Gunlocked 2

Easy to learn, hard to master. Great variety of weapons/ships/upgrades, even in this 0.70 version. Looking forward to the road to 1.0!

Jeszcze lepsza niż 1ka! Świetne pixele. Świetna muzyka. Dużo połączeń broni i modyfikatorów.

A fun little shmup designed around various forms of automated and triggered weapons, while you focus on your movement and positioning. A good deal of little options, upgrades and combos to stack it all together. Many of these are fun and/or inventive. No control problems on keyboard or controller. Visuals are mostly clean, and the UI is sort-of informative with plenty of cues and clues, albeit with a need to learn what those clues are. That said, like so many contemporaries the mass of shiny things on screen will get a bit cluttered later on - a few weapons or large numbers of drones/beacons can make it hard to see enemies they punch-through but haven't killed. Weak spot is probably the bgm, which gets repetitive after a while.

Great game, fun and with lots of options to choose and play with!

A stalwart addition to an already remarkable game. For a title with its feet in at least 2 infamously inflexible genres to be so rewardingly innovative is a truly rare and welcome blessing.

Gunlocked 2 is a fast, mechanically rich evolution of its predecessor that confidently expands a clever core idea into a far deeper and more replayable experience. Developed and published by FromLefcourt, the game blends classic shoot-’em-up intensity with modern roguelite structure, placing equal emphasis on movement mastery, build experimentation, and strategic decision-making. Rather than relying purely on reflexes or raw firepower, Gunlocked 2 asks players to think spatially and tactically, turning navigation itself into a central combat tool. At the heart of the experience is the game’s distinctive approach to movement. Instead of traditional twin-stick aiming, combat revolves around piloting your ship through enemy formations and projectile patterns with deliberate momentum and precision. Dodging, braking, drifting, and repositioning are just as important as firing, giving battles a dynamic flow that feels almost dance-like once mastered. This design makes encounters feel proactive rather than reactive, as skilled players learn to shape engagements by where and how they move rather than simply responding to threats as they appear. The roguelite structure provides a strong backbone for long-term engagement. Each run presents a fresh sequence of enemy waves, upgrades, and branching paths, ensuring that repetition rarely feels stale. As you progress, you unlock a growing roster of pilots and ships, each introducing subtle but meaningful differences in starting weapons, abilities, and playstyle. These variations significantly affect how a run unfolds, encouraging experimentation and giving players reasons to revisit the game even after dozens of attempts. Customization is where Gunlocked 2 truly shines. Weapons can be modified through layered upgrade paths that alter behavior, damage patterns, and synergy potential. Augments and passive modifiers further shape your build, sometimes nudging you toward aggressive, high-risk playstyles or more defensive, control-oriented approaches. Mid-run decisions carry real weight, as choosing one upgrade often means forgoing another, forcing players to commit to a direction rather than chasing every advantage. This sense of commitment makes successful runs feel earned and failures feel instructive rather than arbitrary. Strategic depth is reinforced through branching progression between encounters. Warp gates allow players to choose their next destination, each offering different rewards, risks, and difficulty modifiers. This adds a layer of macro-level planning on top of the moment-to-moment action, as players must decide whether to pursue safer routes to stabilize a build or take on harder challenges in hopes of securing powerful upgrades. Multiple modes, including faster-paced variants, cater to different moods and play lengths, making the game equally suitable for extended sessions or quick bursts of action. Visually, Gunlocked 2 embraces crisp, vibrant pixel art that emphasizes clarity and motion. Enemy designs, projectile effects, and explosions are all easy to read even during chaotic moments, which is crucial for a game that demands precise movement. The aesthetic strikes a balance between retro inspiration and modern polish, avoiding visual clutter while still delivering satisfying spectacle. Sound design and music complement the action well, reinforcing the rhythm of combat and heightening tension during boss encounters. As an Early Access title, Gunlocked 2 already feels remarkably complete in terms of core systems, though it clearly has room to grow. The foundation is strong, with a compelling gameplay loop, a wide array of upgrades, and enough content to justify repeated play. Ongoing development promises additional ships, pilots, enemies, and refinements, and the developer’s openness to community feedback suggests the game will continue to evolve in meaningful ways rather than drifting aimlessly during its development cycle. Ultimately, Gunlocked 2 stands out in a crowded roguelite and shmup landscape by committing fully to its unique movement-driven identity. It rewards mastery, experimentation, and thoughtful decision-making without sacrificing the raw thrill that defines great shoot-’em-ups. For players who enjoy high-skill action games that offer deep build variety and near-endless replayability, Gunlocked 2 delivers a compelling, adrenaline-fueled experience that feels both immediately exciting and deeply rewarding over time. Rating: 7/10

The mechanics are super well done in this one! Not to mention the music and art direction, had a blast streaming this one for clickteam and will be enjoying it on steam deck as well!

Simple, fun, addictive and chill.

Edit: The bad UI and Menu usage is a major problem and it constantly shows being unresponsive or not doing what it should, randomly not registering button presses or ignoring where you point your cursor. Its super annoying and really causes the experience to be bad. ------------------------------ I liked the first one which went a bit too short in terms of whats possible. I like this one too although i feel like it goes a bit too far and became a bit too complicated. What bothers me most though is that the UI doesnt actually work most of the time, buttons clicked dont do anything, dont react or react the wrong way. Like setting volume somehow causes the game to enter windowed mode. The gunplay is fun, yet again, im not sure whats going on. In the first game it was pretty clear, you move through a sector, enter boss battle, kill boss, win. Here i go from sector to sector and after doing that like 10 times i have one basic boss battle. Im not saying its doing this badly, just that its far more complicated than the first game and im not sure that was a necessary sacrifice to make it more complex. Still, cool game, recommended for the price, the dev improves from game to game. Now wished he created Gunlocked 2 with online coop. Because that would be super unique and an interesting take.

Gunlocked is one of my favorite hidden gems of the Roguelike genre Gunlocked 2 is literally Gunlocked but better in every way, a true sequel that doesn't start over again It's Galaga X Bullet Heaven, and it's cheap Get on it