Azure Striker Gunvolt 3

83%
Game Brain Score Based on 324 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • music
Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 Game Cover
Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.
Starting at €25.99Buy now
Get on Steam Get on Xbox Games Store

"Azure Striker Gunvolt 3" is a fast-paced action game where players control Gunvolt, a hero with electric powers, in his battle against a new threat. The game introduces a new playable character, Kirin, who utilizes a unique combination of gunplay and melee combat. With updates to the game's lightning-fast parkour and flashy combat, players can expect a thrilling and challenging experience.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 324 reviews
gameplay88 positive mentions
story26 negative mentions
  • The gameplay is incredibly fun and fluid, with a unique tagging and teleporting mechanic that keeps players engaged.
  • Kirin, the new protagonist, offers a fresh playstyle that combines elements from previous characters, making for an enjoyable experience.
  • The game features a vibrant art style and an excellent soundtrack, enhancing the overall atmosphere.
  • The story is disappointing and feels disconnected from the previous entries, leaving many plot threads unresolved.
  • Gunvolt, the titular character, takes a backseat in his own game, which may frustrate long-time fans of the series.
  • The gacha system for unlocking upgrades feels awkward and can detract from the overall experience.
  • story267 mentions

    The story of *Gunvolt 3* has received significant criticism for being a disjointed and disappointing continuation of the series, often disregarding established narratives from previous games. While some players found the character interactions enjoyable and the gameplay engaging, many felt that the plot was weak, lacking coherence and depth, and that it failed to honor the characters and themes from earlier installments. Overall, the consensus is that while the gameplay excels, the story is the weakest aspect of the game, leaving fans of the series feeling let down.

    • “The gameplay is really good, Kirin is maybe the best playable character we've ever had, the level design is excellent, the story (in a vacuum) is pretty good, all the characters are likable, and the optional content after the game's completion is extremely fun.”
    • “Even the story this time around, while still leaving a few minor holes, fleshes out the cast of characters the most, even most if not all the bosses.”
    • “The story has its flaws, but it's still greatly enjoyable; don't be discouraged by the negative reviews.”
    • “God awful story, completely tramples on the previous games' narratives.”
    • “I won't get into any spoilers at all but basically, this completely just disrespects all the previous story in order to shove some random, sloppy, and disappointing package they've decided to label as a 'sequel'.”
    • “The story is...mediocre at best, no followup from the last game and the plot can easily fit into the giant space flea from nowhere TV tropes page.”
  • gameplay257 mentions

    The gameplay in Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 is widely praised for its fast-paced, dynamic mechanics and tight level design, with many reviewers highlighting the introduction of the new character Kirin and her unique combat style as a significant improvement. While some players express disappointment with the story and certain gameplay mechanics, such as the gacha system and the overpowered nature of Gunvolt, the overall consensus is that the gameplay is engaging, enjoyable, and offers a satisfying challenge, making it a standout entry in the series.

    • “The gameplay is really good, Kirin is maybe the best playable character we've ever had (though I do still like IX1 Copen more), the level design is excellent, the story (in a vacuum) is pretty good, all the characters are likable, and the optional content after the game's completion is extremely fun.”
    • “Kirin offers up a refreshing new take on the tried and tested gameplay, while the tight level designs and focus on the ranking system make this one a highly replayable experience.”
    • “Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 manages to close out the trilogy by upping the ante in all the right ways, introducing new mechanics to keep things fresh whilst re-imagining and building upon what made fans love the series in the first place.”
    • “I was disappointed; gameplay is a downgrade and everything else honestly.”
    • “The core gameplay is solid, but it has baffling mechanics: gacha system to unlock passive and active skills, Gunvolt is locked behind a time-limited system and he's overpowered for no reason, the kudos system seems to be the easiest and most non-challenging one yet, the dialogue during boss fights is incredibly distracting to the point of being unfun.”
    • “Gone is the compact moment-to-moment gameplay of GV1 and 2, or even IX1; we're in GV3's world now.”
  • music63 mentions

    The music in the game has received high praise, with many reviewers highlighting the catchy and engaging soundtrack typical of Inti Creates, featuring a mix of J-pop and stage themes that enhance gameplay. While some players wish for more spotlight on certain songs and express frustration with the kudos mechanics affecting song selection, the overall consensus is that the music is a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's enjoyment. Additionally, the inclusion of voice acting and the ability to customize music playback through image pulses adds to the positive reception of the audio experience.

    • “Can you expect anything less than greatness from an Inti Creates soundtrack?”
    • “The music was made by Inti Creates, so it’s going to be good like in all of their other games.”
    • “Visually the game is definitely one of Inti's finest looking games and in terms of audio, the music is a banger from the stage themes and even the J-pop for when you rack up a high amount of kudos from comboing from enemy to enemy.”
    • “All of this stacked on top of the new kudos mechanics causing it to be incredibly difficult to actually lose your kudos makes the entire soundtrack effectively null and void, but rest assured, it's good.”
    • “"traces" is an amazing song, but I wish "memoria of he", "ergo sum", and returning songs like "azure door" and "beyond the blue", or even the level themes themselves got more spotlight without literally sacrificing damage output (there's an image pulse that gives an insane damage boost with lvl 3 kudos, and its damage seems to be nullified if you have mute image pulses on to prevent "traces" from playing).”
    • “Such a shame the OST or the Lumen album isn't on Spotify already.”
  • emotional27 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is driven by the exhilarating challenge of mastering its central movement mechanic, which encourages players to navigate stages without touching the ground. This creates a satisfying sense of achievement as players chain combos and earn points, fostering a competitive spirit and a feeling of freedom. The gameplay rewards skillful execution and creativity, making the experience both fun and engaging, while also appealing to those who thrive on overcoming challenges.

    • “You can die 20 times in every level and still beat the game and have a great time doing it, or you can finish every level playing only as the dog and never touching the ground, and if you can manage to pull it off, the game rewards you for it.”
    • “I personally love the drastic changes made from original gv and copen; the arc chain is incredibly satisfying as you try your best to avoid touching the floor.”
    • “Mastering the stages and mechanics of the game is really fun; it feels satisfying to go to the next area without touching the ground if possible.”
  • graphics21 mentions

    The graphics of the game are praised for their beautiful 2D pixel art style, which blends retro aesthetics with modern capabilities, creating a visually appealing experience. However, some users report performance issues, including lag during intense segments and minor graphical glitches, particularly on older devices. Overall, while the visuals are solid and enhance the gameplay, the lack of adjustable graphic settings is noted as a drawback.

    • “The gameplay on the other hand, oh boy... if you love fast-paced action games with beautiful 2D pixel graphics, then there's no better choice than this.”
    • “A true work of art that blends a retro aesthetic with today’s capabilities, this feels like the culmination of Inti Creates’ many years of work and has been well worth the wait since its predecessor was released back in 2016.”
    • “[extremely replayable, high skill ceiling, gorgeous art style]”
    • “For some reason, this relatively graphically tame game lags on my device quite a bit in certain segments, especially when hooked with Discord.”
    • “The only issue I had was a small graphical glitch during the introduction of the last boss.”
    • “That 'full health bar' is just aesthetic, and the real amount is actually like a third of that.”
  • replayability13 mentions

    The game is highly regarded for its replayability, offering various modes, difficulty levels, and character customization that encourage different playstyles. Players appreciate the skill expression and the engaging level design, although some note a lack of incentive to start new saves. Overall, it provides a fun and rewarding experience that invites repeated playthroughs.

    • “Top marks overall for having a good amount of replayable modes and features from harder difficulties, to an alternative Kirin playstyle and dedicated Gunvolt mode after beating the game, also on top of equipment or 'image pulses' in this game allowing you to be creative in terms of how you play.”
    • “Kirin offers up a refreshing new take on the tried and tested gameplay, while the tight level designs and focus on the ranking system make this one a highly replayable experience.”
    • “I won't go deeper into it, just be aware that the game allows for a lot of skill expression and replay value as this is the first Gunvolt game that allows you to change your character to the degree of allowing various approaches to playstyle.”
    • “[excellent game feel and flow, expertly crafted pixel art and music, huge amount of replay value]”
    • “I guess overall the game is replayable, but the story could be better. I hope they introduce a new muse or develop Lumen some more in the next game whenever it drops.”
  • grinding10 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and less rewarding compared to previous installments, with a simplified gacha system replacing the more engaging farming mechanics. Boss battles can become overwhelming due to visual clutter, making it difficult to anticipate attacks, which can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences. Additionally, changes to the kudos system create a reliance on grinding points to regain abilities, further contributing to the overall sense of monotony.

    • “In concept, this shouldn’t be too different from materials and medals in Gunvolt 1 and 2, but in execution it’s tedious at best.”
    • “The game becomes extremely tedious without some of the skills; most of the boss battles result in the entire screen being the main color that the boss uses, making many attacks very hard to see coming and resulting in hits that feel cheap.”
    • “The crafting system is dumbed down significantly, being gacha now instead of requiring grinding.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    Overall, the optimization for this cross-platform game is considered somewhat lacking, a common issue in recent titles. However, it performs well on the Steam Deck, offering a smooth experience and good battery life, while the visuals, PC performance, and audio elements receive positive remarks.

    • “As an added bonus to this review, I played a majority of this game on a Steam Deck and can say it is a great way to play the game with zero issues and good battery life performance; somewhere around 4 hours on a full charge.”
    • “It's not all negative - the visuals are solid, the PC performance is good, voice acting is decent, music is great, and it's nice to be playing a Gunvolt game again.”
    • “Not docking points for it, optimization for cross-platform games tends to be a bit sloppy nowadays.”
    • “-bad optimization.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization model is free of microtransactions, allowing players to retry stages for a chance to obtain desired rewards without any additional costs.

    • “There are no microtransactions attributed to this system; you simply get to do another attempt at the end of each stage for a chance at what you want.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the game is largely focused on the main characters, Kirin and Gunvolt, while secondary characters are often forgettable, lacking distinct names or designs that leave a lasting impression.

    • “Outside of the main characters, Kirin and Gunvolt (more on that later), I don't even remember any of their names or character designs.”
    • “Outside of the main characters, Kirin and Gunvolt (more on that later), I don't even remember any of their names or character designs.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

79% average critic score

Buy Azure Striker Gunvolt 3

Play time

8hMedian play time
8hAverage play time
8-8hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

Similar Games