Gunbrella. Is it a gun, or is it an umbrella? Well, it’s both, and the best of both. With the unstoppable power of a gun and the protection of an umbrella, you too can wield this unique weapon in the latest game from developers Doinksoft and publishers Devolver Digital, bringing this Noir-punks action-adventure game, and introducing you to Gruff Woosmanon on a quest for revenge.

In this demo, you are thrust into the world, and the first level of the game shows what you are in for and how to wield this excellent weapon. Interacting with a variety of NPCs and enemies, and learning to master the Gunbrella can be no easy task, but the game allows you to use either the keyboard and mouse or a controller, and switching between the two is seamless. The Gunbrella itself is quite versatile, allowing you to zip line, glide, and deflect attacks. It also features several ammo types that can be used, from its unlimited supply of buckshot to rifle rounds and grenades.

Other aspects of the Gunbrella are the little RPG elements, like talking to NPCs to gain quests or obtaining items along the way to sell so that you can buy items that help gain better buffs or healing items like food and bandages. I encountered an NPC that charges you to cook rats that you found. Many of the items you find will drop off downed enemies, but you can also find them in chests hidden around the world.

As for the game world itself, the level design is not overwhelming. Even with it being a side-scroller game, navigating around didn’t force me to go back and forth, and always tried to keep me going. For me, it was incredibly satisfying as going back and forth makes it feel more like an action game than some RPG with shooter elements.

Going back to the action is what Gunbrella is all about. As for the little section that I explored, the first small town didn’t dampen the game’s core element or the star of the game. It is incredibly satisfying using the shotgun and hearing the shells eject after shooting, not to mention many other pleasing sounds that the game throws at you, like when using the zip line or deflecting bullets off of the Gunbrella. Overall, the sound effects are great. Not to mention the game’s environments and graphics. I often enjoy highly detailed realistic graphics, but I also enjoy the more simplistic cartoon graphics, but upon closer examination, the attention to detail is just as impressive.

In the end, the demo was delightful and gave me just enough of a glimpse into what this game has to offer for its final release in 2023. I can’t wait to wield the Gunbrella again soon and look forward to what developers Doinksoft have hidden under their Gunbrella for us next.

Written by: Simon Hayward