While sitting down to play Gunfire Reborn and try out its newest DLC – Echoes from Primal Grove – it occurred to me that I hadn’t reviewed the base game yet. As such, it’s time to literally write that wrong and share a thought or two about this excellent little first-person shooter.
Gunfire Reborn is one of the best games in my round-up of the best FPS roguelikes and roguelites, and I had been playing it on Xbox for some time. However, I’ve moved over to PC from here on in, and my recent restart has inspired me to share a quick review of the base game for anyone interested in finding out more.
What is Gunfire Reborn?
As I’ve mentioned already, Gunfire Reborn is a first-person shooter, and as alluded to in the name, it has a big emphasis on gunplay. It has, in fact, been in the works for years now at Duoyi Games and on top of PC (Win) and console versions (PS4, PS5, Switch, and Xbox), this nifty little FPS has even landed on Android and iOS.
Basically, you can play it anywhere you want, although you should probably skip the console versions as they’re not being actively supported due to issues with the game’s publisher, 505 Games.
If you decide to take the plunge what you’ll find is really well-paced roguelite shooter with a plethora of weapons, characters, enemies, secrets, and much, much more.
Gunfire Reborn doesn’t boast the best graphics, nor does it offer much substance in the way of narrative and storytelling, but that’s fine with me and I’m sure with anyone else who prioritises that their shooters feel responsive, satisfying, and highly replayable. On this front, Gunfire Reborn is one of the best around.
Run variety
What makes Gunfire Reborn all the more impressive is the breadth of your options and how your arsenal works with the roster of characters. This pool of guns is being constantly added to via DLC, and each one feels significantly different from the last – and there are plenty of shooters out there where this simply isn’t the case.
Your choice of character also makes a big difference, and each one has a gameplay twist that’ll anchor your play in a certain direction. For exampe, Yoyo and Cang Jue, which are fresh in my mind after playing the new DLC, are completely different from one other.
On one hand you’ve got Yoyo, who throws down life draining seed pods, which you can actually fling to the back of the map to damage the ranged enemies while you deal with anyone nearby. Cang Jue, on the other hand, can switch into third-person and use up a bunch of free health to claw and maim his enemies up close and personal while assuming a much larger, primal form.
With a diverse roster of characters, tons of guns, and then scrolls and upgrades to further specialise your skills, there’s just so many viable ways to build out a distinct character and make each run feel fresh.
What makes Gunfire Reborn worth a look now?
With around five years of active development and polish already in the bag, there is a huge amount of content already in the game. Duoyi Games has been steadily adding depth over that time, and while there are always going to be tweaks and changes with such a busy roster, in my experience, it’s kept pretty well balanced.
The game also offers a decent roguelite structure and the bosses are pretty fun, too. However, at the end of the day, I think the best thing about Gunfire Reborn is the impressive build variety it offers. Thanks to an ever-growing assortment of toys and tools, it feels like there is always something new to see or try.
It’s arguable that other roguelite shooters have surpassed Gunfire Reborn from a technical perspective, but when it comes to build variety and overall polish, this classy little FPS holds its own against the best in the business.
Gunfire Reborn is out now on Android, iOS, PC (Win), PS4, PS5, Switch, and Xbox, and I played the new DLC on Steam PC via access kindly provided by the developer and their PR buds.
