Guns of Fury
PC/SWITCH
2/13/25
Gelato Games Ltd
A Metroidvania meets run-and-gun action game in the style of Metal Slug? What will indie developers think of next! You heard me right, Guns of Fury, the topic of today’s video, attempts to mix classic arcade shooting action straight out of the Neo Geo '90s arcade era with the Metroidvania gameplay structure that has become commonplace in the indie gaming scene. But does this release go out guns blazing, or is it a total misfire? Let’s find out in our full review!
Guns of Fury comes to us from Gelato Games, the developers behind the engaging action platformer Goblin Sword on the Nintendo Switch. This release is self-published by the company for both Steam/PC and the Nintendo Switch. The game merges arcade-style run-and-gun gameplay with the fundamental design principles of a Metroidvania. Players will navigate through an unexpectedly large world, expanding their map, acquiring new power-ups to advance and enhance their abilities, and conquer bosses. As expected, the game offers a solid balance of shooting and exploration.
I fully understand you aren't going to be playing this release for its story, but this is a review after all, so it would be remiss of me not to mention the narrative. The game takes place during the 2040s, and a massive energy crisis has ravaged the world. Fortunately, or so we think, a new energy source has potentially been discovered by a scientist named Dr. Klaus—the Tetra Cell! However, Dr. Klaus has suddenly gone missing, and so has the Tetra Cell, humanity's last hope. Intel points to A. Easton, an industrialist who plans to use the Tetra Cell to create an all-powerful diabolical superweapon, of course! Naturally, this is where you spring into action on a quest to save the doctor and thwart Easton's plans!
The story is quite reminiscent of your favorite '90s arcade run-and-gun action games. It serves its purpose and is entertaining enough, but it’s not the primary focus. While there isn't a ton of character development, nor does there need to be, there are a few memos scattered throughout the world that attempt to add some depth to the script. It’s good, silly fun in that retro-gaming sort of way.
Let’s talk about the gameplay, which is the real reason you're here. Initially, you might not think Guns of Fury is much of a Metroidvania at all, as the game opens with you blasting your way forward on a 2D plane, causing massive explosions and chaos along the way. Fear not, though, as it won’t be long before the game world opens up, and you'll be off exploring in different directions.
Controlling your lead character is simple and responsive. You'll run, jump, and shoot using a variety of pistols, shotguns, launchers, and grenades. There are individual buttons for your main pistol, your secondary weapon, and bombs. While this layout takes a little getting used to, it eventually clicked with me. New weapons can also be equipped as they are collected through the in-game menu, which, though not the smoothest I have seen, is plenty serviceable. Throughout your exploration, you’ll also gather new skills such as a double jump, and even the ability to use “binoculars” which allow you to scroll around the screen to see what dangers may lie ahead. These skills are introduced at a nice pace and feel like a godsend when they finally arrive.
While you're shooting down a wide assortment of soldiers and mechs, you’ll also be doing plenty of exploration. The game features a built-in map that allows you to pin areas of interest, but it’s not the most detailed I have seen. Much like the equipment menu, the map serves its purpose but could have been better. There are items to be found that will flesh it out further, but overall, I wasn’t the biggest fan as it lacked important details and led to quite a bit of aimless wandering.
Guns of Fury feels more comfortable as an arcade run-and-gun shooter than a Metroidvania, but the ways in which the genres have been blended together work better than you might think. The fundamentals of a Metroidvania game are all here, and because the platforming and shooting feel great and are so much fun, some of the smaller flaws in exploration are easier to forgive. The game truly feels like a classic Metal Slug release at times, as you aim upward, melee through enemies, hurl grenades, and leap between cliffs and platforms. There are mechs to jump into and even massive bosses to take down, featuring fun patterns that offer just the right level of challenge, which is good since there are no difficulty options.
Save points are scattered throughout this 10–12-hour journey. It's important to use these frequently, as any progress made since your last save will be lost if you fail to reach another save area. This did frustrate me on a few occasions and required me to retread areas and collect items I had already gathered more than once. A fast travel system is also introduced later in the game, allowing you to ride a truck to designated areas of the map. It's a decent way to get from one end of the world to the other. Players will also encounter shops from time to time where they can purchase new weapons and items. Because enemies constantly respawn between screens, you'll have no problem gathering enough cash.
Overall, I had a great time with the running and gunning throughout Guns of Fury and found the Metroidvania exploration serviceable but flawed. Much of the aimless wandering and missing of small details could very well be on me, but I ultimately found the game's strength to be in its combat and platforming. The difficulty level was well-balanced throughout and shouldn’t present too many headaches for players with at least average skills.
Visually, if you were a Neo Geo kid of the '90s, you’ll love the graphics in Guns of Fury. The game is heavily inspired by that era, particularly the Metal Slug franchise. The pixel art is gorgeous, with stunning explosions, gritty detailed character and enemy designs, and a solid variety of different backdrops to explore. While the menus look a bit uninspired by comparison, I thought the game looked phenomenal overall and did a great job of capturing the spirit of late '90s arcade games. Performance was very good too, as I only encountered one very minor hitch during my playthrough. For players looking to enjoy the game on Steam Deck, I tested it briefly, and it looked lovely without any noticeable slowdown issues, making this a great choice to enjoy on Valve’s handheld. One glaring omission, however, is the lack of co-op, as I feel like this game would have been a blast to play with a friend.
The soundtrack featured in Guns of Fury is quite good and rather eclectic. There are hard rock tracks, as you would expect, but also a good mix of electronica depending on which area of the map you are in. There isn’t much in the way of voice performances, but all of the explosions sound just as gritty as you would hope, as does the gunfire. As someone who loves both the sound and visual design of classic Neo Geo games, I thought that Gelato Games really nailed it out of the park with this release.
Guns of Fury has its shortcomings, but it is bold for a smaller indie company to take on such a challenge, and it is quite successful in marrying two very different styles of gameplay into one cohesive, fun gaming experience. I loved the visuals and audio, but the gunplay really stole the show. There are so many cool weapons to mess around with that exploding foes never got old, even if they respawned perhaps just a bit too frequently. The map and menus weren’t my favorite, and the save system could have used some further refinement. Not being able to play with a friend is also a downside, but despite these issues, Guns of Fury is one hell of a good time that I highly recommend.
Amazing visuals and sound
Run-and-Gun gameplay is a blast
Good variety of different weapons and abilities
Bosses are really cool and fun to learn
Map is a bit lacking
No co-op feature
Save system could have been better
GREAT