Squirrel With a Gun Review – Platforming Gone Nuts!

As a seasoned gamer with over three decades under my belt, I’ve seen it all – from the pixelated brilliance of the 8-bit era to the photorealistic wonders of modern gaming. However, none have left me quite as amused and entertained as “Squirrel with a Gun”.

Created by Dee Dee Creations, a small team based in New York, Squirrel With a Gun is an action-packed blend of sandbox shoot ’em up and 3D platformer. It tells the tale of a naughty squirrel embarking on a mission to gather acorns, cause chaos in a peaceful neighborhood, battle against agents hot on his tail, and all this while using diverse weapons, vehicles, tricks, and costumes to navigate otherwise difficult areas or lend aid to residents instead of terrorizing them.

This game offers just as much fun as it does pure insanity. Its gameplay diversity is unmatched, the graphics are truly stunning, and it pays homage to the golden era of 3D platforming with its design and visual style, all while maintaining a few small imperfections.

In this game titled “Squirrel with a Gun“, you’ll find yourself navigating a vibrant, open-ended neighborhood reminiscent of a sandbox, filled with houses to investigate, roads, and street challenges for jumping over or driving around, and even opportunities to perform daring stunts for extra rewards. You can also delve into underwater realms, uncover hidden bases for refuge, glide across rivers on water skis, and bounce through floating castles in the sky!

The setting of the world offers a rich array of diversity, ready to be explored thoroughly.

The main theme of this title is versatility, and when it comes to the game’s overall design, there’s a wealth of it, which might seem unexpected for a game that initially appears quite ordinary. However, this game defies expectations in every way possible. The world it presents boasts an impressive range of diversity just waiting to be explored. To add to that, Squirrel with a Gun is not only visually stunning but also pays close attention to the finer details, such as the squirrel’s realistic fur or the reflections in the squirrel’s eyes or the agent’s sunglasses. The water effects are breathtaking, and the use of lighting in the underground base sequences is excellent.

Fundamentally speaking, “Squirrel With a Gun” is reminiscent of classic 3D platformers such as “Banjo-Kazooie” and the original “Jak & Daxter”. Its essence revolves around the quest to gather two distinct types of acorns hidden throughout the town. You’ll find regular acorns in various locations like streets, houses, over hurdles, even on power lines. However, you can also collect them by amusing or intimidating residents, or by vanquishing adversaries. There are also golden acorns that you acquire by finishing specific tasks within each district of the town.

In this game, acorns serve multiple purposes: they help advance through levels, unveil various weapons, vehicles, outfits for traversal over obstacles like minefields or diving underwater, as well as new skins for the player character. To find the collectibles, players can climb flagpoles specific to each area. Once found, they must be collected by navigating challenging platforming sections, defeating opponents, maneuvering vehicles, and solving intricate puzzles scattered throughout the neighborhood.

Squirrel With a Gun Review – Platforming Gone Nuts!

Instead of having a save option within the pause menu, players can secure their progress by attaching it to birdhouses that are dispersed throughout the game.

The game titled “Squirrel with a Gun” offers both innovative design in its concept and diverse gameplay options. Puzzles are intricately crafted, while the platforming segments provide an engaging challenge. Fortunately, players have the freedom to progress at their own pace, ensuring a pleasant gaming experience for both beginners and experienced gamers seeking something fresh. In many ways, it shares similarities with Conker’s Bad Fur Day, albeit without the mature content that comes with that title. An interesting detail is that an outfit can be unlocked in this game reminiscent of Rareware’s squirrel character.

In addition to the various aspects integrated into this game, including 3D platforming, it offers an incredibly engaging experience. Guns serve not only for defeating opponents but also for overcoming challenges and solving puzzles. Moreover, there are alternative methods to subdue enemies apart from gunfire, like climbing on them or executing dramatic takedowns. Additionally, the game includes several challenging boss battles that demand a strategic approach.

Instead of having a conventional save option within the game’s pause menu, players secure their advancement by attaching to birdhouses dispersed throughout the game. Although this unique feature is reminiscent of how saves were managed in retro games, it can make progress easily lost if players forget to do so.

In my assessment, both keyboard and controller options are provided for the PC variant. These controls have been skillfully integrated, considering the game’s extensive range of gameplay types and numerous commands to handle.

Squirrel With a Gun Review – Platforming Gone Nuts!

Finishing the game “Squirrel with a Gun” completely might require up to 8 hours, and this seems to be the game’s main weakness due to its length.

For those who find platforming challenging, it’s recommended to customize the camera sensitivity settings for a smoother experience. This change won’t interfere with the game’s overall fun and pleasure. Moreover, there’s an auto-aim feature that simplifies handling weapons, whether you’re using them while driving vehicles simultaneously.

Finishing the game “Squirrel with a Gun” completely might require up to 8 hours at maximum, which is a significant drawback, particularly when compared to classic platformers. Unfortunately, it doesn’t measure up to these games in terms of length, and gamers may find themselves wishing for more content.

In other words, if a sequel or spin-off is ever produced, there’s plenty of room for growth in both the diverse gameplay and underlying structure of this game, suggesting that it could become a well-known gaming franchise. Despite its brief duration, the game offers a lot of fun due to its varied gameplay, but unfortunately, Squirrel with a Gun is simply too short.

Squirrel With a Gun Review – Platforming Gone Nuts!

During battles, the entertaining moves players can pull off against foes in Squirrel with a Gun are often amusing as well, enhancing the game’s overall comical vibe.

The basic concept behind “Squirrel with a Gun” is just as straightforward yet hilariously absurd. A solitary squirrel infiltrates a high-security compound to grab a golden nut. This triggers a chase led by a group of agents, reminiscent of James Bond scenarios, who are determined to recover the golden nut and eliminate their furry quarry. Post-heist, the squirrel decides to amass more golden nuts, interact with or trouble the residents of a tranquil neighborhood, and outwit the agency hot on its heels.

Despite the storyline being relatively straightforward, it’s not the main draw for this game. Instead, players will be entertained by nearly every humorous scene in the game and find themselves captivated by its lighthearted, simple concept to begin with. Additionally, the cinematic finishing moves during battles with enemies can be quite amusing at times, further enhancing the comedic feel of “Squirrel with a Gun“.

Amidst a growing sea of independent games that flood the market annually, the quirky and captivating gameplay of “Squirrel with a Gun” manages to shine brightly amidst its competitors.

This game was reviewed on the PC.

2024-09-10 14:41

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