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Fantastically complex control scheme may turn some away.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 15 / 15
Date: March 20, 2002
Author: Amazon User

GUNVALKYRIE, from Sega is a beautiful game, set in a fantastic electric-punk alternative 1800's world. The graphics are astonishingly beautiful, the action is fast and frenetic, and the missions are reasonably varied, and fun.

All this comes at a price, however.

In an effort to fully utilize the xbox's controller, Smilebit has come up with a control scheme that is as versatile as it is difficult to learn. While you'll be giggling with unabashed glee as you leap into the air, jump over an enemy, blast it to pieces, cartwheel to the side, turn to the left, and fill a handful of aliens full of lead (or whatever it is your gun shoots), all in the span of maybe half a second, and all in one fluid motion, it's not easy to get to the point where you're that familiar with the controls.

In essence, the left analog stick controls your body, and the right analog stick controls the direction your arms (and thus, gun) face. Left trigger jumps, right trigger shoots, face buttons switch weapons. But it's way more complex than that, because of the analog stick clicks, which add a whole new world of complexity to the controls. Click on the left stick and move, and you'll "boost dash", either forward, to the side, or backwards. Click on the left stick, and you'll change facing, in 90 degree increments, depending on which direction the stick's pointed in.

So, while you'll be able to execute that jump-dash forward-shoot-cartwheel-turn-shoot move, it'll require you to left trigger/left stick click forward/right trigger/left stick click right/right click stick left, all in sequence. Rewarding, but again, difficult.

Once you've invested the time, though, GV's an incredible experience. You'll start on the ground, running from the bugs, but by the end of the game, your feet won't even ever touch the ground.

A unique, fast-paced experience, full of interesting levels, and a really unique world. If you can deal with the difficult controls, you'll be well rewarded with an action game unlike anything ever made.

'one of the better action games I've played.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 10
Date: July 20, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I had never heard of GUNVALKYRIE (which I'll refer to as GV) before seeing it as a reccomendation here on Amazon when I got my Xbox. I read all the reviews, most of which complained like sissies over how the controls were confusing, or how the game got harder in the later parts. Well, don't listen to them. There's nothing hard or frustrating about GV, it's just a different game, and definately not for everyone. If the left trigger acting as 'jump' bugs you, then tough luck. I guess I can see how they annoy people since there isn't any other game that controls like GV, but it didn't bother me.

The plot doesn't really matter- most of your missions consist of clearing out all the enemies in a given area, or reaching an item at the end of the stage. But what's going on is a comet has passed the atmosphere, and causing havock. 'not that original, but this is an action game, so story isn't a priority. If you've seen Starship Troopers, or played Jet Force Gemini on the Nintendo 64, that's what GV is kind of like. But I use that comparison loosely. It's up to you to go through wave after wave of bugs. While shooting up your enemies, you'll be flying through the air doing flips and rolls to raise technique points which boost your score at the end. It's not necessary, but it adds to replay in getting an 'S' rank in every level.

You can also pick between two characters: Kelly and Saburouta. Kelly of course, is the faster of the two and more agile. She can fire her gun faster, but it's not as powerful as Sab's. Not at first anyway. She has access to more upgrades, and is the one that most first time players are going to use going through the game. Sab is the working horse, carrying a missile launcher which disposes of enemies with just one shot most of the time. Though it says that he's a "steel-nerved samurai" on the back of the box, he doesn't use his sword except during the animation of his special attack. If he did use his sword though, that would make for a cool challenge since he'd have to engage in very close combat. The game says he's better for experts, but that's not really true. He's just more clunky to use. Pick whoever you want though, since you can pick either one in just about every mission unless noted otherwise.

GV has a strange little customization deal going on. At the end of each level, you'll get a given number of points to buy upgrades for you weapons, armor, special attack gague, etc. But the thing is, they don't really matter. You can go through the game easily without upgrading once. One upgrade is to lock-on to more enemies, yet a lot of people who've played the game still don't get how to lock-on. You're better off spending your points on reserve energy, so if your health gets depleted, it'll refill completely so you can get back to capping everything.

The graphics are pretty sweet. The colors and textures are beautiful, and sometimes you'll stop just to see how well designed the levels are. Even simple things like small rooms in a shaft are full of detail. Leave it to Smilebit to put so much work into the graphics. I'm not disappointed one bit here. And loading times can't be more than 2 seconds. You go from the menu to game type select, to the mission, to your character, to the mission outline and *poof* there you are.

The music and sound effects are equally as great as the graphics. I got the soundtrack because the music was that good. Some levels have techno tracks, one has an ambient-jazz track, others have rock, and the final fight has one of the best last boss tracks I've ever heard. It was worth getting the soundtrack for that alone. The voice acting, for what little bits there were, was average. Not good, not bad. It's not laughable like the first Resident Evil on PSone, but sometimes lines are delivered blandly. But that doesn't matter, you only hear them in the beginning cutscene and the end for the most part.

There isn't a whole lot of replay value. You can easily go through the game in one sitting if you don't look for all the Halley Cores in the levels. But getting all the Halley Cores is fun, and unlocks Kelly's third costume. Hoo boy is that third costume something. It pretty much renders Saburouta useless. She can practically fly, lock on to tons of enemies, gets a stronger gun, and more. Plus the costume's kinda cool looking too. After beating the game once, a challenge mode is unlocked. This is where most of the replay is- you can go through any level with Sab or any form of Kelly. So the bosses that you had to use Kelly during the story mode can now be taken out with Sab. It's kinda sick how fast he can take some of them out with just a few lock-on missiles.

GV's faults? Looking around with the right thumbstick is sort of pointless because of how sensitive it is. You're better off just turning around completely most of the time. And like I already said, the game can be completed in one sitting. But the biggest thing is that if you're a casual gamer, you're more than likely going to hate GV. I'm not trying to sound biased toward the company, but this is probably best played by Sega fans, who know the company and what they've done in the past. That shouldn't stop you though, it'd be good to try a game as creative as this. Plus you just have to hear some of the music. I can't stress it enough.

You're better off getting GV elsewhere. I haven't seen it for more than $20 at any game store, and the Used & New prices here are pretty fair. Don't get this for your son or daughter if they're 14 or younger. They're likely to throw a fit over the controls not being familiar. Is GV for the "hardcore" gamer? Not really. It's just not for the casual gamer that spends most of their gaming time with Grand Theft Autos or Final Fantasy games. It's an action/shooter, plain and simple.

A Five Star game BUT...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: March 22, 2002
Author: Amazon User

It can be honestly said that GunValkyrie is visually stunning. It's anime style graphics will please all. It is definately an XBOX only game (too graphically intense for PS2 and the controls were obviously designed with the XBOX controller in mind only).

The game centers around an alternate reality, where the British Empire controls much of Earth, thanks to a British scientist discovering how to harness the energy residue from Haley's Comet in the 1900s. After the scientist (his name escapes me at the moment) and the inhabitants of a colonized planet disappear, two GunValkyrie are sent to investigate.

The game itself plays out like Halo meets Starship Troopers, where you battle it out with a variety of giant insect swarms in 20 or so missions.

And now for the "BUT"

This game is NOT for everyone. It has a very high learning curve in respect to player movement - and I mean a HIGH LEARNING CURVE. All 6 buttons, both thumb sticks, and both triggers are used heavily. Once you get the hang of it, a lot of the game will remind you of classic NES games, where you have to make a long series of timed jumps (actually, they're jet-pack boosts). This wouldn't be so bad, if you did not have to start the mission over again - from the beginning - if you die (try jumping from small platform to small platform in a 3D environment while giant mosquitos are dropping bombs on you in one life!). Another way it will remind you of old NES games is that after every mission, you can "buy" power-ups.

Another intersting aspect of the game is how unforgiving it is if you don't walk, fly, and fight in the manner the game expects you to do. You will find yourself boosting all over the place to avoid swarms of giant insects to survive - mess up, and it's back to the beginning.

As I stated, this game is not for everyone. If you thought moving your character in other games was finicky, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Once you learn how to navigate, the game is incredibly fun and fluid. I think it is one of the best games ever made, but there will be a lot of people who will disagree because of the difficulty in learning how to play.

Very challenging and a lot of fun!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: March 14, 2003
Author: Amazon User

First of all, I am not a typical gamer. I'm a 38 year old mother of two who hasn't really played video games since my Atari days back in my teens (which I was pretty good back then). So when we bought an Xbox last month I didn't think I'd get much use out of it. The first game I played was Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I absolutely loved it!! The second game is GunValkyrie! I think it's a blast! I haven't had any trouble at all with the controls and I don't get what all the complaining is about. I followed the instructions in the beginning (the first level, you get pop ups that tell you how to do things). When I knew I needed to learn how to fly, I read the instruction manual and just practiced it until I got it. There is a big pit in the second level where you need to fly and I practiced a lot in that area and had some fun zooming all over the place. I read that another reviewer also suggests this and I think it is a good time to hone your skills.

I think the graphics are very good in this game. The sky looks really cool and when you look up at the sun you get solar glare. I haven't really noticed the music that some people have complained about at all.

This game is really challenging and you do get frustrated when you have to start a level all over again because you died but it is also fun trying to figure out how to get through each level. Yes, at times I'm ready to throw my control at the TV but I'd be bored stiff if the game was too easy. Just today I had a timed level where you are assigned to kill a specific species and I had 30 minutes to do it in and I had done this level a whole bunch of times and have gotten better each time but this last time I ran out of time a few seconds away from victory!! Not looking forward to doing it again but when I complete it I'll be thrilled!!

I suggest though because others have said that the controls are hard to figure out to rent the game first and give it a try.

Unjustly maligned controls

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: October 09, 2002
Author: Amazon User

There are people who claim that all games should have simple, intuitive, pick-up-and-play control schemes. While I agree that simple and familiar controls are obviously a plus, some games, such as GunValkyrie, involve innovative mechanics which neccessitate controls that are complex and unprecedented and require some effort on the part of the player to learn how to use them properly. The impatient gamer will fumble around for a few minutes, stop playing out of frustration, and delcare that the game stinks. The more dedicated will take the time to familiarize themselves with the controls and the mechanics until they have a firm grasp on them.

A lot of people who dislike GV bemoan the fact that the dual joysticks are used to the exclusion of the face buttons. They see this as a design flaw. On the contrary, rather than a flaw, it's an utter necessity in order to facilitate the game play. In a way, GunValkyrie is like an updated version of Robotron 2084. It's all about moving in one direction while aiming and shooting in another. As Robotron proved 20 years ago, the best way to do this is by using dual joysticks. The game involves so much constant manuvering and shooting, there's just no feasible way to relegate any of the controls to the face buttons. If they did, you'd have to remove your thumb from the right joystick, and that would immediately sever your control of the character. There's just no other way to allow the player to launch into the air, jet horizontally over an enemy to get a clear shot at its weak point, and then aim down to fire at it. GV's controls are innovative and empowering to the point that they deserve an award.

All of that said, this game is indeed challenging. But the difficulty doesn't come from poor design or merely being "cheap". It's just an excellent update of the good old fashioned arcade style shooter that requires patience, practice and skill.

Beautiful graphics, by the way!

Porcupines and Butterflies

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: March 19, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Originally slated by Sega for release on the Dreamcast (and to have used a controller in conjunction with a light gun!), GunValkyrie is the type of game that is becoming rare these days: a skill-based, challenging, unique experience. But it adds superb graphics and sound, and some of the best videogame art found in the current generation.

It wasn't Halo that sold me on the Xbox (although it's a fantastic game in its own right), but Sega's steampunk bug-shooter with the bizarre and perfect control setup.

It's intentionally ironic, I think, that the "A" button - often the primary button for most games - has no game-based function in GunValkyrie. Smilebit (the Sega team that developed GV) has introduced an ingenious control scheme that's one of the best things to happen in the 128-bit era. Simple, yet demanding, especially when combined with the devious level designs of the planet Tir na Nog. Contrary to what others may say, GV's controls are NOT terrible. They do exactly what they're supposed to do, with no lag between input and execution. What the doomsayers mean is that the controls are UNFAMILIAR. Smilebit throws you into the middle of hordes of enemies, with tiny platforms to navigate, daring you to complete the obstacles. Much like MDK2, GV starts tough and quickly gets tougher, but in doing so, it causes you to adapt and grow, to the point where you are regularly maxing the boost combo meter without even thinking about it, rarely touching the ground. That is the sign of inspired game design. With dedication and patience, anyone can learn the controls, and the payoff is an "in-the-zone" feeling, along with a dazzling midair ballet as you deal matchlock cannon and drive-gun death to the insectoid minions.

And what visuals there are. The animation for all characters is astounding, and the boss creatures are awe-inspiring, horrific, and memorable. Small details, like how your character absorbs the recoil of gunfire, are everywhere. The best part of the graphics, however, are the levels themselves. The Valley levels teem with organic, pulsating life, uplifting air currents, and remarkable skylines. The Civilian Base halls sport alien, yet familiar architecture, with huge gears and semi-transparent doors. The real winner is Naglfar's Pit, a mile-high acid-filled gorge with drifting lights, multiple platforms, and an odd, almost underwater ripple effect to everything, along with a haunting music-box soundtrack and insane ramblings from...well, I'll leave that to you to discover.

GunValkyrie combines the best aspects of the shooting, platforming, and adventure genres into one incredible experience, adds a heavy dose of much-needed innovation, and tops it off with a perfectly realized, surreal atmosphere, polishing everything to a hypnotic shine. Some may argue that once you learn the controls, the game becomes simple, and while that's true in part, the joy is in the journey, not necessarily the destination. Getting "S" rankings on all missions will take some time as well! Sega is one of the gaming industry's last real pioneers, and it's good to know that they're still around. Microsoft also gets a nod for taking a chance on this kind of title on a relatively new console.

Anyone looking for something a little different, or a serious challenge, owes it to themselves to try GunValkyrie. Gems like this are becoming precious few.

Outstanding!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: April 08, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I'll cut right to the chase: GV is an incredible game. Yes, it features a bizarre control scheme that seems to be asking you to "wax on / wax off" an awful lot at first but it all makes sense later. You have to divorce yourself from the idea that you're playing a standard, run around and shoot things game. Instead, you're playing a fly around and shoot things game. Learning to fly is quite difficult, but once you get there it provides for an incredibly unique, truly three dimensional gaming experience. Playing GV is like performing a martial art: you will be weak at first but as you go along you will slowly morph into a master and literally float like like a butterfly and sting like a main battle tank.

Some words of warning though: GV is difficult...OK, really difficult...OK, incredibly, insanely hard. It is a throwback to the days of video games that don't hold your hand. If you aren't the patient sort or if you just enjoy rolling over the opposition like a juggernaut, GV may not be for you. Also, it is lacking some features that should be standard these days. Halo has shown us the way and GV really begs for a split screen cooperative mode and a deathmatch mode (GV deathmatches would be just awesome). You also cannot go back and replay levels you've already beaten just for the heck of it, there are no controller configuration options, and there is only one difficulty setting. It is these ommissions which keep the game from recieving the five stars it really should have. Hopefully they fix all this in the sequel. (Smilebit: there will be a sequel, right? Please!)

Fun, Challenging, and Innovative -- should be 4.5 Stars

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: March 31, 2002
Author: Amazon User

The game is more deserving than a 4 but not quite a 5 (which should only be earned by spectacular titles like Halo), however this is a *very* good game.

I almost did not buy this game because of the reviews that places like GamePro and GameSpot gave this game, but I decided to buy it after reading the Reader Reviews, where most people give this game a 8.5 (out of 10) or higher -- very accurate.

This game is fun. Its hard to learn, but its incredibly fun. After you learn the moves you can you can do some *amazing* moves that I have never seen in the game, and gamers should reward Smilebit for coming up with an original game. Sure the controls are unique, but so what -- why play just another third-person shooter? Instead Smilebit offers a creative and imaginative challenging game. Spend a bit of time learning the controls and you will be rewarded with a hard (but not impossible) game that is just non-stop action.

My suggestion, if you like games that are a challenge (again we are not talking impossibly hard) and has non-stop action, buy this game -- it is high recommended.

Fun, but test it first

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: March 20, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Gun Valkyrie is a very fun "blast'em" style game. The graphics are very good, frame-rate is very good, the story is a little weak, but that's not the object of the game anyway.

The controls take some getting used to. If you like traditional third person controls, and refuse to accept anything else, this game is not for you. Getting used to the new scheme does take some time, but works well once you get the hang of it, literally. The boosts and the jumps are very awkward at first, but are logical if you don't approach it with a pre-set notion of how controls normally work. As with all video games, I strongly urge consumers to test the game first, either on the in-store demo, or as a rental before buying. I really enjoy playing this game.

This game is tough!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 02, 2002
Author: Amazon User

When I picked up this game, I was looking for a challenge, and I sure got one! This game is quite challenging, and will give you many hours of fun play.

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