Gunbrella: Review
Note: This review contains light story and location spoilers. Content captured on Steam Deck.
At first glance, Gunbrella, from developer Doinksoft, appears to be little more than a 2D platformer with fun, addictive combat set in a dark and gritty world. But it won’t take long to realize that there’s much, much more hiding beneath the surface. This is a game that masterfully unravels its themes and ideas as you push your way through its harrowing story and unforgiving environments. They’ll inject themselves into everything from dialogue to the very weapon you use to seek revenge against a mysterious antagonist and everything in between. So, what is hiding beneath the surface exactly?
Story
To Kings Station and Onward
The story begins with a seemingly simple premise: a man’s wife is killed and his child stolen, so he sets out to right the wrongs done to him. However, there’s a twist. The weapon used to commit the crime was left at the scene, so he takes it with him as he sets out on a quest for revenge.
Right away, we’re given more questions than answers, and with that, Gunbrella draws us in with little time wasted. Of course, the big question looming over us is, who killed our wife and stole our child? But layered underneath, or perhaps purposely overshadowed, is the deeper question of who we’re supposed to be. The answer to this question doesn’t initially matter, but as we begin to peel back the layers of the story and the world we’re in, understanding who we are helps us understand everything else around us.
Investigation Station
As early as your first objective, you’ll learn that investigations are the primary way forward in your quest for revenge. Oftentimes, they’ll set up side quests where you’ll free someone from captivity, kill a person or boss, negotiate with different gangs, or fetch valuable items - all in an effort to keep moving forward. They’ll send you to dark and unforgiving places, making you wonder if the investigation was worth risking your life for - but of course it was, because we’re single-minded in our goal for revenge and we’ll do anything to get it. They’ll sometimes take you further away from your primary goal than you would have liked them to. Still, it's in these moments that you’ll discover the dark secrets and see the unimaginable things that begin to form the true picture of the mysterious world you’re in.
The choice to make investigations our primary way forward through the story drives the point home that you’re in a world full of mysteries, and you know absolutely nothing about it. This connected me with our main character because we were both clueless about what we were getting ourselves into. To feel this connected to a character whose name we don’t even learn until much further in the game is a testament to the excellent storywriting of this game.
The Characters Bring Everything To Life
Engaging in conversation with any character was always entertaining. Everyone from Marle, the leader of the Scrapper Gang, to the money hungry Merchant, to everyone in between brings Gunbrella to life through their extremely well-written dialogue. Even as the Parasol Gunmen were constantly reminding me that I was nothing more than a worm, I couldn’t help but feel entertained by these tense exchanges.
Who Deserves Humanity?
One of the main underlying themes of Gunbrella’s story is the question of humanity. As you push forward in your quest for revenge, you become increasingly entangled in everyone's struggle to either find or hold on to it. Whether it be Cult 45 sacrificing human life for the sake of what they believe humanity to be, The Church of the Sun believing humanity is something that is lost and must be regained, or how the Parasol Gunmen believe that there are simply those who deserve it and those who do not, this push and pull of ideals is what gives this story its incredible depth.
It’s interesting, then, how we don’t seek to answer this question. In a sense, we're a bystander to those who struggle to find the answer, an outsider looking in without the need to find the answer for ourselves. Perhaps our humanity was lost when our daughter was taken, and our wife was killed. In any case, the struggle to deal with sin is equally as present as the question of humanity.
Boss Fights
The Church of the Sun believes that the world's monsters exist as a punishment for the sin of man and the existence of Avalon, the idealistic paradise sucking the last of the world's resources into one place, leaving everyone in the outside world to die. These monstrosities reveal themselves during boss fights and become increasingly grotesque as the world worsens, as they are meant to represent the personification of sin itself.
As an enemy, they’re tough to take down, as you have to use limited space to dodge attacks, parry, and carefully time your shots for maximum damage. But despite their repulsive nature, these boss fights are truly a highlight of the combat experience.
Art Direction
A Crumbling World
Whether you’re in the Allendale Wilds, on the streets of Orwell, or in one of the many sewer systems, each location is visually connected by a dark color palette that gives the game its noir style. These colors still pop, though slightly, to represent that there’s still life in these communities, no matter how little of it there may be left. It provides a faint sense of hope in each location, illustrating that people survive but aren’t exactly living.
Nothing illustrates the state of the world quite like the stark difference in color between Avalon and the rest of the cities. Avalon is bright and full of life, making the outside world seem lifeless by comparison. Moving through this space feels like you’ve made it to heaven, while running from the wraiths in the underworld feels like being in hell by comparison. Rarely have I felt such an impact from the use of a color palette alone when moving between different spaces.
The game’s music also plays an important role in illustrating the spirit of these locations, and it does it exceptionally well. I remember hearing the soft, melancholy jazz track as I entered King’s Station for the first time, thinking, “I can really put myself in this location through the music playing in the background.” Or how the more eerie, horror-inspired tracks with space between their melodies illustrate the fear you should feel from lurking in the sewers. In Gunbrella, the 2D-pixel art style is elevated by the quality of these surrounding elements. The creative use of its color palette and thoughtful implementation of different music types gives this game a superb and nuanced art direction that is much more than what initially meets the eye.
Combat
The Gunbrella: A Symbol Disguised as a Weapon
At first, the Gunbrella seems like just a shotgun that doubles as an umbrella. (Which is pretty cool). However, as we investigate the weapon deeper, we learn that it is so much more than that in terms of combat capabilities and story purpose. The Gunbrella is not only a weapon but a status symbol held by those who are meant to “protect.” People revere this weapon and the individuals who wield it, as they are seen as high society individuals. The history of your own Gunbrella is also something that you must unravel on your journey.
A Simple But Effective Tool
Though your own Gunbrella's history is deep, actually using it is simple and fun! Initially, you’ll start the game with only shotgun shells. As you continue through the story, you’ll gain the ability to purchase ammunition upgrades. You’ll then be able to use your Gunbrella to shoot flames, grenades, long-ranged rifle rounds, and more. These ammo options keep combat fresh but simple while giving you different ways to strategize the fight against enemies and bosses.
Jack of all Trades
Believe it or not, the Gunbrella is good for more than just shooting; it also doubles as a traversal tool that you can glide, zipline, and dash with. Movement already feels good, but the traversal capabilities of your Gunbrella take it to another level. Add to this the ability to parry with the Gunbrella open, and you have a true jack-of-all-trades tool at your disposal. Doinksoft could have easily made each aspect of the Gunbrella into its own separate tool or weapon, but combining all of them into one is part of what makes this game and its combat-traversal system so unique and satisfying.
Strategic Combat
One thing I noticed very quickly about the combat is that it doesn’t take kindly to mindless running and gunning. Your health is not plentiful, and you’re always outnumbered, which means you’ll need to think before you engage. Many combat areas consist of tight corners and winding pathways where you can be easily flanked. You’ll need to consider each of these corners as you strategize how to take out groups of enemies that could quickly overtake you if you don’t. Mastering the Gunbrella and all of its tools will allow you to run circles around enemies, trivializing these tight encounters and creating some of the most fun 2D platforming combat around.
That said, trial and error is also a big part of the combat experience. Truth be told, I’m a run-and-gun type of player, but I found this style of strategic combat really fun. At times, dying over and over again from running into a deadly spike while also trying to avoid killer bees was incredibly frustrating, but that made it all the more satisfying when I finally figured out the best way to get around that obstacle.
Verdict
Gunbrella is a triumph in layered storytelling supported by fun 2D platforming, unique combat, and a thoughtful and immersive art style. I went into this game not knowing what to expect and walked away truly stunned by what I had experienced. In a year with so many AAA hits, Gunbrella offers a compelling alternative that will satiate any appetite for a thoroughly fun experience and one you shouldn’t pass on.