After an excellent reception on PC and mobile (iOS and Android), in this review we will talk about Gunfire Reborn on Xbox, since in a few days the release for the console from the big X will take place. The official landing is scheduled for October 27, and from day one it will be available in the Xbox Game Pass catalog. But what is Gunfire Reborn like? Is it worth playing on console?
Let’s start by saying that the title is presented in a simple way. And this is his greatest strength. A roguelite fairly standard, with procedurally generated levels and a clever character progression system. Despite this, the title is full of elements that make it fun, non-trivial and with a high replay value. At times almost addictive, managing not to make us feel the frustration for the continuous and repeated deaths of the character.
The Gunfire Reborn review: what you need to know
Gunfire Reborn is developed by the Chinese software house Duoyi Games, and the animated style immediately makes clear the artistic origin of the title. The game will be optimized for Xbox Series X | Sand will catapult players into a campaign formed by 8 levels, from time to time more and more difficult. Each level features its own unique setting, and it is in turn divided into various areas (with the random ability to unlock additional secret rooms). Once the areas are completed you will enter the fight against the boss finalewhich will end the level giving access to the next.
During the fighting it will be possible collect copper (in-game currency), weapons, and experience points. However, when the character dies, the campaign must be restarted from scratch, from the first area of the first level. Despite this mechanic, the accumulated experience points will allow you to perfect the skills of the character, which will be able to do so progress while having to start from scratch. This aspect, combined with total randomness (each game will randomly and procedurally generate dynamics and enemies) makes Gunfire Reborn a game that is anything but repetitive.
The individual levels can be tackled alone (in single player) or in co-op up to 4 playersi, thanks to online multiplayer. Once the entire campaign is completed, additional difficulties will be unlocked to the standard one, up to the extreme difficulty (called Reincarnation).
The game mechanics: let’s go and take out the monsters
The title is essentially one first person shooter, with the player who can choose between various characters (called heroes) that will be gradually enhanced at the end of each game (upon death). Also each character possesses two unique skills (one primary and one secondary). After a short tutorial the players will face the first level armed with a simple pistol. However, killing enemies will collect copper, which can be spent on Street vendors which are found in the various subzones. Vendors may provide us with weapons, ammunition, or other useful items (such as covertlywhich we will talk about shortly)
The character has a health bar and a shield bar. The latter will automatically recharge without taking damage, while that of health can only be regenerated by collecting panini (Some slain enemies will release them or can be purchased from street vendors). At the end of each sub-area you will access a casket which, randomly, will let us choose one of the three proposed enhancements. These can relate to skills or weapons. It will also be possible to collect the covertlywhich will guarantee specific passive abilities. All these upgrades will be valid for the current campaign only. They will then be removed when the character dies.
Don’t worry though, because at each death the game will award us experience points. With these we can enhance the character’s talents (via the typical skill tree). These new features will then become integral part of our herowhich will keep them even after death.
Lots of weapons, lots of enemies, few dungeons
What is most surprising about Gunfire Reborn is its simplicity. The gameplay is in fact so banal as to be winning: just shoot, dodge and find a way to take advantage of the weak points of each enemy. This is precisely the characteristics that make the game incredibly addictive: the fights are as basic as they are fun.
The great variety of weapons (aesthetically pleasing and interesting in functionality) and the characterization of the individual enemies, make Gunfire Reborn a title full of surprises. Each match, as mentioned, will be the same in the settings but absolutely different in the game experience, since all the elements that compose it will be generated randomly. They will also and above all influence the player choices: Which upgrade will you choose at the end of each zone? How will they combine with each other? How will you leverage them for the next sub-area?
We can therefore say that each game will be unique, and you will rarely experience frustration in the event of death (also because you often die).
Summing up: how is Gunfire Reborn?
Wishing to conclude our review, we can only fully approve Gunfire Reborn, a title that from the trailer had little convinced us, but which instead turned out to be a very pleasant surprise in the gameplay phase. The fun fights, the interesting progression system, the variety of enemies and weapons and the infinite possibilities of combining the power-ups only add to the interest in a title that, without pretense, has managed to show us that roguelites can still amaze.
No matter how many times we die, each match will give us a unique feeling. And if we were to be able to finish an entire campaign (all 8 levels without ever dying), we can always start from scratch with a new difficulty level (or with a new character, whose skill tree we have not yet developed).
In short, Gunfire Reborn is a title to try, and it is the classic example of the video game that should not be judged by the cover.
PRO
- High replayability
- Lots of enemies and characters
- Su Xbox Game Pass dal day one
- Good progression system
- Multiplayer
- Gunplay
VERSUS
- A real story is missing