admin
22 December 2023
Player One: Staff Member #716
The funny thing about the GunGrave series is that, up until the writing of this review, I haven’t really been able to decide whether I like them or not. On the one hand, the games are throwbacks to a classic gaming sensibility, which I absolutely love. Sure, GunGrave and GunGrave: Overdose have sleek, cel-shaded 3D graphics, pre-rendered cinema scenes, and voice acting throughout. But the GunGrave games are pure action from start to finish in the tradition of Contra, Smash TV, or Total Carnage. There are no objective-based missions. There’s no making sure the hostage makes it out alive, for example. In GunGrave, you just keep hitting the \"fire\" button until you either beat the level or die.
And GunGrave: OD is exactly what I had hoped it would be: exactly like GunGrave, but more. GunGrave had six levels; OD has ten. GunGrave had one playable character; OD has three (and yes, there are distinct differences between them). GunGrave had only two variations of super attacks, really; OD has nine per character.
But now for the downside: along with that old school gameplay comes some old school problems. I don’t know if it’s intentional on the designer’s part or if it’s an oversight in the programming, but OD has the tendency to put you in some scrapes that there is absolutely no way out of. Enemies have a way of appearing when you’re not looking in areas you’ve already cleared out, shooting you in the back from off the screen. And there are a couple of points near the end of the game where you have to make a few precise jumps with some less-than-precise controls. OD is definitely tougher than the original, which is good, but it’s due to some cheap tactics that had me bellowing \"The computer is fucking cheating!\" for the first time in years.
But during the parts when the game is doing everything right... man, it is doing everything right! When you’re diving out of the way, returning fire, dodging bullets, and knocking rockets out of midair, the sense of ultimate badass-ness makes the occasional no-win scenario palatable. OD hasn’t worked out every bug in the GunGrave formula just yet, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. While I wouldn’t put the two games on my must-get list, I certainly like the series-- if not for what it’s done, but for where it’s headed.
Player Two: Das Bork
Guns... mmm... delicious guns. Gun, gun, gun... \"The Gun\". I love guns. Growing up, I always loved my toy guns. Ah, the many gun battles I would have with my friends. Good times, indeed. I remember having a huge arsenal perfectly arranged in my closet. And this was back when toy guns were made to look realistic, not like these new, bright orange, dog poop guns. Yes, my ability to make war was well put to the test.
Now I’m all grown up (physically, at least), and all my old toys are lost to the ages. What do I have left to satisfy my murderous rage? GUNGRAVE, BABY!!! Even though it\'s not a toy gun, this game satisfies my murderous A.D.D. rage on a silver platter! GunGrave: OD made some major improvements from the first one. You just get way more of everything, as my fellow murderer #716 just said.
Obviously, I like playing this game. I only have a couple gripes. First, the graphics in the first one are better because the objects seem a lot sharper. Sometimes, when you\'re wreaking havoc in GunGrave: OD, it\'s hard to tell what is going on. That might be a problem for most people, but I don’t care. I just love blowin\' stuff up.
Second gripe is that one of the characters is named Rocket Billy Red Cadillac. His weapon isn’t even a gun, despite being in a game called GunGrave. It\'s a guitar that shoots out his ghostly energy. Ridiculous!
I don’t think this game did all that well in The States. I never see it in the stores. But I am definitely happy I got my copy! So I gotta give mad props to this underdog of a game.
One last thing-- if anyone reading this review owns one of those twin replica guns that came out with the first game in Japan, I would be very happy to buy it off of you. Next Halloween I’m gonna dress up as Beyond The Grave.
The funny thing about the GunGrave series is that, up until the writing of this review, I haven’t really been able to decide whether I like them or not. On the one hand, the games are throwbacks to a classic gaming sensibility, which I absolutely love. Sure, GunGrave and GunGrave: Overdose have sleek, cel-shaded 3D graphics, pre-rendered cinema scenes, and voice acting throughout. But the GunGrave games are pure action from start to finish in the tradition of Contra, Smash TV, or Total Carnage. There are no objective-based missions. There’s no making sure the hostage makes it out alive, for example. In GunGrave, you just keep hitting the \"fire\" button until you either beat the level or die.
And GunGrave: OD is exactly what I had hoped it would be: exactly like GunGrave, but more. GunGrave had six levels; OD has ten. GunGrave had one playable character; OD has three (and yes, there are distinct differences between them). GunGrave had only two variations of super attacks, really; OD has nine per character.
But now for the downside: along with that old school gameplay comes some old school problems. I don’t know if it’s intentional on the designer’s part or if it’s an oversight in the programming, but OD has the tendency to put you in some scrapes that there is absolutely no way out of. Enemies have a way of appearing when you’re not looking in areas you’ve already cleared out, shooting you in the back from off the screen. And there are a couple of points near the end of the game where you have to make a few precise jumps with some less-than-precise controls. OD is definitely tougher than the original, which is good, but it’s due to some cheap tactics that had me bellowing \"The computer is fucking cheating!\" for the first time in years.
But during the parts when the game is doing everything right... man, it is doing everything right! When you’re diving out of the way, returning fire, dodging bullets, and knocking rockets out of midair, the sense of ultimate badass-ness makes the occasional no-win scenario palatable. OD hasn’t worked out every bug in the GunGrave formula just yet, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. While I wouldn’t put the two games on my must-get list, I certainly like the series-- if not for what it’s done, but for where it’s headed.
Player Two: Das Bork
Guns... mmm... delicious guns. Gun, gun, gun... \"The Gun\". I love guns. Growing up, I always loved my toy guns. Ah, the many gun battles I would have with my friends. Good times, indeed. I remember having a huge arsenal perfectly arranged in my closet. And this was back when toy guns were made to look realistic, not like these new, bright orange, dog poop guns. Yes, my ability to make war was well put to the test.
Now I’m all grown up (physically, at least), and all my old toys are lost to the ages. What do I have left to satisfy my murderous rage? GUNGRAVE, BABY!!! Even though it\'s not a toy gun, this game satisfies my murderous A.D.D. rage on a silver platter! GunGrave: OD made some major improvements from the first one. You just get way more of everything, as my fellow murderer #716 just said.
Obviously, I like playing this game. I only have a couple gripes. First, the graphics in the first one are better because the objects seem a lot sharper. Sometimes, when you\'re wreaking havoc in GunGrave: OD, it\'s hard to tell what is going on. That might be a problem for most people, but I don’t care. I just love blowin\' stuff up.
Second gripe is that one of the characters is named Rocket Billy Red Cadillac. His weapon isn’t even a gun, despite being in a game called GunGrave. It\'s a guitar that shoots out his ghostly energy. Ridiculous!
I don’t think this game did all that well in The States. I never see it in the stores. But I am definitely happy I got my copy! So I gotta give mad props to this underdog of a game.
One last thing-- if anyone reading this review owns one of those twin replica guns that came out with the first game in Japan, I would be very happy to buy it off of you. Next Halloween I’m gonna dress up as Beyond The Grave.
artid
2932
Old Image
7_5_nowplaying.jpg
issue
vol 7 - issue 05 (jan 2005)
section
entertainmental