Enter the Gungeon is a dungeon crawling bullet hell roguelike 2D shooter where most of the enemies are large anthropomorphic bullets that use guns to shoot much smaller normal sized bullets at you...yeah it’s that type of game.
From developer Dodge Roll and publisher Devolver Digital comes this amalgamation of differing styles and game structures that for the most part works, and on the occasions it doesn’t never feels like the fault of poor design but on the punishing difficulty that will drive some to declare unconditional love to it, while cause others to curse its name with vitriol. I find myself squarely on the side of the former, for even after dozens of hours and very little progression to show for it, I still myself deeply drawn to this colorfully bizarre, maddening hard, and seriously fun game.
Told in cinematics that seem like they are clearly a reference to the opening of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, the story starts on a distant planet where an ancient fortress is destroyed by what appears to be a giant bullet. The fortress was said to hold a powerful weapon, a gun that can shoot the past. After years past the fortress is rebuilt as the Gungeon, with many taking a pilgrimage to find the gun to rewrite history to their own ends. It’s a ridiculous setup that fits perfectly for a game with a such a humorous and off kilter style.
When the game first starts you pick your choice of character class; there’s The Marine, The Pilot, The Convict, and The Hunter. While they all control relatively the same with each one starting with a basic pistol, all have different loadouts of items and passive buffs catering to their own unique playstyle. The Marine and the Hunter are the best in terms of survivability with the Marine starting with an extra piece of armor, faster reload, better accuracy, and able to call for ammo refill drops; while the Hunter starts out with a effective crossbow and a dog companion that is able to find extra hearts, keys, and blanks in cleared out rooms. The Pilot is the most middle of the road with passives letting him be able to carry more items and get better prices at shops, he also has a lockpick that is the most useful of the starting items giving him a 50% chance of unlocking a chest without the use of a key.For those interested in more of a challenge they should pick the Convict, which while she’s the least survivable, she has the most potential damage output of the group with her sawed-off shotgun and her passive to deal double damage after being hit.
Gungeon’s main draw is definitely is it’s combat, as a top down camera shooter that has you clearing floors by destroying enemies and defeating bosses. The controls at first feel slightly awkward with shooting and dodge roll assigned to RB/R1 and LB/L1 respectively, but as times goes on this does begin to feel natural; while the keyboard and mouse feel like the optimum way to play, with the addition of a reticle for more precise aiming. As you progress you find hidden chests and secrets that give you new beneficial items (that change gameplay in unique ways) and more effective weapons. This all comes together nicely with the game feeling sleek with a very basic control scheme that makes the game continuing to be enjoyable even after dozens of hours and numerous deaths.
While there is very little in terms of actual backstory for these characters, Dodge Roll does an exceptional job of storytelling through art style and gameplay that not only goes for the main four characters but the whole game. While it’s weird to say that these guns have personalities they absolutely do, with weapons like the Super Doser while not effective damage-wise as other guns it’s its range and spread that along with the goofy fact that it’s a suped up death dealing water gun it that much more fun. Enemies also enjoy some nice characterization with all of them behaving differently with their own unique attack patterns that makes this world come alive and feel more fleshed out. The bosses are great fun as well with almost all of them being as ridiculous and memorable as they are difficult and unstoppable.
The game looks amazing with some of the best pixel art I’ve seen in awhile. The design of the characters is very well detailed while still having pixely outlines that still keeps that retro aesthetic, while it’s the character animations that really makes the game stand out with everybody moving with such speed and fluidity you can’t help but be impressed. The detail in the level design is also something to be lauded for, with the effects of books flying around during combat and the look of fire and water looking incredibly well made.
But it’s the game soundtrack that really stands out the most, with music by rapper Doseone, Enter the Gungeon’s music is as amalgamist as the game itself with it combining chiptunes, dark moody club beats, and hip hop productions that fits the tone of the game so well that’s hard to imagine it sounding any other way. While the actual sound design is great (with gunshots and footsteps especially sounding really good), I just can’t stress enough about how great the music is. Not since Danny B’s work on Super Meat Boy has a video game soundtrack hooked me so much. I implore everyone, even those who are going to pass on the game please check out the soundtrack on the artist’s bandcamp page, you won’t regret it. It’s so good that even the game’s punishing difficulty can’t take away from it’s earwormy sounds.
Enter the Gungeon is hard. It’s damn hard. It’s so unforgivably, brutally hard that every death feels like it takes something out of you, like a piece of your gaming soul is being removed…. and that’s okay. The game’s difficulty feels like a premeditated decision, it wants to be that hard, and for the sense of accomplishment you feel when you actually overcome parts of the game I wouldn’t want it any other way. When you clear particular hard room or defeat a boss you feel like you’re nine again in your room and you’ve beaten a star road level in Super Mario World, this avalanche of self worth just comes crashing down on you and you feel unstoppable. Bigger AAA games like Darks Souls and Bloodbourne deliver that feeling as well, but Gungeon’s simple pick up play controls make it so you don’t feel like it’s because of your lack of understanding of a base game mechanic or because you were unable to read a room properly that you need to overcome, but because you’re just good enough and need to get better.
That is not to say that Enter the Gungeon’s tough as hell style is imperfect. There was parts of the game that just felt kinda cheap, like there was no way the game was going to let me progress any further no matter what. The biggest example I can give is that many times you finish clearing a room the game sends an extra wave of enemies after you, but then after finishing them off the game will occasionally (and what feels like randomly) then send a third wave of enemies at you, robbing you of the moment of reprieve you would usually have. It’s weird to complain about something you also deeply admire but the game’s difficulty is definitely something that can categorized as too much of a good thing.
I love Enter the Gungeon and I know I’m going to keep playing it, but I also know it’s not a game for everyone. You know the moment you hear the words “roguelike” or “bullet hell” whether or not this is for you. For those fans of the genre Enter the Gungeon delivers, but for those who are even slightly curious about picking this game up I highly recommend you do so, because you will be rewarded with a truly fun experience.