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Gungrave is not good

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 5
Date: September 28, 2002
Author: Amazon User

If you like to dress up as japanese anime characters and hang out at a convention center then by all means throw down fifty bucks, but for anyone wanting a good playable video game. Run away. This game looks great and has all the visuals down including all the john woo esque gunplay. However, the gameplay is nonexistent. You could beat this game with your feet, all you do is press one button over and over and over and over until everything dies. You're pretty much impervious to damage, which is good since you move slower than one of those veritech fighters in that bad robotech game. Your choice.

Just Shoot Everything

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 4 / 10
Date: August 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I played the Gungrave demo three or four times during a recent trip to Japan, and here are my impressions (bear in mind I only played through the first level):

The Good:
1 Really nice anime cut scenes.
2 Decent graphics.
3 Cool-looking moves.
4 There's just something fun about shooting EVERYTHING you can see.
5 If a John Woo made a game, this would be it.

The Bad:
1 You basically only need one button to play this game.
2 Difficulty is sort of non-existant, at least on the first level. It might get harder as it goes along, but given how many moves you have, it probably won't get any better.
3 As much fun as shooting everything and everybody is, it gets old. Fast. Though honestly the game probably isn't long enough for you to get REALLY sick of it.

The Ugly
1 In some ways, I consider myself lucky to have only played the first level. I don't know how well pressing "shoot" over and over and over again would hold up. It's to jump sideways while blasting away, or watch Grave spin around for no reason as he fires his guns, but if you've seen it once, you've seen it as much as you need to.
2 The game has some slow-down, especially when you fire the rocket launcher.

The Advice
1 If you played Devil May Cry, you'll be used to the pace of this game. Think DMC without any combos, missions, swords, challenging enemies, or classy background graphics. Throw in an anime cut scene or two and you have Gungrave. I really liked that the ads for it said "Get Ready To Genocide!" but uh... this one's a rental for sure. See the cool moves, beat it, return it.

gungrave

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: September 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

this game rocks in my opinion . although it does have a few flaws. the game is short, has no replay value, and all u do is shoot to kill. but the game has very unique graphics like a cross between anime and devil's may cry. the playability and control is good . so unless u like anime and a "kill them and nuthing else" type of game, i suggest renting it period.

What a let down!!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 2
Date: September 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This is a good idea wasted. The creator should have put more time into the game play. Just simply blowing up things is brainless. A waste of a cool looking anti-hero. What is up with the 6 little levels. I finished this game in one day. Major letdown.

A great rental but very short

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: July 06, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Gungrave comes to us from the great animators of the Trigun anime series. Unfortunately, while the cut scenes are great, you only get 6 levels and a few hours of gameplay.

I love the Trigun series, so I had high hopes for this arcade button-masher that used the Trigun animator, Yasuhiro Naito, to design the characters and draw the cut scenes. And yes, you definitely can get the Trigun feel in this game.

You are a zombie in black and red, carrying around your coffin. Just like Wolfwood, your coffin is a weapon that you can launch rockets out of and swing around like a battle axe. You shuffle through each level, firing unlimited rounds with repeated button hammering and occasionally launching a special missile.

The game claims to have a "fully destructable environment", which had me expecting a Red Faction level of coolness. Unfortunately, they really only meant you could blow up boxes and furniture, which has been a staple of gaming since the days of Doom.

There's a nice "Go Here!" set of arrows always leading you forward, but it's only a few hours until you get to the end of Level 6 and the game is over. You could replay the levels over and over to try for a top score in each one, but there just isn't much fun challenge in it.

Recommended as a rental for anime fans, but only die hard Trigun enthusiasts will want to buy this one.

Stylish, mindless, short, fun.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: September 29, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Gungrave's character designs were done by the guy behind Trigun, and it shows. The pseudo-futuristic Western style mixed with an undead main character definitely works well, and Beyond the Grave (yes, that's your character's name) strikes an imposing profile, with his own coffin slung from chains wrapped around his arms.

If Gungrave is anything, it's stylish. From heavily stylized CG cel-shaded cutscenes, to the... logo at the beginning of each level (I kid you not - though this will probably be hit by the censors), everything in Gungrave oozes 1.) style and 2.) a sense that you must shoot everything on screen.

The controls are a little strange - Beyond the Grave walks at a snail's pace. You can make him move faster by running, or by clicking down on the stick, but his basic movement is *extremely* slow. This is again, probably a stylistic choice, as BtG isn't supposed to be a super-fast action hero - he's Death incarnate, and it would seem Death is content to take his time.

The graphics are, again, heavily stylized, and textures on everything retain a look like they were stripped out of an anime. There's a lot of explosions, some neat effects, and a bit of slowdown.

The biggest problem in this game is that there simply isn't much to do. As satisfying as it is to mow down enemy after enemy, it gets tiring after a few hours - either fortunately, or unfortunately, the game as a whole only lasts about this long. While the combo system and unlocking demolition shots gives it some semblance of replay value, the game itself isn't really complex enough to warrant playing it over and over. As fun as it is, just be warned, it's short.

So, if you're looking to blow off some steam, and destroy everything in sight, Gungrave's certainly an option to consider. Just be wary that the experience is brief, but intense.

Get it right.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: July 20, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Ok let me clear this up, the gungrave anime came out AFTER Gungrave the PS2 game. The gungrave anime tells the story of Brandon Heat (Beyond the Grave), his dealings in the syndicate Millenion, how he was killed, and the deal with his "best friend" Harry, the current boss of Millenion. The show also explains everything about the orcmen and the technology used to bring the dead back to life, "Necro-rise". The show takes place before the game untill episode 17.

I would recommend watching the show first (DVD volume 1 is out in america right now, but its available through fansub if you can find it.), and then playing the game.

A "must play game," but must own?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: October 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Forget what you've read about being about to beat this one blindfolded, it's just not true. In addition to offering the most frentic anti-hero action this side of DMC, Gungrave's massively sprawling levels will certainly require your full attention span, all 6 of them that is. Yep, there's the rub folks. Gungrave is awesome, no doubt, but is there enough to warrant a purchase?Featuring outstanding cel-shaded graphics and character designs by the folks behind the hit anime series "Trigun," Gungrave certainly doesn't lack personality. In fact, the whole game is presented like an anime, with an entertaining albeit disposible plot unfolding via slick cutscenes, all of which are in japanese and subtitled in english! Gameplay wise Gungrave could be called shallow. Essentially shoot everything on screen using your impossibly large twin pistols, "Cerberos." There is a little depth here, a decent combo system, unlockable special attacks, a shield system, but chances are you will hardly notice with all the insane violence on screen. In fact, the action can get so intense the game will at times suffer slight slowdown, but in all fairness this effect will probably help your gameplay more than hinder it.So what we have is an arcade game that falls into all of the arcade game trappings, it's graphically superb but too short and not extremely difficult. However, as my rating implies, its charming characters and music should entertain. Don't write this one off! For anime fans, a must own title, for everyone else, at least rent this one. After all, sometimes you just need a game where all you do is blow stuff up!

just fun...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: September 26, 2002
Author: Amazon User

this game is nothing more than an insane death march of pure mindless fun. there aren't any puzzles or tricks (like say ICO) nor does it offer slow paced strategic action (for example the mark of kri or way of the samurai). rather, gungrave focuses on good graphics and non-stop action. it is definately worth playing if you enjoy action games. if action isn't your cup of tea then your you'll probably want to avoid gungrave.

MADNESS

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 10, 2002
Author: Amazon User

If you love the simplicity of destroying everything in your sight, then this is the game for you. No need to think, just destroy. If you like tight graphics along with Anime, this is a definite buy. Again, this game gives you the simple things some of us enjoy, destruction.

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