Being sucked in by pre-release hype, only to be bitterly disappointed is a pain we have all felt before. And it’s one I felt reviewing Gungrave G.O.R.E. A game which, from the outside, looked like an action-packed thrill ride, with a heavy anime vibe. But in reality, has turned out stiff, dated and bland.
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Launching some 20 years after the original PS2 game, that spawned a sizable and dedicated fan base as well as its very own anime series. So South Korea studio Iggymob were set up well for this follow up, as it’s a fairly established series.
Grave Mistake
Gungrave G.O.R.E seems to have gone wrong in a number of areas. But its flaws stem mainly from sticking so tightly to the first game that the devs have created a game that is unbelievably outdated in a lot of ways.
From movement to gunplay, it’s all so slow. This innate sluggishness kills the gameplay dead in more ways than one. Most fights in Gungrave G.O.R.E see you enter an area and just blast everything that moves. Except that you’re as stiff as a fence post, so all you can do is stand there and shoot.
Now, this is fun for about two rooms, as the game tries to sit in the same space as the likes of Devil May Cry and Bayonetta. Giving you a combo meter called the beat count system that’s ever growing as you blast bad guys away.
However, this is all very superficial as you quickly learn that things never evolve beyond that. When paired with the fact you have to press the trigger for every shot you fire, you’re going to get tired really quickly.
Train Pain
Then there is level five, the final nail in the coffin, a level set on a train. You battle enemies on the roof of a speeding express train, while dodging signs that fly past you. This would be bland, uninspired and irritating without the sluggish movement.
I expect a few of you will uninstall the game before you ever see level six.
If you do get past that, you’ll soon be hit by some wholly unnecessary platforming sections that are just awful. You can’t jump for toffee, so how someone thought it would be a cool idea to see you lumber headfirst over containers is beyond me. These sections are a bumbling mess of trial and error with luck being far too great a factor.
A Simple Tale
The tale at its core is extremely simple as you fill the boots of the mostly silent Grave. Our near-silent hunter’s brief is to kill all the members of a drug-pushing gang, called Raven Clan, who have set up shop in a city called Scumland.
Simple tales can be told well and be used as light framework for non-stop action, but here it’s all very dull and bland to the point you lose interest in it all too quickly. This isn’t helped by the one-dimensional cast and voice acting feels that feels so phoned in.
If there was a saving grace to this mess, it could be the boss fights. For all of their glimpses of fun, they only serve to remind you just how monotonous the whole game is when not facing off against them.
Missed Opportunity
Gungrave G.O.R.E aimed to be a blast from the past. It definitely achieved that, but in the worst sort of way.
What could have been a fast-paced, super-stylish, combat-focused shooter with a rich lore; ultimately ends up as mutton dressed as lamb. From its bland and overly simplistic story, repetitive gameplay and truly odd design choices.