Enter the Gungeon

I haven’t touched it since launch, where I had a great deal of fun with it for a few weeks. I’ll definitely check back in.

Oh wow… they did a big expansion once already. So many guns! There’s now a bullet that shoots guns! The Supply Drop update came in January last year.

Not sure where I posted my impresssions. I ended up disliking it because I could never settle on a control scheme between gamepad and mouse. I should just stick to melee games.

One thing I’ve noticed that holds people back is not using the limited ammo guns that you find. Use them up! You will get farther. There are things that will aid your progress if you continue to press deeper into the gungeons.

The boss isn’t always the same either. It’s a RNG thing for which one you’ll get at the end of the first area, etc.

I’m terrible at this game, and I’ve never made it past the second boss. And even though I like the mechanics, there was always something that bothered me about it. For a game that celebrates its wacky diversity of guns, I felt like I was using my starter pistol for the majority of content. It was getting unexpectedly repetitive, and I set the game aside …

… until the newest patch. Wow, what a difference it makes! The enemies are a little bit tougher, but now there are guns galore. After the second rooms, I can usually put away the starter pistol for good. What an improvement! I’m looking forward to spending a lot more time with this game and finally seeing what it’s all about.

I totally agree. The game feels so much better now, I’m having a blast.

Oh awesome, just found this thread! Pasting my questions from the Switch thread here:

One other question - is there any reason to continue playing with the original loot table instead of the new expansions’ loot table? I was thinking of starting with the original so I’m not completely overwhelmed with new stuff, but it seems like it’s enough of an improvement - not just new stuff - to just leave it all enabled from the outset.

I use ZR and ZL to shoot and dodge roll. Item is L, blanks are R.

Reload is push down on R, interact is push down on L (alt bound to Y for teleports). This is so I can do all my in-combat reloading and table flipping without leaving the thumbsticks. Always be reloading!

Weapon swap is B, close to the right thumb in case I run out of ammo. Map is up arrow.

I read an online guide that pointed out that the game is designed for keyboard/mouse, so you should not be ashamed to crank up the aim assist. Indeed, I am not ashamed.

The same guide suggested spending your shells on keys when possible, which is good advice. Since I still never have enough keys, I usually play the pilot who can (sometimes) open a chest without a key.

The last bit of advice it offered was to treat encounters, especially boss encounters, as a bullet hell game rather than a precision shooter. Once you are good at observing and avoiding the attack pattern, the shooting will take care of itself.

I can’t stand the pilot. I never unlock chests with his passive and then it prevents you from opening it with a key…

Already had sunk tons of hours into the game prior the recent expension, but that one definitely brings some worthwhile additions to the gae. New gear aside, I’m digging some of the smaller bits that make things better and also increase the usability aspect. E.g., you can dodge-roll over tables now instead of them blocking you. The elevator room after the boss fight now spots a teleporter, so that if you decide not to head there right away because you want to finish exploring the level or buy something in the shop before moving on, you then can jump straight to the elevator once you’re done instead of walking through the boss room again. It’s a minor thing, but welcome the change.

So, I suck at this. I’ve tried to do a boss fight about 7 times. I won once. No idea how. The frustrating thing is that while there is meta progression, which I like, the only way to advance anything is by beating a boss. Without some way to increase my health more or do more damage, the only option is to suck less, which is not my strong suit.

Mentally blot out all of the bullets on the screen and focus on the ones heading toward your character. None of the rest matter. Just my 2 cents.

I think Tom said it in his stream but the key in ANY shooter, bullet hell or otherwise, is to focus on your character/ship/etc. and focus on dodging and survival. There is no time limit. Don’t rush. You WILL get better if you keep playing. Don’t give up!

Shooters of all types are all about survival first and elimination second. If you are a master at dodging, you will eventually get the eliminations. You can’t win if you’re dead!

Definitely working on getting better at dodging. I’ve changed my key config multiple times. I’ve started using dodge roll more in regular rooms, which is a positive sign, I think. My current setup is similar to what @magnet described above, though I don’t put reload on R3 because I hit it accidentally.

I’ve also turned on the reticle, which helps, and cranked up aim assist. The biggest issue is dealing with boss bullet hell shot spam.

That’s good, but think of the dodge roll as the last resort before the true last resort… the blank. The bullet patterns can be walked through, especially with the bosses, until you must dodge roll.

I picked it up last week and have gotten to the 3rd level a few times. I definitely felt that I improved the most when I put some effort into learning how to stay alive. The controls are a little bit awkward so spend some time just running around rooms trying to just stay alive and learning how to dodge various enemies and using environment pieces such as the tables. I also recommend just rushing to the boss as fast as you can and practicing how to dodge their attacks. It’s a quick enough game and it gets hard early so theres not a huge time investment in just playing around and getting comfortable with the controls without worrying much about progressing.

Whether dodge roll is a last resort or not, you definitely want to make sure you’re comfortable with it so you can rely on it when you need. Same with blanks, which I still find very awkward to use.

I don’t think I’ve ever used a blank as anything other than an accident while I was spazzing out on the controls. That’s pretty much how it goes with anything that requires clicking in on the analog sticks. I think I’m going to have to put blanks on a shoulder button. How are you guys using them?

Ah, great way to put it. I shall steal that, but I shall refer to it as the Long Rule of Shmupping.

-Tom

I believe I have blanks on right shoulder. Dodge roll on left trigger. Item on left shoulder.

Definitely better than when I had roll on B and blank on A.

Thanks! I think a lot of people who play action/shooting games tend to get too caught up in the shooting and forget that the most important thing is the dodging. You simply cannot win if you’re dead and out of lives. Think of every bullet in a heart as a life in Gungeon. You get extra lives when you pick up the shields.

I have blanks on the twin stick push because I don’t want to make them too easy to use, although you do get one per level so you should use them!

The art of dodging is something that can give you an even bigger rush than that of destruction IMO. One of my all-time favorites, Viewpoint on Neo Geo, is so freaking hard because it has one hit deaths, lots of bullets and enemies coming at you, and it’s played in an isometric view. I just love how it looks. I love the sound and especially the music. It’s just hard as nails. The thing I love the most though is when I get in that Zen state where I’m dodging everything and that “Holy shit did I just do that?!” feeling washes over me while playing it. It’s one of those videogame highs that only this specific hobby can give you. Gungeon can have those moments too.