Gungrave GORE and The Struggles of South Korean Game Development

Gungrave GORE is more than just a long-overdue sequel to Gungrave and Gungrave Overdose: it's possibly the most significant console game to come out of South Korea in nearly 20 years. This is the story of Studio Iggymob and Gungrave GORE's 5-year struggle to break through South Korean's barren console market - no matter the odds.
00:00 - [INTRO]
02:53 - South Korea and Gungrave GORE's Development
11:13 - Smokin' Subpar Style (PRESENTATION)
16:23 - A Return to Form (GAMEPLAY)
22:41 - Surprising Post-launch Support
24:49 - Gungrave GORE and Iggymob's Future
27:50 - [OUTRO]
TWITTER: / axelayer
ENDSLATE ART BY: / borezet
Special thanks to both Kuri and ‪@curtain_fire‬ for their feedback on the script during the video's lengthy writing/research process!
MUSIC USED:
Flickering Shadows - Plumegeist (it's used as part of the opening SFX)
Multiple Personality - Killer7
Touch and Go - Tekken 4
Fear - Tekken 4
Eulenlieder - SIGNALIS
The Red Gate - SIGNALIS
Rolling Down the UMN (both versions) - Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra
Yensen the Boostmaster - Gungrave G.O.R.E.
Burning Halloween Town - Deathsmiles
Dark Dizzy - Mega Man X5
Misty Rain - Mega Man ZX Tunes
A Cue aun Tu Oi / A Red Apple Fell From the Sky - Gravity Rush 2
Zero Fill Love - PangYa (Season 4)
SOURCES CITED:
www.siliconera.com/interview-...
www.gematsu.com/2022/11/gungr...
www.trueachievements.com/n519...
www.unrealengine.com/en-US/de...
www.4gamer.net/games/576/G057...
www.gematsu.com/2022/08/gungr...
/ kay-kim-240a54128_iggy...
blog.playstation.com/2021/10/...
www.gematsu.com/2019/10/gungr...
• Gungrave G.O.R.E. - Ex...
www.gameshub.com/news/feature...
www.gamerbraves.com/keyword-d...
www.gamerbraves.com/kamikokur...
www.gamerbraves.com/tgs-2018-...
www.gamer.ne.jp/news/20180921...
www.gematsu.com/2017/12/gungr...
• Video
n.news.naver.com/sports/espor...
m.thebell.co.kr/m/newsview.asp...
studybreaks.com/tvfilm/pc-ban...
www.seoulz.com/mobile-gaming-...
www.seoulz.com/the-gaming-ind...
intenta.digital/gaming-indust...
www.seoulz.com/esports-in-kor...
• How Did PC Gaming Take...
www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999...
www.famitsu.com/news/201808/2... (Gungrave VR development history)
www.famitsu.com/news/201712/1... (Gungrave VRrelease day interview)
www.famitsu.com/news/201709/2... (Gungrave VR TGS impressions)
www.4gamer.net/games/392/G039... (Gungrave VR 4Gamer TGS impressions)
#Gungrave #GameDevelopment #BottomText

[@BasementMinions]

The devs sound incredibly passionate and I wish them all the best. :)

[@shade0636]

Quality over quantity.

[@user-nm9yd4wq4s]

the development history of this game is so interesting. A South Korean console game studio (not mmo/gacha/mobile) revives 20 year old franchise with one of the games of all time tbh. It looks like Nintendo hired this man, but wasn't completely broken at launch like some AAA games. And had wacky ps2 level gimmicks and rough edges that were eventually patched out. What a game Gungrave G.O.R.E is. Certainly nothing as zany as this going on in the video game industry. Usually when something goes dark for so long it's gone for good.

[@seanami8701]

Small correction, the Comboy isn't really a clone system. There were laws regarding imports into Korea from Japan, so Nintendo got around that by licensing the NES to Hundai. I have it and its pretty much identical to a normal NES.

[@TheRealFolkBlues]

Damn, I probably got a few wires crossed during that part of the script; I wanted touch a bit on those import laws, but there really was a lot of ground to cover there.

[@mintminstrel3581]

Yeah... and to add that, Super Alladin Boy was just Genesis from SEGA(As you can see in the commercial), and Super Com Boy is just Super Famicom(the Japanese version of SNES for those who don't know what that is). Though... even I'm Korean, those names are not really familiar to me because I had SNES

[@thetruejerrycan]

Director Kay Kim made a tweet recently and in a reply he said the team now consists of 8 people. That's pretty damn rough and it's a damn shame too because Gungrave GORE while deeply flawed is clearly a passion project. It's not every day that a South Korean developer revives an obscure PlayStation 2 game, puts it on consoles, and doesn't modernize it too much. Gungrave GORE feels like the series never left and even though the first game is still my favorite, I love GORE for what it is. Iggymob did a lot of things that should be impossible for someone in their position and they should be recognized for it while the company is still afloat. Thank you for making this video

[@BigBowsaALT]

I'm glad you liked it too. despite everything else I found it the most fun just from the gameplay. the patches tell me they've learned a lot from the missteps of the original release so I absolutely want a follow-up that looks more like the original games

[@FrMZTsarmiral]

Good history lesson regarding Korea's game development scene. I remember getting the PS2 game a long time ago since somehow the main character reminded me of Guilty Gear's Order Sol lol. ...Also cute robot girl OC.

[@Busterbalz]

I bought this game on a whim during a steam sale and have fallen completely in love. I so sorely miss these AA style arcade action games from the PS2 era. Despite the jank the game is just so god damn FUN. That's what happens when you get a game made by people who CARE.

[@thedarkwolf5637]

man u are so underated its not fair loving every upload no matter how slow

[@TerryVideoZone]

AWWWW YEAH GUNGRAVE TIME

[@theblobconsumes4859]

Not a fan of that upgrade system. Probably my biggest issue with the game. I hope Iggymob manages to keep making games, as I do feel like this game was clearly made with a lot of passion. I am rooting for them, and for this game!

[@teneesh3376]

The upgrade system's biggest issue is that skills cost too much and perk bloat. The whole stat page is terrible and should not have been in the game. That page doesn't make the game more fun, it makes it more tolerable. I mean target distance. Really Iggymob? I would love if they could patch that entire page out and have you have the stats mixed out. Unrealistic ask, but it would make the game better

[@__Xeese]

Holy shit these clips you’re using are WILD lmao Wonderfully produced video so far tho! Glad you’re still givin this series some love

[@teneesh3376]

The patches show they hear what people say and they care about the game. The team just lacked budget and strong direction. The realistic style is lacking where a cell shaded anime style would hide a lot. The lack of good sound design is another thing. A lot of attacks feel lacking from sounds not playing

[@user-re3nu2gb9r]

fun fact, they did actually add a cel-shading option later on because one dude tweeted at the official gungrave account how cool it'd be. it kinda looks bad to be honest, but the fact that you can literally source that change from a tweet is really funny but also kinda cool. i think that really shows how open to criticism they are and how much they seem to actually believe in gungrave.

[@bucket9486]

AWW FUCK YEAH THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR

[@hemangchauhan2864]

It's great you mentioned the Felipe Pepe thread on South Korean history of games.

[@StyleshStorm]

I never realized it but South Korea develops some of my most favorite stylish action games ever. This is insane I didn't know most of this beyond this game.

[@ShikiRyougi05]

2 minutes in and this is already a top tier video.

[@ShikiRyougi05]

5 minutes in and you've earned my sub

[@HowardHeyman]

This video is unbelievably based. I am so glad somebody has finally put effort into explaining and dissecting the background and core direction of Gungrave G.O.R.E as deeply as you have. It's clear that you understand what kind of passion and drive fuels Iggymob's development and I hope this helps set the record straight amidst all the people treating this as some soulless shovelware cashgrab. Even though I disagree with some of the things you said (mainly, I find that some of your criticisms towards balance, while valid, are also things you can adapt to once you become more familiar with the game mechanically), I'm still glad that you're willing to put in the effort to give this game the props it deserves and don't just immediately write it off. I really hope this game becomes a cult classic as time goes on and, based on my own personal interactions with the team at Iggymob through Twitter, I only wish them the best.

[@salvatoredanunciacao7770]

It's crazy they got 2 pretty legendary composers in Yoshino Aoki and Tetsuya Shibata, the later working on some of my favorite games of all time to include DMC3 and TF: Devistation. Also, someone as insanely notable as Ikumi Nakamura. Iggymob deserves another shot at a Gungrave game, not just to fix dome of the jank but to hopefully work with more legendary names.

[@SergeCruso]

I remember when I played Chaos Legion on the PS2, thinking I was getting another DMC...boy was i wrong! The gameplay was much more rigid and the story completely eluded me. All on all i enjoyed the game! I think i am letting outside influence is preventing me from enoying games like i used to.

[@LV-42679]

As someone who does enjoy modern triple A games (though not all of them), Gungrave GORE is a very good fun, and it's nice to have a variety of different types of games.

[@5hawnEX]

GRAAAHHHHHHHHH MY GOAT RETURNS

[@squirtyharry]

I wish people were able to seperate a "bad" game from something that isn't their thing.

[@dogrunes]

i cant believe chika takami fixed your pc

[@teneesh3376]

Are you planning on doing a shorter overlook and the Ultimate Enhanced edition if you have a switch? Cause there is very cover on that version. They have changed a lot and added a lot of new playable characters. But from what I have seen, they have also ruined it by having characters being able to run and shoot at the same time rather that slowly moving and shooting. Though this is just from what I have seen. I cant comment cause im not going to buy another version of an unpolished game, and that Im not able to buy it being in Australia. It aint on my eshop

[@RosenshineRewby]

LETS FUCKING GOOOOOOO

[@esk8jaimes]

I really hope they make another #Gungrave game, in fact I'm commissioning someone on Etsy to make an English cover art for my PlayAsia physical copy of this for Nintendo Switch! (They also have them for the other Japanese exclusive physical of Okami HD)

[@chipapa8459]

Never heard of gun grave but now I do.

[@Kaze.No.Okami.]

Did they fix the train level ?

[@TheRealFolkBlues]

They did fix the train level, yeah. It's still kinda insane just how BUSTED that level was on release day.

[@murky16]

10:50 why’d you use THAT clip of pewdiepie😂😭💀

[@AwestruckEarl]

I only played 1 hr into game cause it was only after that 1 hr that I stopped ooh and aahhh at the gameplay. the game play will get tedious very quick. the very boss wasnt much impressive either and jsut felt truly generic. maybe I didnt fully immerse myself into the gameplay cause it looks like it had a hack and slash vibe but the game feel like it was meant on a arcade machine and jsut ported over.

[@dimsumboy22]

Who are you?

[@TheRealFolkBlues]

Honestly I don't think I've ever been this defeated by a comment before now

[@dimsumboy22]

@@TheRealFolkBlues im sorry, i just forgot who you were in my subfeed cause the last video you uploaded was like half a year ago.