A squirrel with a gun? What could go wrong?
Well, we just had to find out more about the wacky premise behind Dee Dee Creations and Maximum Entertainment’s sandbox shooting puzzle platformer, ahead of the release of Squirrel With a Gun on Xbox, PlayStation and PC. And thankfully the Game Director behind it was more than happy to lend us some time.
Can you please introduce yourself and your role in the development of Squirrel With a Gun?
Hello! My name is Dan DeEntremont and I’m the game director for Squirrel With A Gun.
How would you pitch this game to potential players?
The elevator pitch is conveniently in the title! I’d describe Squirrel With A Gun to players as an irreverent sandbox/shooter.
Can you tell us a little more about the type of experience Squirrel With a Gun has in store?
You can expect a lot of fun, zany moments in Squirrel With A Gun! Not only do we have hectic combat, we also have a ton of Golden Acorns to find, platforming challenges that use gun recoil, and squirrel-sized vehicles to drive!
What can you reveal about the in-game story?
Squirrel begins its adventure when it finds its way into a secret underground lab. It steals what appears to be a top secret golden acorn, which triggers an alarm. This kicks off a game-wide conflict with the Agents, a group of suited goons with a couple of sinister leaders.
Okay, the big question. How did the idea to give a Squirrel a gun come about?
Lots of people want to know this! A Squirrel holding a regular sized gun has been a thought in my head for years. It could have been inspired from some Eddie Izzard standup where the punchline is “We wanted diamonds, or sherbet or a squirrel with a gun!” I would say indie developers always have a ton of these wild ideas, but it takes so long to execute them, that they must choose carefully.
It looks like the little fella is pretty handy when it comes to firearms. What other weapons can players get their claws on?
We also have grenades helpful for clearing out groups of agents, and even a kind of proximity mine based on our previous plushie campaign. In a pinch, there are a lot of physics objects lying around for Squirrel to pick up and throw at opponents. Bricks are particularly effective for stunning!
Takedowns look awesome. How do they work?
Each enemy has a yellow “stun” meter that gets filled up as they are attacked. Once they are stunned, the player can go near them and perform a cinematic takedown action. Each gun type has a unique takedown animation, and there is even one for “paws free.”
The trailer teases some cool customisation options, can you tell us a little more about the depth and variety of these?
Squirrel’s “outfit” consists of a color of Fur, a set of Clothes, and an Accessory (usually hats or headgear). You can collect these outfits all over the game. Some outfits will even have special effects. For example, the Bomb Suit will make Squirrel immune to explosions!
What has the reaction been like since the trailer dropped?
We’ve been delighted by the continued enthusiasm for SWAG ever since early footage of the game went viral in August of 2022. Reactions to the trailer have been overwhelmingly positive.
Common comments express expectations for Squirrel With A Gun to be a similar experience as Goat Simulator and Untitled Goose Game, and many commentors have even declared Squirrel With A Gun as GOTY.
Squirrel With a Gun is currently slated to release in Fall this year. Can you give us any further clues as to when this will be? What formats are you aiming to release on?
Tune into IGN Live on June 7 for an announcement 🙂
[Ed: Since this interview took place, the release date of Squirrel With a Gun has been confirmed for August 29th 2024 – Xbox, PlayStation, PC]
If you could choose one game which has had the biggest impact on you as a player, what would it be and why?
Ooh, that’s tough! I can only choose just one, huh? I may have to pick Final Fantasy X. I was around 14 years old when I played it. It had it all. One of the most epic games for its time, prerendered cutscenes, and fantastic gameplay! It’s still among my favorites.
And finally, which game are you most looking forward to in 2024 (aside from your own of course)?
My backlog has grown massive since starting this project, so much of what came out in 2023 and 2024 already is still on my “highly anticipated” list. As far as the yet-to-be-released titles, the new Fable looks compelling!
Huge thanks go out to Dan for giving us some of their time, all as we look to find out more about the intriguing Squirrel With a Gun.
As mentioned, Squirrel With a Gun will release on August 29th 2024, playable on Xbox, PlayStation and PC (Steam). Hit those links to be whisked to the relevant store pages.
