Enter the Gungeon is a standout in the roguelike genre, and it still has a lot to offer players in 2025. The genre has seen a lot of titles as it steadily gains a foothold in the market, with Hades and its sequel being the most triumphant recent examples. Enter the Gungeon still stands as one of the best roguelikes that players can find several years after its initial release. Both new and returning players can find a lot to like about the game. With a sequel on the way, Enter the Dungeon could benefit from the increased attention.
With Enter the Gungeon 2's teaser coming out during Nintendo's Switch 2-focused Direct, Enter the Gungeon looks to be heading into a brand-new chapter. From early footage, it looks like the core gameplay will be similar to the original, resurrecting its frenetic bullet hell style. The biggest difference so far looks to be the dramatic art style shift. Enter The Gungeon had a charming pixel art style that gave the characters and weapons a lot of personality, while the sequel is going for 3D models instead. How this will play out remains to be seen, but it is admittedly something of a risk.
Enter The Gungeon 2 Could Be A Make Or Break Moment For The Series
Between a return to the original game's roots and a shift in graphics, Enter the Gungeon 2 could be under pressure to keep the indie series alive.
Enter the Gungeon Is a Roguelike That Still Feels Fantastic Almost a Decade Later
Enter the Gungeon Has Many Interesting Weapons For Players to Experiment With
Fittingly for a fast-paced bullet hell game, Enter the Gungeon has a massive selection of weapons and items for players to use in their runs. While many standard guns like revolvers and shotguns are available, the game gets remarkably creative with the depth of its weapons. The list of weirder weapons runs from a mailbox that shoots letters, to a barrel that shoots fish, to a literal glass cannon that deals heavy damage, but breaks after taking a single hit. Enter the Gungeon's arsenal is a big point in its favor because players can go on innumerable runs and keep trying new weapons.
Enter the Gungeon is Made to Be Played Again and Again
Another detail likely helping Enter the Gungeon's rave reviews is how the game is set up to encourage multiple runs. In addition to a remarkable amount of unlockable items, the way Enter the Gungeon is designed gives players a lot of reasons to replay the game. They need to perform several tasks to create the Bullet that will enable them to reach each character's past, as well as the final dungeon, once all of those pasts have been completed. Enter the Gungeon's replay value is incredible, and will keep players invested for a long time if they want to see everything.
Additional Run Modifiers Grant Enter the Gungeon Additional Replayability
Enter the Gungeon also has plenty of additional challenges to offer, and they're something that Enter the Gungeon 2 could expand upon. Upon saving certain NPCs, new kinds of runs can be unlocked, including:
- Blessed Run: Causes the player's gun to change to a random gun at specific intervals
- Challenge Mode: Applies modifiers to every room to raise the difficulty
- Turbo Mode: Increases movement and bullet speed
- Rainbow Run: Grants a selection of items at the start of each floor, but removes almost all other methods of receiving items
These extra challenges offer extended playtime, even for those who have otherwise mastered the main game.
Enter the Gungeon is a game that deserves to be revisited and exposed to new players alike. The upcoming releases of Hades 2 and Enter the Gungeon 2 will give roguelike fans plenty to be excited about in the near future. At the same time, Enter the Gungeon can easily keep those same fans satisfied during the wait. Even after its sequel comes out, it will still be worth coming back to the first game and all that it offers. Enter the Gungeon deserves a spot in many players' libraries in 2025.
Enter the Gungeon
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- April 5, 2016
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Fantasy Violence, Blood, Mild Language, Use of Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- Dodge Roll
- Publisher(s)
- Devolver Digital
- Engine
- unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Co-Op
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike
