π’ This isn't Bindg of Isac, shoo!
Oh, I'm sorry, I mistook you for a random internet troll. How rude of me. Welcoime! Welcome, I've been expecting you. Forgive my tardiness. You understand years on the internet have made me jaded and flawed. I only request forgiveness to move past my transgressions.
π’ And talk about some Gungeon, babyyyy!
One of the premier rogue-lites. And while not as popular as how it once was, it's still a damn fine game and worth talking about. π«
SoβοΈ In this edition of Through the Lens π, we'll be taking a look at the Dodge Roll Games' gun-obsessed (in the most non-controversial way possible) rogue-lite (or roguelike, who cares) from 2016: Enter the Gungeon, Roll it! π½
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πΆ UP TOP πΆ
The soundtrack is honestly pretty unforgettable. Not in a bad way mind you. It's just really unremarkable. Not amazing, not terrible. That's also called average, but ye. π
The theme song though? The main menu song? Now that right there is a bop! πΆπΆπΆ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3GCez8CDJI
I played this baby from Jump Street (not the movie, oh wait, no repeating jokes I forgot). I remember being drawn to the way it was drawn. Ha! And its overall stellar presentation was a definite appeal.
It also helped that it looked fun as hell. π
Let's talk about what makes this game so special shall we? Starting off where we usually start off in these... THHHHHEEEEEEEEE
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πΆ PRESENTATION πΆ
Guns, guns, and more guns! This game is chock full of them. I am amazed at how many ways this simple theme is used throughout this game. Kudos to the developers for being so innovative with the motif (that rhymed btw).π―
The enemies are all gun-related (like the most basic enemies are bullets), the items are all gun-related, and the menu is gun-related. It's all guns! And the good kind! The cartoony kind! The ones that can't hurt you! π
Like, I could keep repeating the above paragraph for so much of this game. π This amazing, bull-headed pursuit of this singular theme is why this game is so appealing. It catches your eye immediately, and the game itself is well-made enough to keep your attention. Making the game a very appealing product.
The aesthetic room design (we will talk bout the actual level design and a procedural generation later) is also very well crafted. I really enjoy how you can interact with the level and all the different environments the game puts you through. π― And maybe they get slightly tiring after you've been there for the 200th time, but that's the price rogue-lites have to pay sometimes.
All in all top-notch presentation. Now, about this gameplay, I talked about...
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πΆ THE MOMENT TO MOMENT πΆ
Gungeon is very snappy, very nice-feeling to play (there are those technical terms you came here for). You need to be on your toes constantly, or a run could end 'snaps fingers' like that. π¬
You have to be very precise with your shots, which is hard since you also have to be moving constantly. The enemy attacks are all bullet hell. Meaning you have ample time to react to them, but also A LOT of reactions to do. // did that sentence make sense? I think it did
Speaking of reactions the player can always use one of the blanks to clear all projectiles on the screen and open any secret walls (yes there are secret walls in this game, moving on).
You get to choose from 4 starting classes, each with a different primary and secondary weapon. Most times you have a very weak pistol with infinite ammo, because yes, you guess it, you can lose ammo in this game. Therefore you got a reload button! Yay. The final key in your arsenal is the dodge roll, which has i-grames and lets you jump over projectiles. π
The roll is really fun, I must say!
All in all: it's hectic, it's fast, it's precise, and it's great! The game is def really hard when you first start off, and the learning is a very fun aspect of it.
On to - what? Do you think I missed talking about the guns?, hold your horses, that's next! - the procedural section!! π
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πΆ PROCEDURAL GENERATION πΆ
The game's procedural generation is very smartly designed. Well-designed in the sense that the room integration is seamlessly integrated into the levels. π― You have room types, you got an algorithm, and you set! π
Each level concludes with a Boos room with, wait for it, a BOSS! THere are several bosses in each ' level' and they are all pretty great and fun to beat. π As you beat a level you keep going down into the Gungeon, and the farther down you go, the more perilous it becomes...
The guns are another way the game's procedural nature thrives in. Since there are so many wacky guns (anything from a shirt canon to a laser that bounces off walls) you're bound to have fun regardless of what you find. And you do that by opening chests mostly, receiving a random gun. π«
There is also a shop! π° Because of course there is. With random items for purchase. You can also fight the shopkeeper, but I would advise against it. He's pretty tough. π
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πΆ LEGACY πΆ
I talked about Binding of Isac in the beginning, and unfortunately I think Isac has become this game's legacy. Gungeon came out at a time where there were A LOT of Isac clones. And Gungeon, while the best out of them all, couldn't really escape Isac's shadow.
I t is still an amazing game, fun to play from time to time. But I doubt it will be remembered like some of the other titles we have covered here. π THat's a shame since it def deserved more shine.
But that's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes in this cut throat industry. Youc an't just have a good game, you need to have a groundbreaking game. And unfortunately, Gungeon wasn't that.
Thank you for reading, you rock! (and maybe roll) πππ
Shout-out to the πPIZZAπ gang, π€ gang. π€
Again, a wholehearted recommendation! If you haven't played this game you should definitely try it, it's very little time investment compared to the fun. Go nuts!
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Hope everyone is having an amazing day! π
Return from Enter the Gungeon π½ Through the Lens to ΠΠΎΡΠΊΠΎ's Web3 Blog
