Gunvein

 Switch
Metascore
tbd

No score yet - based on 1 Critic Review

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. Video Chums
    May 29, 2023
    80
    If you own a Switch and love shoot 'em ups then I highly recommend playing Gunvein as it offers top-tier arcade-shooting entertainment.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
tbd

No user score yet- Awaiting 2 more ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. Ramoten
    Jun 16, 2023
    10
    Only a single critic review so far of one of the greatest shmups of - at least this generation. Razor sharp visuals on Switch, a pumpingOnly a single critic review so far of one of the greatest shmups of - at least this generation. Razor sharp visuals on Switch, a pumping memorable soundtrack like we are used to from this team, and mesmerizing gameplay. Don't sleep on this highlyboverlooked gem.… Full Review »
  2. WearingFin
    May 13, 2023
    8
    An enjoyable game, but really one for fans of the genre with little offer to brand new players with some questionable choices made in bulletAn enjoyable game, but really one for fans of the genre with little offer to brand new players with some questionable choices made in bullet patterns for the mild mode and the new, even "easier", handheld mode. It is at times exhilarating though, one which is worth putting in the effort despite some annoying bosses.

    This is the first game from NG:Dev which isn't a Neo Geo game (hence the name), maybe it was a time to hark back to their Dreamcast days with the likes of Ghost Blade, but they've really upped the ante and attempted to take the mantle from Crimzon Clover as the modern bullet-hell king. The trouble is that while the game design has been outsourced, the world design remains in house and you'll find yourself travelling through a myriad of grey and brown industrial space settings which is great for viewing the bullets but not particularly great with caring about the game. There is an injection of anime, but one you can't help but think of the latest Aleste games in terms of character design. If you've played Razion or Dux or Fast Striker and found the backgrounds dull and lifeless, nothing has changed.

    I mentioned Crimzon Clover because you'll notice the gameplay, there are two buttons, one for shot and one for targeting with your targeting area for a missile attack. Also the same for Rayforce and lately with some Terarin games... thinking of Missile Dancer and Moon Dancer. So the encouragement is to remain close but may be difficult due to the sheer amount of bullets being thrown your way. It says it encourages aggressive behaviour, but again that's the goal of most Shmups to go point blank, it does nothing special to coax people from the bottom of the screen. There are three ships, judged by attack power, speed and also the range of this missile attack for locking on.

    There are four difficulties in this version: Handheld, Mild, Intense and Expert. Handheld is supposed to be the easiest and a new offering for the Switch, it can be played docked though and it's probably for the best because I don't see it as a very good experience when using joy-cons, I can barely tell the difference with Mild beyond perhaps more generous gifting of extra lives. Mild was the lowest of the difficulties on the PC version and while it's not full blown Cave difficulty it will prove a stern test for those without good literacy in bullet dodging. Intense lives up to its name, the de-facto normal mode which will hurl bullets a plenty, but one of the most rewarding of the experiences. Expert... that's for Jaimers.

    Then there's the Rogue-lite mode which is an interesting addition. It can be played on all four difficulty levels, with the flaws of all four difficulty levels, but offering a bit of flexibility in the experience. The player is given a level up system, then a choice of three power-ups when a new level is reached. There are advantages and disadvantages to deal with in terms of shot power, speed, special power, shot width, plus a few more variables. Then, like Crimzon Clvoer, there are occasionally a wheel drop of 3 power ups, an EXP boost, a shield, maybe a bomb, other things, that twirl around in a circle until you are able to pick it up. This is not the first time Rogue-lite has been attempted in Shmups, there's Project Starship, Operation STEEL and Steredenn, but those are horizontal, this is vertical and attempting a Danmaku, and while the structure of the game remains the same it does add a level of interest.

    Speaking of bombs, the system itself is interesting in that bombs are acquired through fragments collected in the stage. Some hidden which can only be targeted by your missiles, but always refillable which results in a different way of thinking about bombs. There are score implementations and these can be used tactically with some moments almost immediately refilling a bomb. There are also quite generous splatterings of extra lives and even if you lose all your lives, you can exchange your points for items in your next credit which incentivises the scoring element.

    In terms of the Switch, there are longer loading times, especially between stages which is unfortunate. The title text is a bit dodgy in terms of anti-aliasing but the game itself seems quite smooth and no drops from what I could tell. Despite being advertised, there is no online leaderboard so I'll have to assume I'm the best in the world.

    Good game, sometimes incredibly fun and getting into the zone. Some questionable bosses take me out of it, especially stage 3, and a bit derivative at times. In terms of new vertical shmups, one of the best new releases this year but for a new player there is plenty that I would recommend before I would tell them to pick up Gunvein. Also, with the dev, I don't expect a discount any time soon (looking at how they treated the Razion EX release).    … Full Review »