I’m not crying. It’s just been raining on my face
What a blast from the past! Gunbrella comes to us from Doinksoft, who last developed Gato Roboto (if you donāt count Devolver Bootleg). That was the first game I reviewed for Destructoid, back when I was just a shy-but-plucky freelancer bugging Chris āMaximum Upsā Carter for a chance at the big time. For my first time, I did such an adequate job that I was allowed to do it again. Now here I am.
I didnāt love Gato Roboto. I didnāt hate it, either, it just didnāt really have enough substance to it. In that review, I said, āItās hard to recommend Gato Roboto when we live in a world where games like Cave Story and Iconoclasts exist.ā Doinksoft must have taken that to heart (if they read it at all) because Gunbrella has many more shades of Cave Story splashed across its much more substantial body.
![Gunbrella Rat Boss](https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Screen_Gunbrella03cropped.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
Parabellumsol
Gunbrella is the story of the eponymous firearm-slash-accessory, and also the woodsman who carries it. His wife has been murdered by the very weapon he now carries around, and he thirsts for revenge. Also, his child has been abducted. Itās a real fill-in-the-blanks introduction.
I suppose thatās aside from the fact that a gun also has an umbrella built into it. Thatās a new one for me. Not only does it protect you from the rain, it also can block bullets, propel you forward, and allow you to float gently back to earth. Gunbrellaās movement system mostly centers around this one device, and it works pretty well in that role. Given that you have it from the start, and it seems to have all its abilities off the hop, you learn all its functions early and can get around easily.
Rain of bullets
The preview provided to me was a rather large slab of the game. It was certainly more than enough to see what Doinksoft is going for.
While Gunbrella is a gated exploration game where you explore larger and larger chunks of an interconnected world until you can move on to the next area, it doesnāt really fit under the Metroidvania, erm, umbrella. Youāre not enabled progress by picking up new skills or items. Rather, you move forward by completing quests. This is one of the senses that itās similar to Cave Story.
The other similarity is that it has a sense of humor that lays a veil over a general atmosphere of melancholy. Thereās a whimsy to Gunbrellaās drab world that seems very human. A warmth among all the hardships thatās admirable.
Donāt get me wrong, I donāt think Gunbrella cut a slit in the back of Cave Story and is attempting to wear it as a new set of pants. Itās just that the two games reach similar high points.
![Gunbrella Floating](https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Screen_Gunbrella04cropped.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
Puttin the ‘fun’ in functional
Unfortunately, these high points donāt really translate into boss design. Theyāre not bad and are visually interesting, but fighting them isnāt always satisfying. Itās the one place where your Gunbrella feels like it lacks impact, and its short range makes it something of a hindrance. Thereās nothing egregious about them, they just appear weaker when stood up to the gameās overall strength.
Likewise, the story is an odd mix of strong characters and enjoyable dialogue, and a bunch of stuff weāve otherwise seen before. If anything, the trite plot does well to give more spotlight to the worldbuilding and characters. Itās also possible that thereās a big twist coming beyond the confines of the preview provided that will make the whole thing pay off. Iām just tired of game wives existing for the sole purpose of dying and driving their men to kill people.
![Sidescrolling battle](https://www.destructoid.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Screen_Gunbrella05cropped.jpg?resize=640%2C360)
The forecast
Overall, though, I was impressed by this serving of Gunbrella. A big part of its success comes from its movement system, but beyond just that, it provides a well-paced narrative with a thoughtful mix of world-building. So, even if the story doesnāt wind up paying off with anything and the gameplay doesnāt gain further depth, itās still fun to play and avoids being boring.
However, I have faith that Gunbrella still has more handkerchiefs jammed up its sleeve. Even though the preview was a sizeable chunk of tofu, Iād wager that the best is yet to come. For now, Iām going to be looking forward to the chance to wrap my mitts around this powerful fashion accessory again when it launches later this year.
Published: Jul 18, 2023 04:00 pm