Gungrave: GORE was a long time coming for longtime fans of the franchise like me. It’s been twenty years since the last entry in the series was dropped for PS2 and after years of delays, Gungrave: GORE is finally here in all its over-the-top, deadly gothic glory. The question everyone asks is; was this thing worth the wait?
In order to adequately answer this question, you must first ask yourself another question; what are you looking for in Gungrave: GORE? If your answer is; a silly, tanky, pretty, bloody, stiff, gothic fantasy, then you’ll probably feel like it’s worth the wait. However, if you expected something with a little more fluidity, you may be somewhat disappointed.
Gungrave: GORE released on November 22, 2022 on PC, Playstation and Xbox consoles.
Recently I had the chance to test a game called bad west. As Gungrave: GORE, Evil West contained many old-school features and sensibilities, reminiscent of a bygone era of console gaming. Also as Gungrave: GORE, Evil West was a video game that wasn’t afraid to be a big stupid video game. Neither title pretends to be anything other than what it is and, on the contrary, these games are proud of their heritage and it’s a refreshing thing to see.
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That being said, there is a huge difference between the two games. bad west carries some old-school sensibilities, but due to its fluid control scheme and gameplay systems, it still manages to feel like a modern game. Whereas, Gungrave: GORE is a game of antiquated sensibilities that also plays like a game from twenty years ago.
Again, this isn’t necessarily an indictment of the gameplay in Gungrave: GORE. If what you are looking for is a direct continuation of the first two Gungrave titles on PS2, so that’s it; warts and all. However, if you believe that given the fact that Gungrave: GORE is published two decades before the most recent Gungrave sequel, it should therefore have evolved with the times, so you will be sorely disappointed.
The stubbornness to update the gameplay in Gungrave: GORE is just one of many aspects of the game that make it clear that this was still a project designed for the franchise’s pre-established fans. It’s also why I have a little trouble staying completely unbiased in my review of this thing; because I’m a fan of those old games.
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One thing I can objectively comment on though, is the fact that the visual style of Gungrave: GORE is great. Gungrave: GORE looks like a retro game in terms of art direction and style, but current-gen power has been used to adorn the environments and character models with high-resolution textures and advanced lighting systems, giving the together a glorious appearance.
The graphic detail is not always present at all levels in Gungrave; BLOOD, but it’s able to pull off a unique visual style that many other 2022 titles couldn’t. There is a certain beauty to be found in the carnage of some of Gungrave: GORE most chaotic times. These moments are undoubtedly the biggest improvement over the old Gungrave Games.
Gungrave: GORE is going to be a division title for many players. If you’re craving that nostalgic arcade feel (with stiff tank controls), then this will be right up your street. If not, then Gungrave: GORE should probably be avoided, and probably only worth checking out if you already own GamePass, as this title drops on the service on day one.
7/10
Gungrave: GORE was reviewed on PS5 with a code provided by PLAION.
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