactful it didn’t weaken my enjoyment of the road there just dampened what could’ve brought a speck of sunshine into that world.
There are small health and weapon upgrades you can optionally unlock as you progress and these little barometers helped keep the flow of Gunbrella buttery. It’s succinct but effective and pushed me into interacting with almost every NPC I encountered looking for side quests and had me searching all areas for rewards. I didn’t encounter an immense amount of hidden or secret areas but it felt as though what I did discover was in line with the breadth of the game. I didn’t need Gunbrella to go full Metroidvania on me, nor do I think it was trying to.
Where Gunbrella truly flutters beyond a typical action platformer is the implementation of the Gunbrella itself. It plays a heavy narrative role, but beyond that it allows for engaging combat and platforming that had me entering each encounter with a heightened pulse and leaving with a rush of satisfaction while zipping around and blasting away. On the offensive side, the Gunbrella begins as a shotgun but other ammunition types will become available later in the game for you to swap freely between. Responsive in firing, aiming and shooting felt clean and accurate while popping up on foes. Defensively the Gunbrella can be puffed out and used as shield to block enemy fire, but timed properly can be used as a reflective parry. Hitting the shield at just the right moment and sending a slurry of bright yellow dots back at an enemy turret will never cease to flick a button in my brain that unleashes a wave of serotonin.
The movement in a game like Gunbrella is always one of my biggest worries before getting my hands on the controller, hoping that it feels tight and not floaty. Gunbrella thankfully had that level of weight I was crossing my fingers for. No sliding around or imprecise physics that don’t match the feel of the character and environment. That proper grounding in a platformer is tantamount to how well the entire game functions around it. Especially in a game where one of the main mechanics is a tool that allows you to dash, float, double jump, and angle yourself in ways to outgun your foes and cross obstacles in the field. Once Gunbrella onboards you with the functions of the bumbershoot turned weapon, it immediately showed the strength of the locomotion. Short hop dashing along to quickly charge a foe or sailing across a gap and blasting down at an enemy felt snappy and kinetic. Chaining together wall jumps and Gunbrella skills in more elaborate encounters like using the shield bash to push an enemy back or reflect their attack and then dashing towards them to deliver a blast to their melon helped keep the gameplay scenarios jolting until the credits rolled.
Gunbrella may never clear the rainclouds fully and place itself in the stars, but this pulpy parasol portmanteau pleases beyond the average action platformer. Gunbrella is a solid recommendation for someone looking for a gritty noir adventure with crunchy gunplay and acrobatic maneuvering. In my mind, when someone says “It’s a Devolver game” Gunbrella seems like the quintessential description of the typical look, sound, and feel of what many of their titles emanate and that’s not a bad thing, especially if you typically vibe with Devolver Digital.
Gunbrella releases on Nintendo Switch and PC on September 13, 2023.
We reviewed Gunbrella on the Nintendo Switch with a code provided by the publisher.
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