Video games allow designers and developers to take whatever ideas they have in their minds and bring them to life in ways you can only imagine. Sometimes, you get games with great stories; sometimes, you get games with great art styles; and sometimes, you get Squirrel With A Gun.
This sandbox puzzle game is one of the more over-the-top games you’ll ever play. You see inspiration from games like Untitled Goose Game and even Goat Simulator, but things are done in a way that makes everything feel unique.
From the opening cutscenes, you get an idea of what you’re in for with this game. What you think is a cute, innocent squirrel quickly turns into the menace of the town once you find a gun. Get it? Because the name of the game is… Yea, you get it!
Anyway, from the opening Secret Bunker to various areas throughout the town, there is no shortage of chaos that unfolds. From going through a house filled with lava to saving a wedding to getting into an old-fashioned western shootout, the game just feels all over the place with what happens. There doesn’t feel like there’s any rhyme or reason behind locations aside from doing the craziest things you can think of. And, to be clear, that’s not a bad thing. You can’t expect a game called Squirrel with a Gun to have much in the way of logic.
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In each area you have to collect Golden Acorns which are used to unlock new weapons and vehicles. There are also reload wedges and clothing to collect, with some clothing actually impacting the game play. For example, the eye patch makes your neck snapping a bit more effective to make sure your victims never get back up.
From a weapons standpoint, you have a nice mix. From shotguns to grenade launchers to six shooters, each weapon has its own pros and cons. The shotgun will help you jump higher, coming in handy for certain puzzles in the game. The sub-machine gun
Each weapon also has its own finishing animation, but each gun only has one. They are all fun the first few times, but they do get old after a little while. But just when you think you are over the animations, you trigger one after going through a group of wanna-be Agent Smith’s that reignites that enjoyment again.
It’s not just running around the town wreaking havoc, however. The puzzles are both challenging and satisfying. Figuring out how to place weights to open a staircase, learning how to cook the burgers for the miserable cookout guests, and finding out which gun you need to reach a certain area of a building all give you just enough of a challenge without it being something you have to look up online. Each area has a flag pole that you can climb to get an overview of the level with each level section giving you a hint of what you have to do.
There are actual boss fights within the game to give you that sense of story and accomplishment. The first boss fight involves a tank manned by “Father”. The second involves a helicopter, and it’s just as over-the-top as any Mission Impossible movie.
There are some things that frustrate me with the game. The biggest being the camera. It can be hard at times to really see what’s going on in the game, and manually reorienting the camera over and over can get frustrating. It would be nice to have a quick button click to reset the camera, especially during the more intense action sections of the game.
Also, you can be hit by agents shooting at you without any indication aside from actively looking at your health. When you are focused on the events on-screen, you can quickly lose track of your health.
Squirrel With A Gun Review Verdict
Squirrel with a Gun is the exact type of obnoxious game it needed to be. While things can feel a little empty at times, the game having a shorter completion time of just 5-6 hours helps keep things from getting too dry.
Despite its name, platforming and puzzles are the best part of the game. Each feels rewarding when completed and adds to the joy that comes from playing this game. The gunplay can get kind of dull after a bit, but it’s nothing that’ll stop you from completing the game
It’s the perfect game for those looking for something new and out there without wanting to break the bank or spend 30+ hours on something. It fits nicely in its space, and is a fun first step for a game that sees a larger sequel come in a few years.
Squirrel with a Gun was reviewed on PC with a code provided by the publisher. For more on Insider Gaming’s reviews, view our full review policy.
