Gunbrella (PC) Demo Preview

There’s no shortage of Metroidvania titles on the market in 2022. The genre has had fantastic indie offerings like Axiom Verge, Ori and the Blind Forest, and tons of others to give players a sense of side-scrolling exploration and a worthy challenge. One that turned some heads in this year’s game previews at events was Gunbrella, a neo-noir game with a unique mechanic that’s easy to pick up and hard to master. Now that a public demo is out, is it worth your time?

As revealed in the title of the game, the projectile weapon the protagonist in Gunbrella wields is…. a gun with an umbrella attached. What makes this so special? Well, you can not only block projectiles, but you can also reflect them if opened right before contact. On a lateral plane, this is super easy to get the hang of, but if you’re airborne or dodging several at a time, it’s a novel mechanic that rewards those with a keen eye and respect for how dangerous numerous enemies on-screen can be as you only have four hits to start with.

Apart from this combat mechanic, Gunbrella has more to offer with its story and environmental design. It has all the workings of a quirky indie game, with cute noises, jaw-dropping pixel graphics, and laugh-out-loud dialogue. It also sets itself apart from the pack thanks to its mix of downtime traversing the towns and the intense gameplay where you only get a few chances to mess up before you’re toast. Turrets can truly mess you up, tougher enemies have fast and sometimes unpredictable projectiles, and the need to balance offense with defense is a must to survive.

The Gunbrella demo features about 30 minutes to an hour of gameplay. It’s long enough for newer players to get acquainted with the title’s hook, and tough enough for seasoned players to sweat a bit at the demo’s boss. This boss was no pushover, as I saw myself die a few times before being able to beat it thanks to some nuanced movements and inherent need to kite it to completion. This is a perfectly-balanced difficulty level that will push players to try new approaches to see their way to victory.

Movement in Gunbrella is its highlight. While the protagonist has a meager jump, opening the gunbrella swiftly boosts them vertically, and a wall jump allows for even more traversal. Mixing these in with combat areas can make for some stylish gameplay once mastered. Resting at a bench allows players to recover HP and save their progress, and they’re placed smartly enough to ensure you’re doing your best to make it to the next one or resetting the boss after death being a quick affair.

Overall, Gunbrella should be an easy recommendation for fans of Metroidvanias and the aesthetic of a meticulously-detailed indie game. It’s no revolutionary game that will set the world ablaze, but it’s a competent, polished experience that will be worth it on sale for sure. Developer Doinksoft has ample experience with Gato Roboto, and it shows in Gunbrella‘s smooth, impactful demo. Give it a try if you’re on the fence!

A PC Preview copy of Gunbrella was provided by Devolver Digital for this preview.