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Aug 23rd, 2009 at 22:15:07 - Gungrave (PS2) |
GAMEPLAY
During stage five, the gameplay of Gungrave improves significantly. The stage takes place "underground," in a sort of sewer/prison system. There are new enemies (with flamethrowers!) running around, there are more nooks and crannies to hide in, and the overall level design feels far less constrained that the first four stages. There are more stairways to explore, and there are different routes to take. In short, I had a lot more fun during that level than any of the other levels combined.
I do have to give a shout-out to stage four, though, where the player must shoot down helicopters from inside a moving train.
The boss battles are not overly difficult, but they can be challenging. At this writing, I'm facing off against a giant purple arm that's throwing cars at me. It's giving me a real hard time, the first real challenge in this game. And I'm really enjoying it.
I'm nearing the end of the game, and yet the story isn't really interesting me anymore. There is no explanation (so far) as to how Grave was brought back from the dead, or how the Syndicate's henchmen can turn into these giant disfigured masses of flesh. Maybe that's asking too many questions for a game that is only a few hours long, but it's frustrating to see such a promising concept followed by a weak effort. I'd love to know more about this universe, more about Grave, more about the Syndicate, but the story just feels like a teaser. Which is not cool.
DESIGN
The most frustrating part of this game was the fixed camera. The bosses move all over the room, and it's very hard to follow them when the camera is tied only to Grave's movements. I spent a lot of time running around in circles, just trying to get a good look at the boss, only to get sliced up and set on fire. There is nothing assigned to the right analog stick, why didn't the developers implement a user-controlled camera system?
The cutscenes are absolutely beautiful, with character designs that are unique, if a bit disturbing. I personally believe that the reward for each completed stage is not a new skill or a high score, but rather a cutscene. I particularly like the sharply defined shadowing used in the cutscenes, as well as the fluidity in every movement Grave makes.
Overall, it's a standard action game with lovely visuals, and I do understand why there was plenty of demand to adapt the game to an anime series. I think perhaps the Gungrave saga should have begun as an anime, where the story could be fleshed out, and then adapted into a game.
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Aug 23rd, 2009 at 20:27:53 - Gungrave (PS2) |
SUMMARY:
Gungrave is a third-person shooter for the PS2. The player assumes the role of Grave, an undead, gun-toting behemoth with a coffin on his back and revenge on his agenda. We follow Grave in his quest to take down the corrupt "Syndicate" organization and rescue the daughter of his former flame, all while shooting just about everything that moves.
GAMEPLAY:
Grave is a neat-looking character; the sight of this towering guy, dragging a coffin around, and armed with two very large guns...it's very cool. The problem is, Grave has not yet said a word, nor has he conveyed any emotion whatsoever. Usually when there's a mute protagonist in a game, the supporting characters help flesh out the main character's personality. But the two supporting characters have done nothing to expand on Grave's personality. He is supposed to be one of those strong, silent types, but he just comes off bland. I hope his backstory will explain his character some more, and hopefully it will make the guy more likeable.
The gameplay so far is a bit disappointing. Though the locations change, I keep fighting the same enemies over and over again. There's the token peon, there's the guy with the rocket launcher, and there's the guy with the melee weapon. That's it. Also, because of camera issues, it's very hard to dodge or jump back to escape enemy fire. So I just keep walking straight ahead and smashing the firing button. That seems to work pretty well.
On a positive note, the cutscenes and overall style of the game are excellent. The cel-shaded graphics are very beautiful, and the game plays with shadows very well. I wish some of the locations in the game were more detailed, but all and all it's a pretty game.
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