7.0/10
F**k the game journalists for ignoring, dismissing or s**tting on this game. Gungrave G.O.R.E. might be lower budget and rough around the edges but it is a blast to play.
Gungrave G.O.R.E. is in third person and a shooter but don’t think that it is going to be like the third person shooters you’re used to. Gungrave G.O.R.E. is an arcade action shooter and has more in common7.0/10
F**k the game journalists for ignoring, dismissing or s**tting on this game. Gungrave G.O.R.E. might be lower budget and rough around the edges but it is a blast to play.
Gungrave G.O.R.E. is in third person and a shooter but don’t think that it is going to be like the third person shooters you’re used to. Gungrave G.O.R.E. is an arcade action shooter and has more in common with games like rail shooters, beat ‘em ups and shmups.
You move Grave, the main character through linear stages in a slow and deliberately designed way that works with how the game plays. He has plenty of actions at his disposal to deal with the waves of enemies. First up is his regular shooting which auto targets or can be more controlled and doesn’t need reloading. You can do a charged shot too which is handy for shielded enemies at a distance. He can jump and dodge. The dodge doesn’t just get you out the way but also gives you a small invincibility window and you can shoot during it too. The jump can also double as a dodge and again you can shoot during it. Grave has melee attacks and starts with a basic combo for breaking shields and deflecting rockets. Grapple ability lets you hold enemies as a shield while still shooting and then throw them and there is a chase which is like a charge forward.
There’s fury mode which when activated pushes close enemies back and gives you a temporary damage boost but you need to have earned it first. Killing enemies in this mode also builds your art score. The art score is one part of getting a good rank at the end of the stage. Burst mode is stationary rapid fire with camera control for dealing with crowds. Storm Barrage is similar to this but needs to be earned and is way faster and as long as you have shield it can’t be interrupted. Executing stunned enemies builds art score and recovers your shield. Finally there are demolition shots, that need to be earned, which are like special attacks that give you a brief window of invincibility and can be devastating to crowds, knock enemies down and gives health back.
All of this works really well together and the game is about constantly moving forward while keeping your beat going (hit counter). When no enemies are present the beat can be kept up by destroying objects. While doing this you need to always be picking the right actions at the right time and the right targets too. Then on top of that you need to build your art score and keep an eye on your shield, health and actions earned. Gungrave G.O.R.E. rewards you for playing well during the action and after stages with a rank and points that can be spent on upgrades and new abilities. Stages are a short blast, about 10 minutes or less and it is fun and addictive.
Unfortunately gameplay can be held back at times by a lack of polish, poor AI and spawns happening too slowly. I got stuck on the environment twice and enemies were frozen and unkillable a couple of times too. The constant onslaught of gameplay, bullets and explosions can be tiring and repetitive. There are two side characters as well which go underused and in Quartz’s case is underdeveloped too. Gameplay would have benefited from a shorter run time with less but more highly polished stages.
I can’t say how well Gungrave G.O.R.E. does presenting the source material because I haven’t played the previous games or seen the anime. I found the story, characters, dialogue and cutscenes to be pretty bland and didn’t get into it at all. Don’t get me wrong it can be freaking cool from time to time but mostly it’s just not. It lacks charm and charisma. Cutscenes can often feel lifeless and the whole experience exudes low budget. The voice acting doesn’t help either. Gungrave G.O.R.E. could have benefited a lot from just going all out silly and way more over the top. At least the sound effects and music are fun and pretty well done.
The visuals of Gungrave G.O.R.E. are not too impressive. It looks like an older game that has been polished up a little for a PS5 release. The developers have done a good job making up for this with style and variety. There are 31 stages that take you different places in the world with different types of settings. It also has a diverse line up of enemies to blast away and multiple bosses too. The old anime/ PS2 era style is cool and a bit nostalgic.
I hope that the developers of Gungrave G.O.R.E. are well aware that there are plenty of gamers out there that still appreciate this type of game and that what they have achieved here is pretty cool. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this developer to see what they do next. I’m having plenty of fun with Gungrave G.O.R.E. but I know many players will bounce off this game quickly. I would still give it a strong recommendation to anyone that enjoys arcade and action games.
7.0/10… Expand
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