Gungrave G.O.R.E Review - Misunderstood and Delightful (and A Little Janky)

Gungrave G.O.R.E Review - Misunderstood and Delightful (and A Little Janky). Some things never change lol. Gungrave G.O.R.E is currently taking an absolute beating among mainstream game critics and on steam and both of these factors combine probably mean most players will disregard it as a bad game at this point. However, in my experience playing the game, I could not disagree more with this assessment. I'm not one to sugar coat my reviews, so I will definitely acknowledge the game is kinda of janky and needs more polish with some details, but in this review I really want to dig into the core design of the game which I think is solid. Not only that, but I also feel that many criticisms of the game among modern action game reviewers/fans are actually strengths, so to me it seems like games with weaker level and combat design, like Bayonetta 3 and Sifu, are being rewarded as "masterpieces" by places like IGN and Nintendo Life and games with much stronger level design, like Gungrave, are being punished as "outdated."
Right now Gungrave is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox One, and PC/Steam. and if you really dig the game, you can play the earlier titles in the series, Gungrave and Gungrave Overdose on PS2. Also shout out to the Gungrave Anime, which is one of my favorites btw.
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[@ToastyCubes]

So here's the crazy thing about this game: You're actually meant to play it all the way through on Easy, then Medium, then Hard and then finally Gore difficulty. The reason for this is because you get a specific upgrade for each clear that will then assist you with the next one. They don't make you stronger but do things like increase your guns' fire rate and make it easier to fill up the demolition shot gauge. Once you beat the game on Gore, you get an entirely different version of Grave where he is souped-up and has an increased movement speed. So then the game essentially tells you, hey! If you're having trouble chaining entire levels, see how you do with this guy. But then they throw a curveball, because as it turns out the chaining mechanic can be cheesed by using the right upgrades. For instance, you can use a skill which is like bullet time, perform a dodge roll into a group of enemies, and use another skill which can literally give you 100+ "Beats" per second. This works on bosses too, and I even managed to glitch a pair of baddies in the tutorial stage into an infinite heath state to get my chain to OVER 9000 (not kidding) before they just despawned. In theory - and I haven't tried this yet - you can also delevel Grave and only upgrade a few select skills, then go into a lower difficulty and try for an S rank there. This is probably the only game I have ever played where getting a perfect rank on Easy is actually more of a challenge, because the enemies die quicker. One final note that barely anyone has mentioned about G.O.R.E. is that it was in development hell for like 5 years before coming out. In South Korea, it's very hard for a retail console game to receive funding or publishing rights, since the government literally incentivizes gacha and cash shop MMOs. Iggymob planned for it be open-world at first but changed at the last second, and I think the game ended up amazing as a result. Watching your recent review of Wanted: Dead made me realize we're in a weird phase of gaming right now where if a localized game isn't up to par with what the West wants, many people will trash it without letting it bake in the oven. G.O.R.E. is an extremely niche game all things considered but I would easily say it's the best thing I played last year. EDIT: And I really can't stress enough, the beat system IN AND OF ITSELF is what makes G.O.R.E. so much fun, even more so than the old PS2 games. I literally can't think of anything that is like it, where the environment, enemies and your entire skillset come together for a kind of pseudo score attack vibe. It's kind of like those old musou games, where even if you don't get much for it you're always incentivized to K.O. 1000 dudes per scenario.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

What an awesome comment! What s really fun is that since this review I did clear the game on gore mode and have been playing as Brandon heat, and it s a ton of fun. I ve been thinking about doing an abridged commentated playthrough on the channel :-)

[@Mister_Don888]

Does the game tell you this?

[@soulhammer]

Thank you for a level headed and actual REVIEW! It's so difficult to find content creators who actually talk about a game's y'know...gameplay and not some summary nonsense that tells you literally nothing about the product. I'm a huge fan of the previous 2 Gungraves back on the ps2 so will defo pick this up eventually over the holiday period! Thanks

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I'm glad to hear it my friend! yeah it's honestly pretty crazy how surface a lot of game reviews have become, where they hardly ever focus on how the game is put together and just talk about information that used to be printed in the games manual ha.

[@stanislavkimov2779]

Most reviewers indeed only care to say what the wide audience wants to hear. So their reviews are worthless. They encourage mediocrity.

[@MasterChief1117-g8z]

​@@TheElectricUndergroundAre the old Gungraves on PS2 good at all ?

[@KAOTICUPRISE]

The game is deeper than some critics give it credit for. It's extremely replayable. Glad to see Grave back!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Absolutely my friend, it really reminds me of StarFox Zero where you can tell that the critics wanted it to play it in a way not intended (as a melee based character action) and since the game isn't giving them that, 6/10 ha.

[@zenksren8206]

@@TheElectricUnderground Lair on PS3 was intended to be played with the Sixaxis, being intentional doesn't make it good

[@dedecoVGMDJ]

@@zenksren8206 it was actually not, it was forced on the devs by the sony suits! the patch for analog controls was Factor 5's real intention. John Lineman from DF mentioned it at some point

[@DiegoTan66]

"deeper" haha, perhaps as deep as the hole in your brain that dictated you to write these words out.

[@kaishmuper]

Remember playing the 2nd game on ps2 and thinking "omg, the stages are designed to do full chaining like its doj, i love it!" Glad this series is still the same at it's core.

[@segatouringcar3738]

totally agree! I'm sure no review has noticed that detail about full chaining xD

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah exactly ha! I was having DDP flashbacks as I played, even using some chaining and linking tricks that I learned in Dodonpachi

[@CrowScareify]

Picked up this game because of this review and I’m loving it. The developers have even added stuff to the game and patched in auto fire as well as patching other areas. It’s a really fun game that other people act like is the like the worst game they’ve ever played and it’s bewildering to me. Thanks for being a real one Mark

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I'm so glad to hear that my friend, i played the game so much that I beat the entire thing on GORE mode and unlocked brandon heat, which is so awesome! Also yeah the devs have done a lot of cool patches and stuff.

[@aeugnewtype]

This game was so damn good. I couldn’t stop playing as soon as I started and kept playing for like 3 days until I completed all the achievements. It’s small faults do nothing to knock down just how fun it is. It’s pretty rare to see any reviews from people who actually understand what this game is and what it’s trying to accomplish.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I feel the same way, I just got it again for the Xbox x :-) I feel a cult classic on the making here. Hope they bring some dlc to the mix later on :-)

[@foxstomp4016]

I didn't even know this game existed, but have fond memories of the first Gungrave on the PS2. Glad you brought my attention to this one, and really appreciate your review style.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

This one definitely snuck under the radar! I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the review and my approach to talking about games like this, it's less typical because I come from a background of discussing arcade games and so concepts like level design and combat design are not really brought up in mainstream game reviews much.

[@foxstomp4016]

@@TheElectricUnderground it's really refreshing to see actual mechanics and systems and how they mesh together being discussed. That's the kind of thing I feel like you usually have to trawl online for a while to find, so it's great to see it in video form, where the points can be really demonstrated. Also, for what it's worth, I really liked your observation about mainstream preferences leaning towards "RPG-ifying" game genres; that's something I've been feeling for a while now, and is nice to hear somebody else bring up.

[@jeremy123577]

At this point if the game isn't open world, has souls like combat, isn't 50 to 80 hrs long or is literally a movie then people will hate it. Yet I'm over here enjoy wanted:dead or any high action game with a short run time ie we need more games like bayo 1 but with bayo 3 menu options. Here's my list of some amazing I've played that aren't super long 1) plague tale: requiem: stealth/story base 2)hi-fi rush CAG with rhythm tech 3) wanted:dead 4)Bayo1 5)vanquish

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Excellent list my dude! Also gotta add some godhand to the list too :-)

[@jeremy123577]

@@TheElectricUnderground I need to get my hands on godhand

[@Naruxos07]

"Repetitive" is a red flag for reviews. It's such an easy scapegoat for reviewers for when they don't have anything else to critique. They'll claim that a game is repetitive as something bad without explaining why a game is repetitive. It's an action game. It's an arcade style action game. It's rarely fun when an action game does anything other than action. Nowadays, it feels like devs are introducing variety, like the space harrier sections in Bayo 2, for the sake of appealing to these reviewers.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Agreed!!! Repetitive is a toss away blanket critique, it communicates nothing really. Is repetitive bad? Is it good? It depends on the context of course and the reviews for this game have just cast it off casually without trying to articulate beyond vague statements like linear or repetitive

[@Psych0boost]

>game is called GUNGrave Gore Reviewers: wtf the melee combat sucks It also bothers me how "linear" is such a common lazy buzzword for critics nowadays when so many games that are regarded as the best of all time are also linear

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Exactly psychoboost, I think the reviews glossed over the game without even trying to engage in it s combat or try to understand the level design. The fact that you use the environment to chain together combos isn't even mentioned

[@hobbyisthermit2275]

I found time for the game a couple days ago and it's insane how there's been two significant game-altering patches only 15 days out from release. The Iggymob community managers and devs have gone further than nearly any other company these days to polish their game post-release, especially when you consider that the extra dev time and fees for submitting patches aren't cheap. If one or two more big patches drop, it would be interesting to see a brief retrospective on how the gameplay changed and on what Iggymob managed to do differently than most other developers - and may be even mention some of the obfuscated extra costs for a balanced take - if a slow/dry content spell allows it. Thanks again for highlighting the game's merits and getting it on my radar. While the game doesn't have the deepest mechanics, there's still plenty to learn and it's clear that there's still more to understand (there's a tutorial video out now that explains how under-utilized and useful the Storm Barrage skills and Burst Mode are, and how much easier the difficult areas of the game become once you understand how to use them). The scoring system is also strict enough, and the enemy/level layouts varied enough, that it feels I always have something more I can improve even when grinding out stages for upgrades. My only major gripe is how frustrating it can be to reliably understand which environmental objects are destructible, most notably that some objects you can destroy in one stage may be indestructible in the next. It's also a shame how clunky and neglected the charge shot feels now that Iggymob is patching in more ways to break shields and control crowds. Gungrave GORE's focus on arcade-like mechanics and design isn't to everyone's tastes, but it suits mine and I don't regret dropping the full $50 on it. It'll be great company during the holidays.

[@leoap87]

I had no idea this game was in development until about 3 weeks before release. I beat the game a couple days ago and still can't believe a LEGIT Gungrave was released. Loved the game and glad to see a reviewer who gets it.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Absolutely!! I had the exact same experience ha

[@neoyaku]

Same lol

[@cancer4cure483]

This is funny, considering that games like this has more replayability value. When something like God of Bore you play ones and never touch this thing again.

[@Mingodough]

New god of war is literally designed around DSP one of the worst gamers. Enough said

[@aureateseigneur5317]

@@Mingodough That's literally not true. Stop misusing the word literally. Thank you.

[@Agamembar]

A good point, going back to get better scores on a level is become a rarer thing these days, its one of the most easy replay options to do too, You know the game better go back, maybe carrying upgrades, and 'do better' (pun intended haha)

[@aureateseigneur5317]

@@Agamembar Unfortunately most people don't see score as a motivator to go back to the game. They need more then Digit Counter go Brrrrrrrrrrrr. We unfortunately need to realize that we are easy to please in the realm of replay value in a video game.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Exactly cure! I recorded the footage for the review for 4 hours two days ago and then decided, you know what I can improve the footage and re recorded everything for another 4 hours with a smile on my face. The game is just damn fun to play, and I can absolutely see myself popping it in regularly for a long time. Whereas those cinema games you play once and never want to sit through again, if you can even get through them once.

[@magicjohnson3121]

A game comes out with no walking sections, unlocking upgrades and is focused on it’s core combat and of course critics hate it.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Could not have said it better myself Magic LOL

[@Mingodough]

Gotta dunk on those critics. Even if you’re on your death bed, respect

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Ha it's my medicine

[@dez87]

This shit is ass

[@gavingetsit]

ive silently watched all of your content over time and just wanna encourage you to keep it up i know you dont get the traction you should sometimes but I hope you are having fun! keep IT UP!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Hi there! That's really cool you are leaving a comment, I am always happy to hear from viewers who normally don't comment :-) yeah my style of youtubing feels kind of against the grain in terms of getting wider popularity lol, but I like the idea that I'm at least building up a core audience that get a perspective that they're not going to find other places :-)

[@lazorsbear7068]

Nice to see the comparision with Red Dead Revolver. Love that game, for me it was basically a 3d Sunset Riders. Then Rockstar released Redemption and i almost slept while playing (story is cool though).

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah the shift in gameplay and design from red dead revolver to redemption was lame. Revolver had a fun story too I think :-)

[@mattoubatou]

I actually love that there are these great combat focused action games this Gen that are getting overlooked. They are the games that are selling REALLY cheap at your local game trade-in stores and eBay for physical copies. They will be looked back on in years to come as hidden gems for sure.

[@xephyrexe5246]

I actually am having a lot of fun with the melee seeing how majority of the skill unlocks are melee combo additions. When it comes to shooters I like having a melee option and this game really makes you feel like a stylish badass when you twirl your cannon around.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I've been playing the crap out of this game since the review ha. I'm super close to unlocking brandon heat and getting a GORE mode clear. I'll very likely do a follow up vid soon.

[@Polychi1998]

@@TheElectricUnderground please do! You actually convinced me to buying the game!

[@MrDirkles]

As someone who falls asleep playing modern mainstream games i think game reviews should include the heart rate of the player/reviewer whilst playing. I don't want to spend hours and hours walking from point A to point B doing idiotic tasks. What i do want is a game that is an exciting linear/arcade experience.

[@PedroFerreira-sx2gd]

Mass media forgets what is a action game in true sense. For me a good action game must be frenetic without pauses for story, exploration. in that sense gungrave is a true action game. Unfortunaly i don´t like games focused in gun shots.i like closed ranged combat and in that sense this game did not satisfied me (played the game yesterday), altough is much better than god of war and tmnt. Mass media likes easy games with big technology and story (i am a type of guy that skips all cutscenes). More important than having different enemyes is having enemyes with distinct and different game mechanics. Many games have different enemyes but all of them have the same behavior. One topic (not sure if applyed to this game, i did not play enough)that i never see being discussed in action games is the method of earning new moves. Sometimes is grinding for experience or money, other times is having a requirement based on skill (that unfortunaly not everybody possess). i hate most of the methods. for me action games should have all moves unlocked from the beggining.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah this one is truly a real action game, I actually said it out loud as I played ha. I did say "oh shit this is a real game" by stage 3, it kind of blew my mind a bit. Yeah this won't be for everyone as it is a specific style of action that involves shooting and shooting and shooting ha. Also I agree 100% about move unlocks, toss that crap. Instead what the devs should do is have stage specific upgrades, like in the later stages you get specific weapons or upgrades for that stage as a special section, I think that would work so much better.

[@Galaxy40k]

This review single handedly put this game on my radar. It sounds like a ton of fun! Like arcade game design philosophy in 3D. We don't get many games like that, for that novelty alone I wanna try it. It's on Games Pass too, so I'm installing it right now! haha

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I m glad to hear that! The game is really fun, the recent patches really help too

[@Bowserdorf]

I love how the game feels like it never left the mid 2000s in game design and how soundtrack feels like it never left the early 10s with how much it uses dubstep without guilt. Just feels like designers making a game without any desire to follow modern trends and staying true to that core.

[@bombjack2413]

Interactive movie 10/10 best ‘game’ ever. Actual game 6/10 - no slow paced interactive movie elements.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Sad but true assessment of review ecosystem right now :-(

[@lite0wl]

Thanks for the excellent review. It's very validating and encouraging to see these kinds of breakdowns. Too many action games get these same cookie cutter criticisms for being linear or repetitive because they want action games to be an "experience" instead of a video game. They criticize games for not being what they want them to be rather than trying to figure out what they are. It's obvious reading (some) of the Gungrave reviews that the point of the game went completely over their head, which means they simply failed the review. I think a lot of reviewers just treat games they aren't interested in this like a 9 to 5 job. Bayonetta 3 is one of my all time favorite games, i think it's innovative and excellent, but I still like your review of it because it's a genuine critique from another perspective and the way a lot of media and fans view action games is getting very stale.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah it is interesting how little of a games actual combat design is discussed in reviews, it s almost always just relegated to a simple sentence like "great combat" ha

[@gfslamguitar]

I played it before I watched any of the reviews and I expected everyone to love it like I do. Boy, was I wrong. I was so confused on the hate.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I thought the same thing!! I thought the game would be perhaps divisive among critics, where places like eurogamer might appreciate it, but nope. Everyone in total unison as usual.

[@gfslamguitar]

@@TheElectricUnderground its such a bummer. The people they could potentially turn away from a game that could bring them back to the golden era of games in this style. Like, it feels like a modernized and more comfortable Gungrave. That's what I wanted! Unfortunately, modern gaming doesn't seem to care as much for scoring style game mechanics unless it's pvp.

[@woolion]

I don't understand how this can be anything except a negative review as it suffers from a lot of what Mark considers cardinal sins of modern game design: - bloated game length. Most levels don't bring anything, it is at least twice too long. - everything is meter. Health meter, shield meter, demolition shot meter, barrage meter. - 90% of the moveset is locked behind grinding. After one hard playthrough, there's no way to have enough game currency to buy most of the options, unless you sacrifice the bullet damage and other stats which are far more useful. - difficulty that can be changed through menu at any point (because they weren't sure about balance) Most of the "difficulty" (or deaths) are due to the boss having one-shot attacks, so first time encountering them usually kills. For the final boss, his "laser rain" attack killed me twice (the second time it looked like a janky hitbox) but that was it. The slog of going through this don't make me want to try for the gore difficulty (also locked btw). The game isn't actually difficult in any particular way other than just being oppressively boring. So yeah. Slow movement, bad gamma (seriously), stupid cutscenes for a nonexistent story, etc etc. I regret not picking up PS2 Gungrave instead.

[@Agamembar]

This is a great review, I was a fan of the first game back in the PS2 days and I was well aware of what the G.O.R.E should be like and they went exactly like they should. This is a gungrave game through and through, try to keep your chain going for as long as possible and hammer the shoot button. My only complaint is that I like the more manga/comic art style from before but the new style is growing on me.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah it is crazy how faithful it is the original series design. for most reviewers, this is a huge faux pas because games like this shouldn't be made anymore or something ha. Small contained levels and a laser focus on combat ... unbelievable! Where are the mini games and the rpg mechanics?!

[@HAZZARD2099]

This is why you should never go to the AAA news media (Or Noisy Pixel, as they TRY Hard to basically be the IGN of indie game reviewers, and a LOT of their reviews and opinions are dogshit, mostly due to trying to copy IGN by hiring many different writers and reviewers, to the point a LOT of their reviews end up so bad that they have fired writers/reviewers and then laughed about it in their comments like it doesn't leave a stain on their reputation) reviews for hardcore action games. They have proven time and time again that they are not capable of handling and properly playing hardcore and AA/indie games (As long as they aren't some shitty casual dime a dozen 2D platformer/metroidvania). Sadly they have made game after game fail sales wise and financially by manipulating the opinions from their mass market to make them stay away from the games or even outright hate them without actually ever playing it. This exact thing is happening once again with Wanted Dead. Kids, don't make your purchases based SOLEY on reviewers. If the game looks cool to you and interests you, buy it. Have a backbone and stop letting casual morons scare you away from lower budget and harder games. Also, sorry to correct this reviewer but this is a Character Action Shooter, its a subgenre of Character Action Games, some titles that belong in its genre is Gungrave, Vanquish, Devils Third, Wanted Dead, and Evil West. EDIT: Forgot to say props to you reviewer, except for giving 1 minor and hardly relevant piece of misinformation on the games genre, you made a great review that perfectly broke down this game. Also, when you said this game reminds you of a PS2 game, that's because this is a DIRECT SEQUEL to a PS2 Character Action Shooter series, there were 2 games for it on PS2 and it even got an anime adaption of the games. And pretty much every mechanic and the core combat is almost entirely the same as those PS2 games. Have a great day man!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Exactly Hazzard, great timing cuz I have a review for wanted dead coming out tomorrow and I talk about this :-)

[@kurtblacklake]

The PS2 gungrave have charge shot with buffer and the recovery of it is dodge cancelable, so I think taking it off feels hella bad, but the game overall is fun and just needs some polish to be great.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah it s a shift in playstyle somewhat, so far I don't mind the new charge shot system though:-)

[@nilkilnilkil]

I have to say bro, I do not like the visual style of this game ...

[@zenksren8206]

The PS2 games looked a million times better, my dislike for them aside

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I think it s a little bland, but not bad or anything. Could be better, but still solid I think

[@Polychi1998]

Hey! You think you can do a review of Gun Grave Gore DELUXE EDITION? It adds new characters new improved gameplay and run and shoot mode.

[@orangemegaslide]

Another solid review, and I'm very interested. Also a follow up from the Bayonetta 3 review - as I let the game marinate, the heavy skewed ratio of combat to non combat instances, really did ultimately sour me on wanting to replay it. The side missions and trials, just weren't enough to balance the ratio back to personal action and action/rpg expectations.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Thank you orange! And yeah bayo 3 as time as goes on is going to sour, those 10/10 were much too hasty ha

[@theghuardianlegend]

Nice critique / defense. This has me wanting to see what you think about Callisto Protocol, especially where pacing, environments, and combat are concerned. Keep up the good work.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Thank you very much lorin!

[@598gh]

I love character action games and old school action games in general. From the moment I started Gungrave G.O.R.E, I knew I'd love it. I just can't get over how dense and deep everything is, from the chaining system to the enemy and level design. It somehow feels like a PS2 game in the best possible way, and I love it.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

My feelings exactly ha! I love the PS2 era game design so it felt so refreshing to me to get right into the gameplay no bloat

[@Polychi1998]

Heads up! A update just came in and you can activate *Cell Shaded* mode! They also improved the train level’s checkpoint system!

[@alexandermckay9521]

The train stage actually looks really fun haha. Makes me want to play it.

[@GabrielPhelanLucas]

I'm a fan of the series, but so far this is underwhelming. I find the games stages could have been cut in half because the mid stages are just filler with too big a gap between bosses. You only play as Bunji and Quartz once which is a waste, they should be fully playable or have more unique stages. You didn't mention them also, what did you think of them? The first game was a brisk 6 stages each with unique enemy types per stage ending with at least 1 boss(sans stage 1-2 which have minibosses). Overdose had 9 and lasted too long with some mediocre bosses(Bunji being the best). Notably I've run into a seemingly permanent bug where enemies don't bleed/gib which is taking away from my enjoyment.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I think the stages feel just right length wise once you get the beat system really going and learning all the links between the sections! You start hitting 1500 beat and it feels so good ha. Also yes please make the extra characters fully playable, that it a really odd decision to keep them trapped in single stages

[@GabrielPhelanLucas]

@@TheElectricUnderground Glad you enjoyed it so much but I still find it's underdeveloped in many respects, I'm playing it as I type and it's just crashed for a 2nd time at the helicopter boss on Stage 22(playing on PS4 if relevant). Have you played the prior games as you didn't mention them(if I recall rightly)? It has the same issue with stage/enemy bloat that Overdose does and the less mentioned about Gungrave VR the better. Still think Gungrave 1 was the best.

[@maggotto8363]

Definitely needs a lot of polish. Detection on the chain is awful, the Art requirement is absolutely not playtested, buffers for Death Spear... Game is a lot of fun though. Too damn long in my opinion, but can be fun

[@TheElectricUnderground]

They patched the chain and the charge shot homing yesterday! It does feel like a nice improvement

[@arycorvette884]

My game of the year despites its flaws this game was made for me you either find it Ridiculously over the top fun or mindlessly boring no one can go wrong

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I m absolutely loving this game too! 15 hours in and I m not close to finished yet! I plan on doing some full stage chains and a hard mode clear :-)

[@JVC1103]

A true review here Gungrave G.O.R.E is a great game yes it has some problems, but the game has some many ways to play it!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Absolutely! I ve already put like 15 hours into the game and am far from finished, the game gets better and better the more I play

[@JVC1103]

@@TheElectricUnderground I'm on PS4 I play oldschool try to blow everything up when I can in the level. But the platforming a boy do I fail hard on Her level!

[@HighLanderPonyYT]

What's the difference between the Simon says of reflecting when needed vs the Simon says of moving out of the way when needed? Some elaborate insight would be nice because I've been wondering about this kind of stuff.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Great question highland!! There is a difference that I'll try to get across quickly but I will elaborate more on in the topic vid. So simon says design is when the dev intentionally creates 1 problem with one solution and forces that at the cost of the other game mechanics. A classic example of this is the parry in sifu. in sifu you must parry and dodge and that's how the game is designed. The game actually removes movement to force this. In gungrave however, you are presented with the problem of the missle, but you actually have the ability to avoid it with your movement. You can parry it, but you don't have to. So the design is much more open ended where you are being presented with a problem, but you can either solve it with a specific mechanic (the melee) or you can solve it with a fundamental mechanic (movement). This allows for variation in playstyle. Whereas simon says does not.

[@HighLanderPonyYT]

@@TheElectricUnderground Ah, I had a hunch it might be about that. All right, thanks! And... Just call me Pony. Lol

[@ChrisStoneinator]

I ordered this yesterday after watching, have been playing today since it arrived this morning. This game KICKS ASS. I can't get enough of it. The enemy design, level design, the combo system and the pacing (was afraid of SUDA51-style half-hour levels padded with gimmicks) are all perfect. I don't understand how any critic can play this and not instinctively have fun. I feel like they go in with criteria of "things the game must do to be good", rather than starting from "am I having fun" and then working backwards. If they say it's "repetitive", "spammy" and "linear", they're absolutely right, and they have absolutely missed the fucking point.

[@michelecatani9295]

Thank you, really! I always appreciate your reviews, I rarely agree with mainstream site reviews, it happened a lot of times that I bought a game and then I was disappointed because the game has flaws important to me, but not mentioned! Maybe I'm aging but I'm a core player and I always prefer substance over style, and I appreciate more the density and enjoying the game, not a cutscene and the level design

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Exactly Michele that s my experience a lot these days as well. Over the years there have been so many games that I think are great that get labeled "too linear" and then games that I think are a mess of open world design that are labeled an improvement

[@gamersusa7946]

Thank you, tired of seeing reviews trash this game. I'm still playing it and I even bought the game after playing it on Gamepass. It's like DMC (NOT the reboot) where you learn levels and learn the levels. And the level designs are amazing and BEAUTIFUL to look at. And if you watch the anime or play the first two games you will know why you shoot first then charge. Btw the first two games was on PS2. But this game has HUGE replayability. Thank you again for the honest review.

[@salmonconnections]

The autoshooting makes this a soft pass for me but cool to see the contrast in design ethos when compared to most modern character action.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

yeah that was a bit of a sticking point for me at first, but if it helps the game gets to the point where there are so many enemies on screen that the autoaim seems appropriate ha. You do need to manually aim your charge shots for the most part though.

[@KWPZ21]

When you mentioned chaining combos on the whole stage it somewhat upsets me everytime the footage your showing drops the combos. Great review.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I know right, I was thinking the same thing as I played lol. It would be really cool if I full chained everything for the review, but I do plan on doing at least one vid in the future where I full chain one of the stages :-)

[@oboropro]

There was actually a review that said. There's too much action in an action game. They just sold me on the game by saying that😂😂😂

[@possumgrits825]

Looks great. You talked me into it. Great show. Thanks

[@TheElectricUnderground]

That's awesome! I think you'll have fun with it if what I said in the review sounds appealing. Just remember the Golden rule ... keep shooting ha. Melee is not the way to go other than in very particular circumstances.

[@AdAce21]

I found the IGN review to be quite fair. It's a fun, kinda janky, hot mess of a game, with some poor balancing. Just how the PS2 game was. It's awesome that it's on gamepass, and definitely worth playing if you like arcade-style action games.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

The problem with the ign review is that it s outright wrong in places. Like it says you can't multi break shields, and you can. It also says you can't walk around the rockets, when that s a core strategy. So it s just outright incorrect when it discusses the game mechanics

[@harlannguyen4048]

There are rocket enemies later on that uses homing rockets that you have to parry. Honestly, I go out of my way to parry rockets since they offer crowd control and can even break shields.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

So far I haven't had an issue with the rocket guys, parrying them can be good but it s not mandatory :-)

[@CENmassTER86]

I freaking lost myself in this game last night. Still feel like I haven't completely grasped every mechanic. I don't understand the lock on. It kinda feels like a free aim reticle to me. I didn't engage with it too much and not sure if I played worse because of that. There is a full auto mode now but I didn't really like it. You have to switch back to do charge shot. Either way I had a blast. Really good review. I have discovered a few bangers from you so thank you

[@KeithKillingly]

this game kinda got shit on for the same reason god hand did back in the day. Now many years later everyone loves it, and they will love this one day too.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I agree keith, especially because now it's received a solid group of patches to polish up some of the jankier elements too. Also they made bungee fully playable which is super cool.

[@KeithKillingly]

@@TheElectricUnderground for sure. Have you played zone of the enders 2nd runner? I feel like you’d like it after seeing some of your videos. Great channel though, keep it up man

[@JiiWoon]

I love that alot of stages forces you to keep in the fight and to never hides similar to the personality of your character Brandon Heat

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah that s a great point! Also Brandon is such a cool character :-)

[@waishanchan5316]

Great Job! Many reviewers don't talk about the ranking system and how it integrated into the level design. When playing it on a ps5 controller, the bullet fired with just a very very light tap on the trigger. The feeback will tell you just a light tapping like clicking a mouse is enough.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Oh that sounds really cool! I ve never used a ps5 controller before but that sounds like an interesting trigger system

[@futureskeletons66669]

Would love your opinion on Ghosts 'n Goblins resurrection. I have only seen two reviews from anyone of note - Happy Console Gamer's was dumb and irrational and Tom Massey's (Skykid) was positive. Seeing as Tom's been on the Shmups forum talking about the G'nG games positively for yrs I know he gets it. I love it, but it came out and just disappeared into obscurity. It's a skill based arcade game, so I figured you'd be into it.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I m absolutely going to cover it at some point! I m thinking of doing the series all together as a big video at some point

[@kaikiske7436]

Awesome review, thanks for breaking it down so thoroughly. Playing on GamePass and loving it, but I also ordered the PS5 version to support the developers. Kudos.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

That s great! I just picked it up on Xbox 1 as well, since my PC is a little old

[@cyxceven]

Agreed. Loved the first two on PS2, I'm sure this one's a blast as well.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Absolutely! Seems really in line with the previous games, which is bold in today's design world where everything needs to become an rpg

[@jerm5466]

Considering I love Sifu and Bayo 3 this will be interesting to watch, but I respect your opinion so now I’m interested in getting the game lol

[@PetitionManVEVO]

Critics will literally call this shit and then praise generic garbage like AC Valhalla, COD etc... I haven't even played the original gungraves yet I'm having a blast with this one. Not everything needs to be a dead open world with depressing storytelling trying hard to be deep. Sometimes all it takes to have fun is porno quality writing for the story contrasting with amazing gameplay.

[@Juju-cm7ge]

Also this 22$ on psn as of June 2nd 2023 I’m definitely picking this up

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Oh yeah def worth it at that price!! The also just added Bungie to be playable in all stages!

[@proggz39]

I like the empty moments in games if paced well, a moment of respite to think, collect your thought, experince the atmosphere

[@miltiadiskoutsokeras9189]

I wish a fast recovery Mark.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Thank you my friend, my voice should return in a day or two :-) Drinking hot chocolate in the meantime ha

[@tokyobassist]

I'm having fun with it but couple things I really don't like and makes me apprehensive towards an immediate replay: - The friggin' platforming sections are TERRIBLE! The jump arc feels so jank not to mention the platforms go out of sync a lot meaning you'll be standing around a lot waiting for a good opportunity. - The homing missile soldiers and the snipers need some patch work. They are fine in isolation but the scenarios they put them in after their introduction are way too chaotic. - People are misusing the Demo Shots. It's there to refill your health. I do think maintaining higher beats should reward faster Demo Shot charges because as is now, it's kind of hard to without walking shooting random stuff in the environment but the concept is good. - Bosses are a great highlight as are the extra characters but I wish there were more to them in the game. - Walk speed needs to be increased a few notches and the jump needs some tweaking. Otherwise it's a game ass game. I liked ot quite a bit.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I like a lot of these recommendations!

[@saint7173]

I’m enjoying this game a ton!! Mark another spot on review, once I 1cc gonna fire up Wanted Dead. The Electric Underground… Unmatched Quality 🔥🔥🔥

[@streondal]

Good thing about dumb casual unappropriated bashing reviews is that's its already on sale ! (-55% ps4 here, so early after its release!) As a huge lover of the 1st ps2 episode (and still listening a lot to the electro jazzy ost from the anime) you made me get it, you're too strong ^^

[@TheElectricUnderground]

i'm still having a ton of fun with the game, i've beaten it on gore difficulty now and unlocked brandon heat

[@coreybladzinski158]

Do you like nioh 2? I find it more compelling than the dark souls series with its linear level design and its approach to combat mechanics. Curious on how you feel about the game. The way you’re talking about gungrave has made me think about how I felt about nioh

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I love nioh 1!!! My fav soul style game by far. I like nioh 2 as well but didn't like some of the changes , like the yoko realm cloud and the counter system

[@jknifgijdfui]

To be fair the train level was nerfed they removed the mines

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Oh yeah since this review they did a bunch of great patching, I really like the way the game is now. I'm gonna do an update video about it in a few months.

[@Mondoness]

Easiest way to describe Gungrave Gore is a video game that actually feels like a video game as vague as that might sound.

[@Mondoness]

+ melee cancel into charge shot is super useful asf

[@Mondoness]

+ This game's jenk was as forgiving as Zombie Revenge on Dreamcast

[@soratheorangejuicemascot5809]

The more you do game reviews, the more ask for a "Simon say's play the game this way!" topic.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

It's absolutely coming, that's an important topic video I want to make.

[@wildchildchannel703]

A very in depth review, well done. Shame that mainstream reviewers don't give a fair play to any other game that isn't Call of Duty.🙄

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah no kidding, I honestly don't understand their tastes these days. It s not perfect but it s def a lot better than what it s being given credit for

[@franjaff6919]

CoD doesn't review that well.

[@SicketMog]

Voice makes you sound like you're crying; sort of giving this "misunderstood" angle an extra dimension.😛 Not into the game but commenting to say hey take breaks if you need man.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I know right, damn lost voice is squeezing ha

[@karellan1978]

This seems very much like the original game for PS2. I always thought of that one sort of like a shooting gallery game, like Hogan's Alley or Time Crisis, but your shmup comparison is also a good one. Very arcadey, and not at all like any of the other third-person shooters that have a surface-level similarity to this. Also a little janky, but not game-breakingly so, lol.

[@RewdanSprites]

Bloody algorithm. Seriously though, don't put your health at risk for KZbin.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Ha I was really excited to talk about the game though, the spirit was willing :-)

[@fogblades6811]

You probably get this kind of comment a lot, but fuck it. I want to thank you for having a brain. not because you make yourself like the game; Hell, the train section is really the only issue I see that might need fixing, but because you recognize GunGrave for what it actually is. A fun Shoot'em up that is simple to play and satisfying to master. And I think Gore really excels in what it wants to do. In a sea of games that has to check off boxes to appease the Modern Day Masses and Corporate Game Reviewers, GunGrave Gore rocks the boat with an ironically innovative style of gameplay that isn't comparable with any other game or genre. It miffs those who aren't used to the series and that's what I love! I mean really sit here and think about it. The whole industry is often criticized for lacking creativity, inspiration, and fun for the past decade. This game, which arguably has all 3 under it's belt, comes strolling along to remind people that it still exists and still kick-ass, and yet, a lot of the people who tried it practically drags it's name through the dirt for not being able to be held to the same standards as DMC, Bayo, GOW, etc. It's sad really, but pity is for failed projects, which I don't believe this is. Iggymob should hold a Medal of Honor for resurrecting this legend and should continue with the series to make it even better than the previous 3 I just mentioned. And thank you for being honest with this game. you gave this game Justice for doing so!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

What an awesome comment! That means a lot to me because I do feel like an island often as a reviewer but that s also a big motivation for me, to help give awesome games like this one a fair shake that they won't get otherwise

[@chancepaladin]

you hit the nail on the head with the problem with game reviews these days. the algorithm is choosing the winners and losers. its very artificial.

[@sektor_mk2]

On the topic of hammering the shoot button. On PC you can use a simple macro to automate repetitive clicks. This will not make the game easy but will ease the strain on your hand and hardware.

[@daserfomalhaut9809]

There's another game that kind of reminds me of this. Sort of heavy, gun focused character action. Evil West. I wanna try both of these.

[@svc_arcade]

In batman Arkham games you have to jump over a shield guy just to attack or use some gadget to remove the shield. This is no different.

[@superpowerman4354]

Maybe I missed this in the review but, are there any benefits of chaining/linking the enemies? Like power ups or rage mode or anything ? Thanks. Might grab this game.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

absolutely! You gain meter by chaining and with more meter you can continue chaining easier, so it a cool feedback cycle.

[@fdnfdnasd7714]

The one option for GORE can save it from most of bad reviews, add an auto-fire for R2 in options, to hold shoot instead of press. It is what kill this game for me. I'm not young anymore, and i don't want feel my hand pain after hour of play) The game actually not bad itself.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

They added autofire in the recent patch! :-)

[@BrokenWingsOfADreamlessMind]

Such a honest review. I was amazed at this game since the first time I played it and when I decided to search more about it, everybody was hating for mindless reasons.

[@PotbellyPunch]

I got gungrave from gamefly and after the first level it just felt incredibly plain and uninteresting. Maybe there's more to it but the game didn't ask anything of me or challenge me on the hard difficulty.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Did you play on Gore mode, that's when the game gets cooking! Also a huge aspect of the game is the chaining system, so when you play try to chain and never drop your beat combo, that's what keeps the game feeling fresh, the chaining system is really fun.

[@10XSeiga]

i think the animation quality hurts the game when the presentation is fantastic. it has a lovely art style brimming with character.

[@elreins]

Great review. Made me wonder, what is your opinion on the Monster Hunter games? have you played any?

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I ve played a little, they seem pretty cool but are too rpg heavy for me ha. I struggle with all rpg games that aren't tactics like fire emblem or Pokemon. I like my rpg to be really simple and straightforward

[@segatouringcar3738]

Was waiting to see if you comment this game and know if you like or not! ha ha ha Glad to see you like it ^^ Everyone who criticizes this game in a negative way... just doesn't know how to play or care to learn. This is not a game to watch while you press buttons regardless of whether you know what you are doing or not, here you have to play for real! Very surprised with this game, despite the fact that it has things that could be improved.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah what makes it fun is that I had no idea how I would feel about it till I started playing. The thing about action games like this is that it all comes down to the details of the design, and I think this game is actually much better balanced and designed than it is currently getting credit for. It reminds me a lot of starfox zero, where the game had some areas to improve, but these areas were not the motion controls lol. And in gungrave, the level design is absolutely not the problem, the level design is actually really good.

[@mikelpelaez]

I know it isn't exactly your thing, but you might really like ultrakill, the combination of movement fps with character action ideas (like weapons that interplay between them, an style meter and the fact that everything that isn't combat is 100% optional) I think is something you might enjoy and you allways download the demo

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I've heard a lot about it! I ll have to try to out soon :-)

[@HersheyHemi1]

I find it very aggravating when " pro game reviewers". Give certain games a 10/10 for going back to the classic ps2/3 era gameplay styles. (Mostly horror games and platformer games .) YET when smaller team games likes this do the same thing they call them " boring and uninspired!" That is complete BS if you ask me!

[@PalaceMidasMusic]

So it's on sale on Xbox this week for pretty cheap at least on the EU shop, nows a good time to get on the Gungrave train for us all

[@dutchcinephile1362]

Thanks for the brutal review KZbinrs take notes Sheep mentality explained AT 1:14

[@MrWinnieP]

I’ve always loved the Gungrave property was so hyped about this game, so glad it is exactly what I wanted it to be (aside the jankiness).

[@TheElectricUnderground]

yes absolutely and they have really patched the game up nicely so a lot of the jank is toned down :-)

[@svc_arcade]

I did the gamepass challenge last year with my cousin and we decided what game the other will play for 3 days. He made me play Destroy all humans remake and i made him play day 1 Gungrave Gore. He told me that its a trash ass game. Me having trying out the game last Friday and im enjoying it.

[@gameboyzpodcast6800]

I rarely ever agree with critics reviews....I value a thing called fun factor over all the highly technical stuff they seem to focus on....and yeh I prefer linearity over open world games any day....this game could've benefitted from a collectibles system

[@soratheorangejuicemascot5809]

Something random question from me..... Does this game got a boss rush? I think it would be interesting to see this in a livestream playthrough like Shmup Slam.

[@TheElectricUnderground]

I don't believe so, I think the stages are much more of a focus. I think it would be cool to do a full chain of a stage or something though

[@soratheorangejuicemascot5809]

@@TheElectricUnderground ahh. That means boss rush ain't enough to show potential of the game?

[@rodneyabrett]

Great review! Action games that don't give players a choice with how to deal with a mob attack scenario is just DDR/PaRappa the Rapper but with a shiny exterior visual shell.

[@inrptn]

Thanks once again for saving us from the mainstream review echo chamber!

[@TheElectricUnderground]

Yeah this one is a funny reversal because I am usually being more critical than the mainstream reviews. But once they smell a dogpile, boy do they love to follow through.

[@kirbdini]

I really was disappointed with shredders revenge. I liked streets of rage 4 and hoped the combo system would be similar. You convinced me to buy this and wanted dead. Thank you

[@dedecoVGMDJ]

would you also recommend the original gungrave?

[@blumiu2426]

I'm a little confused on your one point with parrying the rockets. The game itself tells you to parry the rockets in tutorial, so if you're saying the opposite, then that would be a gameplay choice. Your way might work and might be better, but the game advices you to play a certain way and many aren't going to bend the rules unless familiar with Gungrave or genre or gain familiarity. You definitely have a schmup mindset when it comes to approaching games, though I don't think that makes it necessarily a flaw in other designs. One thing I found humorous yet great was that G.O.R.E. played just like Overdose. And I was a teen then, yet in just a few minutes dejavu kicked in and the old-school game design was clear.