A small independent production developed on a very small budget, Squirrel with a gun is a game based on a simple concept, which managed to create a buzz by focusing on humor. Does the title really hit the mark?
Created by a very small independent studio, Squirrel with a gun is an uninhibited action game that places you in the shoes of a squirrel who discovers an acorn hidden in a top-secret laboratory. He then embarks on a quest to find all the golden acorns, even if it means alienating the secret services. Initially armed with a revolver, our little rodent will quickly change weapons to switch to a machine gun, a rocket launcher or even take control of a vehicle. The specifications of the small studio were particularly ambitious since we are talking here about a micro open world with collectibles, boss fights, various quests… A very funny concept on paper, the sauce of which is however difficult to really take hold. Because in practice, pad in hand, it must be admitted that Squirrel with a gun does not have much to stand for other than its humor…
It’s certain, it’s very fun to control a badass squirrel who is going to do the housework in slow-motion, with hilarious finishing moves. The trouble is that apart from that, there isn’t much that works in this game. On the structure side first of all, we are really facing an amateur game with linear levels which continue to then bring us to an open area where we don’t really know what to do. It’s the kind of game where you wander around without any real purpose until you find a mission. The gameplay is mainly based on two types of sequences: platform sequences and gunfights.
As for the platform sequences, we’re not going to beat around the bush, it’s rather a failure: we have a lot of trouble making jumps with precision, the camera often tends to be positioned incorrectly and the level -design is extremely messy. The gunfights are unfortunately not much more exciting since our dear squirrel only has one magazine and will therefore have to prioritize a well-placed bullet to “knock out an enemy” (go get it?) – and deliver the final blow by escaping it. getting closer, in which case you will be treated to a pretty fun finishing move. To reload, you must go to a “base” with ammunition, placed for example in a specific location during a boss fight. To save, even topo, you will have to go through a “materialized checkpoint”. Mechanisms from another age that look dull today.
So yes, Squirrel with a gun is a fun game in essence, which doesn’t take itself seriously at all with its golden acorns, its unlockable barred weapons, its crazy finishing moves and even its unlockable racing car. But after the first laughs, you have to admit that you quickly go around in circles and that you get really bored once you’ve done the same finishing move 35 times with the same weapon… The gameplay is atrociously basic , the open world of the game is very empty and overall we have the impression of being faced with a small indie game with an ultra-tight budget, made with 3 pieces of rope and 2 pieces of cardboard. Visually, it’s not very glorious. We really have the impression of being faced with a game that was made with assets collected from the web. Too bad, because once again, on paper, the game had everything to please.
Conclusion
If it will turn heads with its completely crazy concept (playing as a squirrel armed to the teeth), Squirrel with a gun is however only a banal and completely broke action game, in which we tend to quickly go around in circles and get bored. After the first laughs, we’re really bored. The funny tone, the funny finishing moves and quirky sequences will undoubtedly push some players to get involved in it, but we must admit that overall, it’s not very glorious. With its mediocre level design, its settings which seem to have been created with assets taken from the Internet and its mechanisms from another age, Squirrel with a gun is clearly not the type of game that will leave an impression on you. What remains is a ridiculously low selling price and above all an integration with Gamepass which will allow it to reach the masses…
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Squirrel with a gun
We like:
A funny concept
The very low price (19.5€)
We like less:
Mechanisms from another time
The empty open world
Excruciatingly repetitive
Horribly cheap
A horrible level-design