Gunbrella Reviews
Gunbrella is an interesting side-scroller that offers polished gameplay and a precise control system. The noir-punk theme, coupled with a rough atmosphere, make Doinksoft's work one that I recommend, both for fans of hard-boiled stories and for those who like a lighthearted approach to the genre that offers a lot of fun thanks to its ideas and creativity.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Gunbrella is an interesting horror-noir with satisfying platforming and combat physics, the kind you can only get when you combine a gun and an umbrella. The game moves quickly when it needs to and slows down a bit to give you lore and introduce you to its characters, without ever killing the great pacing you’d expect from a side-scrolling shooter. Once again, Devolver Digital has published an indie darling that should quickly pick up a Cult 45 following.
Gunbrella is another example of developer doinksoft proving they know how to make a wicked cool video game. Featuring rainy nights and gorgeously bleak environments overrun with pollution as the backdrop, the steampunk and noir vibes are palpable as you investigate the inner politics of a town and, most importantly, your wife's killer. Thankfully all that deliberate dreariness is complemented by a cool traversal system with the umbrella and frenetic 2D action that does a good job balancing the difficult task of empowering and challenging the player. Topping it all off is a final area and twist seen to be believed. Gunbrella is amazing and a must-have modern action title for your library of games.
Gunbrella is a complete package of fun, wackiness, and charm. The gameplay is tight and satisfying, while the characters and story go places I didn't expect.
Gunbrella is a sensational action platformer with incredibly fluid locomotion and a story that takes some unexpected turns.
A steampunk-themed side-scrolling shooter with a shotgun that's also an umbrella, Gunbrella crams plenty of frenetic, brolly-based combat into its brief playtime
Gunbrella offers tight and thrilling action, a moving story of revenge, and a fascinating world well worth exploring. I’m not sure what more I could ask for in an action platformer. While it’s a relatively short journey, lasting me only about six hours, I had a blast during my time with Gunbrella and I think most players will as well.
Gunbrella represents a commendable initial attempt at the concept. It maintains a tight pace without overstaying its welcome. With some refinement and improved character art, a sequel or successor could truly excel.
Playing Gunbrella reminded me of the first time I played classics like Cave Story, Untitled Story, and Owlboy: games that nailed the vibes in all facets, provided a play experience I could just lose myself in, and didn't overstay their welcome. Games that delivered satisfaction on all levels. Games that more than earn that declarative "video games are GOOD" while playing. Doinksoft had already cemented itself as a studio worth following with games like Gato Roboto and Demon Throttle, but Gunbrella makes them a "no questions asked" team moving forward. It's one of the best games I've played all year.
Humerous dialogue and banter brings levity to the grim, heavy narrative and bleak setting of Gunbrella. The game turns an elegantly simple concept on its head, resulting in gameplay that is both responsive and rewarding. Gunbrella is an exhilarating romp with an intriguing story that doesn’t shy away from heavier themes. Though there is some room for improvement, Gunbrella’s heart-pumping boss fights and memorable characters will stick with me long after I’ve closed my parasol.
Gunbrella is one of the most unique 2D action platformers that I have ever played, simply because of the crazy weapon that you use to explore and defeat enemies. There is some backtracking here and challenging enemies to face, but the mysterious story keeps you engaged.
Gunbrella takes a ridiculous idea and creates an incredible adventure around it. The gun/umbrella combination allows you to quickly traverse and blast enemies with ease. Surprisingly, the narrative includes an emotional punch and is brimming with charm. Although some of the side missions are not as strong as the main objectives, the game is a delight from beginning to end and a must-play for fans of Metroidvanias.
Devolver Digital has been on quite a run for years now and I don’t see that changing anytime soon, thanks to the excellent curation of their catalog. Gunbrella is a game that has been on my radar ever since it was announced a couple of not-E3’s ago, and now I’m glad that it was very well worth the wait. It’s the sort of game that doesn’t overstay its welcome and manages to deliver a satisfying six to eight hours of platforming/shooting goodness that anyone looking for a good retro game is bound to enjoy.
Gunbrella is the ultimate cocktail for folks seeking an epic story, a mix of gameplay styles, and just an all-around good time. It's chock-full of surprises from beginning to end, making it a no-brainer recommendation for anyone who loves platformers and action games.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
While Gunbrella has its issues, it's still a really fun, gorgeous-looking experience that's definitely worth a play for any fans of the genre. You shouldn't expect anything groundbreaking in terms of story, but can look forward to a few laughs and endearing characters. Even just messing around with the mechanics made possible by a gun that is also an umbrella should bring anyone hours of enjoyment.
Gunbrella is a fast-paced, rewarding action-platformer full of pulpy noir personality. Minor balance issues and tonal whiplash aside, it is worth your time.
For reasons surely tied to design and layout, Gunbrella doesn’t always feature a fully scrolling map, being instead divided into some small sections where you must reach the edge of the screen to move to the next area, and segments where the screen smoothly moves along according to your character, such as one very hectic train ride. The latter makes for the best experience of all and makes me wish that the whole adventure would focus wholeheartedly on this approach. If we’re nitpicking, it’s also annoying that when a conversation topic starts, we can’t exit it and are forced to click our way out of this repeat dialogue until it ends. The sporadic jazz tunes add to this noir flavor and may not be to everyone’s taste, but there are other frenzied tracks coming into play with boss fights and varied key moments, so it evens out in the end.
Each game has been distinct in nearly every way, and Gunbrella is once again a standout among its peers. I came away with some disappointments, but those hours I spent going through the game twice melted away unnoticed. If that’s not a sign of quality, what is?
Gunbrella throws a huge amount of elements into the pot of game design: twin stick shooter, action platformer, a touch of adventure, pure arcade sections, and a story designed specifically to insert any element into the game without penalizing narrative coherence. Impossible to properly delve into every aspect in the bare eight hours required to finish it, but the result is nevertheless very interesting, also by virtue of a slightly lower price than the average for this type of videogame. It also features a very well executed filter that gives the noir look to the excellent pixel art graphics
Review in Italian | Read full review