While the reveal ofEnter the Gungeon 2might have been a welcome surprise for fans of the bullet hell roguelike, the upcoming sequel could be a make-or-break moment for the indie series given its hit-and-miss history of past games and drastic new look. Taking their name from the same in-game mechanic, indie developer Dodge Roll released their debut game,Enter the Gungeon, in 2016 and received positive reviews from players and critics alike. Yet despite this success, it was only during the latest Nintendo Direct for theSwitch 2 thatEnter the Gungeon 2was announcedas a direct sequel nearly a decade later.
However, digging deeper into this supposed hiatus reveals a bigger picture behind why Dodge Roll’s indie series might be in trouble and howEnter the Gungeon 2could determine the series' future. Given that its first sequel,Exit the Gungeon,failed to live up toEnter the Gungeon’s standards, it could bode well for the series thatEnter the Gungeon 2is returning to the original game’s roots. But Dodge Roll may have taken too big a risk withEnter the Gungeon 2’s sudden shift from 2D-pixel graphics to 3D gameplay, especially when the sequel already faces pressure to get the indie series back on track.
Enter The Gungeon 2 Walks A Fine Line As A Sequel
ThoughEnter the Gungeon 2will be a direct sequelto the original game, it arguably isn’t the first or even the only sequel Dodge Roll has made. In addition to 2019’sExit the Gungeon, the studio also releasedEnter the Gungeon: House of the Gundeadin 2022 as an arcade cabinet spin-off. As a result,Enter the Gungeon 2will join an odd mix ofGungeongames with an equally mixed history. Ultimately, the fact thatEnter the Gungeon 2isn’t another spin-off or switch in genres, and instead will be a direct sequel, could be critical to the game’s success as well as the series' revival.
Enter The Gungeon 2 Both Returns To Its Roots And Reinvents Itself
But whileEnter the Gungeon 2appears to return to the dungeon-crawling bullet hell gameplay of the original roguelike, the sequel also overhaulsEnter the Gungeon’s former 2D-pixel style with new 3D designs. ThoughEnter the Gungeon 2’s announcement trailerwas only brief, the difference in visuals and gameplay potentially risks the game coming across as less of a sequel and more of a spin-off likeExit the Gungeon. With a projected 2026 release date giving Dodge Roll ample time to showcase its upcoming game, future updates should aim to reassure players thatEnter the Gungeon 2is still a direct sequel at its core.
After Exit The Gungeon, Enter the Gungeon 2’s New Look Could Be A Risk
However, any similarities or differences betweenEnter the Gungeonand its upcoming sequel won’t be the only factors that play a role inEnter the Gungeon 2’s success. BesidesHouse of the Gundead,Exit the Gungeonis still the last game to have been released within the indie series, which means thatEnter the Gungeon 2will be compared to this spin-off-like sequel as much as it will the original game. More specifically,Enter the Gungeon 2’s return to its dungeon-crawlingroots might be undermined by its new visual style, especially whenExit the Gungeonretained the series' original 2D-pixel graphics.
WithExit the Gungeon’s mixed reception in mind, the return toEnter the Gungeon’s original gameplay might not be enough to win players over if they don’t respond well to the sequel’s new 3D graphics. WhileExit the Gungeon wascriticized for its shift in gameplay despite keeping the original visual style,Enter the Gungeon 2may be held back for the opposite, with its reprised gameplay overshadowed by a change in graphics. Therefore, as the next major game in theGungeonseries afterExit the Gungeon,Enter the Gungeon 2could either lead to future 3D-style games or risk the series' future overall.
