Xbox Series X/S Review: Gungrave G.O.R.E

Is this game as grave as it sounds?

In Gungrave G.O.R.E, play the gun-wielding badass anti-hero of your dreams as you mow down tons of enemies in a gory ballet of bullets and experience a story of vengeance, love and loyalty, all in a beautiful third-person action shooter, combining the best that Eastern and Western game design have to offer. As the titular Gunslinger of Resurrection, you become the badass anti-hero of your dreams, an ultimate killing machine, brutalising your foes without mercy. Taking cover and retreating is not an option for Grave, he only ever goes full steam ahead, preferably right through his enemies. Stylish third-person shooting meets close-range martial arts, creating seamlessly flowing action as you crush your enemies in a gory ballet of bullets. Utilise your unlimited ammo Cerberus pistols and your transformable EVO-coffin to unleash devastating combos in pursuit of maximum damage and style.

I can’t say that I had actually heard of the Gungrave series prior to this game, but G.O.R.E does have a substantial “catch-up” video in its main menu which is incredibly lengthy, but does more than enough to get you up to speed with the series, if you so wish. The gameplay itself feels a bit like Devil May Cry, but its design with similar locations and enemies feels incredibly old-school. After playing it for a few moments, you’ll know what the rest of the game will be like, it’s sadly that predictable and repetitive.

That’s not to say its terrible, it just feels like a relic compared to other games like it. I will say that I’m not a huge fan of having to carry a giant coffin on my back though, it makes Grave’s movement incredibly slow and clunky, at least for me. Enemies pop out of different positions throughout each area, but you’ll have a fair idea that they will do that even before reaching it. The weapons do feel satisfying to use, but the repetitive nature of the game does sink in very quickly as a result of the game’s design, so it’s fun factor does drift away rapidly.

It’s a game that almost feels stuck in the past with its almost PS2 level design with visuals that feel about two generations old and with gimmicky moments that it didn’t really need, the framerate seemed solid though. That being said, there are some good moments when it comes to the Boss fights and the over-the-top cutscenes. The soundtrack is also pretty impressive, while voice-acting is about as cheesy as you can get, but in an almost amusing way.

The Verdict

Gungrave G.O.R.E is a repetitive relic of a game, but it does have its moments that can be fun for those who enjoy old-school third-person shooters of the past. I would definitely give it a try at least through Game Pass (which it is currently on at time of writing) to see if it scratches your particular itch.

Score: 6.0