Posted by Marcus Sellars follow him on Twitter
Azure Striker Gunvolt was originally on the Nintendo 3DS in August of 2014 with all the great reviews that followed its launch Inti creates decided to make a sequel which released in september 2016. Both games had great reviews and are now on the Nintendo switch in a 2 pack. The Gunvlot series is an action-platform that is based along the lines of mega man a long running series which has seen a decline in games in the recent years. I think Gunvolt has totally revamped this genre and put its own twist with unique mechanics. With action games its all about the game-play and this is where Gunvolt is strongest. It is a 2D platformer but introduces a fun power which is best described as an electrical attack that encapsulates you in an electrical ball damaging anything in its path. This unique attack makes you feel very powerful but not to the point that the game becomes easy because all the enemies are tasked with destroying you and that is what will happen.
You will die frequently or at least a few times in each stage this is either because of obstacles that occur or new enemy types that you are encountering for the first time. If you are struggling however the general rule of thumb is to shoot your gun and turn the enemy purple thenunleash your powerful energy onto it. Nonetheless the HD rumble feels immense in the palms of your hand as you float about the stage striking adversaries that await your wrath. If that doesn’t feel cool maybe the story line does which is another key component of the franchise. All the games have Japanese voice acting with English subtitles which makes it so much more authentic being a Japanese made game. Azure Striker Gunvolt is set during an unspecified date in the near future, in which several people called “adepts” have developed “septimal powers”. These powers enable superhuman feats including flight, the use of powerful energy weapons, and manipulation of the elements like fire, water, and electricity. You are tasked with keeping peace and order but most importantly to not let the septimal powers into the wrong hands. This Pack also includes all the DLC from both the initial releases on the 3DS so if you’ve already played them there is new stuff to do and updated graphics. Both the games play similarly but keep it fresh with intuitive bosses and a cool plot. Speaking of bosses they are awesome! Gunvlot has some of the best bosses I have seen in gaming. They all bring something new to the table and lead you to figuring out a unique way to defeat them.
The bosses are well animated and the dialogue is quite great. The bosses are the truly best I’ve seen in recent years and my favorite part to both of the games. Not to say that the core game-play is not up to par the game has a fun build up to each of the bosses. The graphics are upgraded from the 3DS versions but they aren’t a true upgrade they still look slightly pixelated but still look very good. The controls are very tight and you will not have a single issue when dashing, shooting and electrifying people. For a platformer you always need spot on controls to quickly jump on small edges and between enemies so its great that Gunvolt has accurate controls. The audio and sound effects are also stellar they fit hand in hand with the HD rumble when you’re shooting and zapping your foes. In terms of replay-ability there is loads of content all the DLC and lots and lots of hidden collectibles spread throughout each stage you play.
Overall Azure Striker Gunvolt is a masterpiece and is well worth its price tag. However its digital only at the moment but a retail version is planned soon.
