GUNGRAVE GOREthird-person shooter from the South Korean studio IGGYMOB extensionis available starting this November 22nd on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC (via Steam). The plot sees the return of Seriousthe anti-hero par excellence, ready to eliminate drug distribution once and for all Seed in the world. With the help of old and new helpers, we will become a perfect killing machine, capable of annihilating hordes of enemies without the slightest difficulty.
With a style that we could define as “vintage”, the title stands as a hybrid between a nostalgic PlayStation 2-style work and the most modern experiences of the genre, but will he have succeeded in his feat in this dance of blood and bullets? Find out in our review of GUNGRAVE GORE
- Title: GUNGRAVE GORE
- Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam)
- Analyzed version: Xbox Series X (EU)
- Genre: Third person shooter
- Players: 1
- Publisher: First matters
- Developer: IGGYMOB extension
- Tongue: Italian (texts), English (dubbing)
- Exit date: November 22, 2022
- Availability: retail, digital delivery
- DLCs: nobody
- Note: by pre-ordering the game it was possible to obtain an additional skin
We reviewed GUNGRAVE GORE with an Xbox Series X|S code provided to us for free through PLAION.
Gunslinger Of REsurrection
The plot of GUNGRAVE GORE stands as a sequel to GUNGGRAVE: Overdose. After gunning down the narcotics empire Seed controlled by the family Corision, it will be the turn to destroy the remaining cores in the world, controlled by four different “crime kings”. For those who missed the previous adventures of Seriousthe main game menu offers a “Story” function where you can see, through cutscenes, the story of the originals GUNGGRAVE And GUNGGRAVE: Overdoseso as to have a little more familiarity with the game world and characters.
Right from the start we can see that the plot serves as a simple framework for what is meant to be a title focused solely on gameplay. The story is made up of numerous levels divided by each region of the game, where we will be able to select the difficulty that best suits us before starting each one (between easy, normal and difficult). To complete them all on normal difficulty (also considering several deaths) we took just under 15 hours, also counting some experimentation at different difficulties. The missions are short and will take you about ten minutes each to complete, also allowing you to replay them quickly to get points with which to power up. The gameplay of the game is devoted to destruction, where the only aim will be to kill the constant waves of enemies present in the different game areas. The latter are structured as long “open” corridors, where we will not have to do anything but face the various enemies. In the game areas we will also find numerous destructible objects, but which will only serve to not lose the combo of the shots between one area and another. So forget about collectibles or virtual currency for purchasesthere will be none of this, only points obtainable at the end of each mission based on what your score will be ART. These will be obtainable through executions and special abilities, allowing you to unlock new combos, new special moves and boost the stats of Serious.
The locations, at first glance, prove to be very varied from one region to another, but they lack repetitiveness within the levels, effectively bringing little novelty during the numerous clashes. Instead, we find the bosses worthy of note, in particular the four main bosses, perfectly integrated aesthetically into the game universe, as lethal. In fact, unlike common enemies, they more closely reflect the dark cyberpunk imprint that has been given to the title, highlighting the character design work done on them. In certain missions, it will also be possible to impersonate Bunji (old acquaintance for fans of the series) e Quartznew helper of Serious. In terms of gameplay we appreciated the detachment from the main protagonist, with Bunji ranged combat oriented e Quartz focused on physical close combat.
Kick Their Ass
The gameplay, in GUNGRAVE GOREis continually punctuated by bullets from guns Cerberus and the physical blows inflicted by the coffin of SeriousL’Herald of Death. Ranged combat is funwith infinite bullets for the two guns and an automatic coupling of enemies (if close enough to you), allowing you to focus solely on the movement of the protagonist, so as not to leave him too long at the mercy of enemy shots. Serious in fact, it has two distinct bars, one for health (not rechargeable except through special shots) and one for the shield (which automatically recharges over time). If you run out of HP it is automatically game overand you must therefore start over from the last checkpoint present within the mission. The only thing that doesn’t fully convince us of ranged combat is the command-related shooting system. In fact, to shoot we will have to press the lower right dorsal repeatedly, which in the long run is very uncomfortable, above all because, if pressed for just one second more, it will automatically fire the loaded shot, thus interrupting the sequence of shots.
In our opinion, the developers could have easily assigned the flurry of blows to the prolonged pressure of the lower backbone, then assigning the loaded blow to a completely different key, making the gameplay smoother. We imagine that this choice is to convey to the player the real sensation of the trigger being constantly pressed by Seriousdecidedly less successful mechanic as regards the close combat with theHerald of Death. By pressing the button circle on PlayStation or b on xbox, Serious he will proceed to spin his weapon to attack enemies that have approached him. The big issue is with the hit feedback, seemingly null, with attacks that seem to constantly fail. This, in our opinion, leads the player to use this mechanic only if necessary, for example against enemies equipped with a shield or to deflect missiles aimed at us.
Decidedly the “grasp” mechanics was better, in fact, with the pressure of the right upper back we will be able to throw a hook on the enemies, so as to catch them on the fly and use them as human shields or throw them at other enemies. This mechanic proves to be fundamental during the executions, allowing us to perform them even at long distances. Once the enemies are stunned, it will in fact be possible to kill them with a quick execution, so as to recharge small portions of the shield and get points ART.
Finally we find the special abilities of Seriousthese are divided into fury mode And demolition shots. The first is activated by pressing both lower backbones and gives the protagonist the possibility of inflicting more damage for a short time, as well as getting points ART for each kill. Like the fury mode, the demolition shots can also be activated only after filling the dedicated bar, and can be used by pressing the lower left backbone plus one of the four action keys. From the laboratory we will be able to assign four demolition shots at a time (one for each action key) to ours Serious, as well as unlocking new ones as our power increases. Demolition shots vary from powerful missiles fired at opponents, to the ability to slow down time to attack them with everything we have at our disposal, especially useful for quickly eliminating large numbers of enemies.
If the shooting part is the decidedly most appreciated one, the platform one really turns out to be the hell from which Serious escaped. Our protagonist (like the other two playable characters) suffers from an enormous and very tedious woodiness, leaving the player with the bitter task of often jumping from rock to rock, from container to container, from roof to roof, making nine jumps out of ten wrong with its fall. And just to make it even more frustrating, we will die with each fall on deaf ears, finding ourselves forced to have to re-face hordes of hordes even for a single incorrect jump. There are also numerous boss battles, which prove to be the only opportunities where shooting without respite is not the solution, but rather finding the right strategy and opportunity to attack.
Nostalgia mission started
Technically the title offers two different modes: Quality (reflected in ray tracing enabled, 30 FPS and 4K resolution) e Performance (high fluidity, 60 FPS and 4K resolution). In both modes we did not experience severe frame drops and the game was very smooth for us even in the mode Qualityrejuvenating it a minimum with respect to the mode Performance.
However, the game does not present itself as a next-gen or mid-gen title, mostly representing a “remastered-like” of a title that seems to have originally been released on PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. Leaving aside the visual aspect, we found not always responsive, with combos and hits not always triggering when selected. To solve the situation a little, the exciting soundtrack takes care of it, which knows how to revive the repetitive fights between one area and another. The cutscenes are well done and the voice acting is almost always lip-synced of the characters.
Who do we recommend GUNGRAVE GORE to?
GUNGRAVE GORE is recommended to all lovers of the original chapters of GUNGGRAVE, as well as all players who want a title to relax and enjoy after a long and tiring day. With his “massacres” and the numerous skills available, all fans of titles focused solely on action will find bread for their teeth, with a large amount of hours to devote to them, especially if faced with the different difficulties available, perhaps aiming to fully power up the protagonist. However, it is not recommended for anyone looking for a deep or varied experience in terms of plot and gameplay. A work aimed more at those who want to feel a little nostalgic, playing a title that will bring them back to the old experiences loved on PlayStation 2.
- “Gunplay” fun and carefree
- Perfect for short matches in the day
- The Laboratory allows several hours of additional gameplay if we want to unlock all of Grave’s upgrades…
- …But the title itself is already excessively repetitive
- Technically out of step with new titles of the same genre
- The commands are not always responsive and in the long run lead to fatigue
GUNGRAVE GORE
A return not in step with the times
GUNGRAVE GORE tries to bring back to the current generation a saga now lost in the annals, with the task in our opinion only half successful. While on the one hand we find an excellent third-person shooter, with fun gameplay and excellent for those who just want to relax after a tiring day, on the other hand we find a game not at all in step with the times as regards the mechanics and the technical aspect. We would have preferred a less repetitive title, with more diversity and depth in the various stages of the game. Also counterproductive is a plot that is not at all intriguing, which becomes too much of a side dish for such a title.
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