Gungrave G.O.R.E

68%
Game Brain Score Based on 479 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • music
Gungrave G.O.R.E Game Cover
Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.
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"Gungrave G.O.R.E is a third-person action shooter that combines Eastern and Western game design. Play as the titular Gunslinger of Resurrection, Grave, an unstoppable anti-hero who wields dual pistols and a transformable EVO-coffin. Experience a story of vengeance while engaging in stylish, gory combat, unleashing devastating combos on hordes of enemies."

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

Reviews

68%
Audience ScoreBased on 479 reviews
gameplay47 positive mentions
optimization10 negative mentions
  • The game captures the nostalgic feel of the original Gungrave titles, providing enjoyable and chaotic gameplay.
  • Combat mechanics are fun and allow for a variety of combos and strategies, making it engaging for players who enjoy action games.
  • The art style and character designs are appealing, and the soundtrack adds to the overall experience.
  • The game suffers from technical issues, including poor optimization, stuttering, and inconsistent frame rates.
  • The story and cutscenes are poorly executed, with lackluster voice acting and animations that detract from the experience.
  • Some levels, particularly the train level, are frustratingly difficult and poorly designed, leading to a lack of balance in gameplay.
  • gameplay204 mentions

    The gameplay of Gungrave G.O.R.E. is a mixed bag, with many players enjoying its mindless, arcade-style action and engaging combat mechanics, while others criticize its repetitive nature and simplistic design. The game features a unique lock-on system and a focus on chaining kills for combos, reminiscent of older titles, but suffers from issues like clunky controls, linear level design, and inconsistent difficulty. Overall, while some find the gameplay addictive and fun, others feel it lacks depth and polish, making it a polarizing experience.

    • “Just use the tools the game gives you and you'll be in for one of the most fun gameplay loops out there!”
    • “The game is certainly a unique third-person shooter experience that eschews the typical cover-based gameplay, and I liked how the levels were cleverly laid out that you could chain kills and environmental destruction to achieve a combo that lasts the entire level: reminded me a lot of other score-based shooters like 'The Club'.”
    • “I fell in love with the gameplay, which is just a fun mindless shoot-em-up that took a lot of inspiration from its predecessors.”
    • “The gameplay loop is grindy and repetitive; aside from a few pre-rendered cutscenes, most of the cutscene animations are barely comparable to 'baby's first SFM reel'.”
    • “The gameplay feels really weak compared to the older Gungrave titles on the PS2.”
    • “E's fleeting moments of fun and carnage are buried beneath a mountain of issues, including a bland story, repetitive and overly simplistic gameplay, cumbersome and clunky movement and controls, and more.”
  • story162 mentions

    The game's story has been widely criticized for its poor execution, convoluted plot, and lackluster cutscenes, leaving many players feeling confused and unsatisfied. While some appreciate its cheesy charm and nostalgic ties to the series, the overall consensus is that the narrative is shallow and fails to engage, often feeling like mere set dressing for the gameplay. Newcomers to the franchise may struggle to follow the story, as it heavily relies on prior knowledge from earlier games and adaptations.

    • “The story is cheesy, but it's a good kind of cheese.”
    • “There is a story here, but don't expect it to be some groundbreaking story with a moral lesson to learn; it's simple set dressing for Grave to kill thugs in droves, and honestly, that's all you really need.”
    • “The story has a decent premise to work with, and enough returning characters to bring a smile to any Gungrave fan's face, but where it falters is its presentation and lack of any true fanfare.”
    • “The story itself is super boring; cutscenes are either too long, too short, or pointless.”
    • “Forgettable and annoying cast of characters, recycled voice lines spammed constantly as you move between rooms, a really convoluted story that I guess you'd have to have played the PS games and/or watched the anime to know what they're all flapping on about most of the time.”
    • “The story is perhaps the worst of all time.”
  • music93 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its adrenaline-pumping soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, with many reviewers noting it as one of the best aspects of the game. However, some players criticize the abrupt looping of tracks and the overwhelming sound effects from gameplay, which can detract from the enjoyment of the music. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received, there are mixed feelings about its integration with the game's audio design.

    • “Great soundtrack and epic cutscenes.”
    • “The soundtrack is one of the best parts of the game; there are tracks specific to each different location in the game, and they're responsive to entering and exiting combat.”
    • “Incredible soundtrack.”
    • “The soundtrack wasn't for me, which is why I didn't bother playing the game with background music turned on.”
    • “I say this because the soundtrack made my ears hurt.”
    • “While the game starts out enjoyable, it quickly shows just how unfinished and unbalanced it is; some levels are crazy with how unbalanced the difficulty curve is, and frankly, all the music in the game has no proper loop points.”
  • graphics68 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful visuals and solid animations, while others criticize the inconsistent quality of in-game graphics and a lack of basic settings. Cinematics are highlighted as impressive, but the majority of cutscenes suffer from poor graphical fidelity. Overall, while there are moments of visual appeal, many players feel the art style and graphical performance do not meet modern standards, especially on older consoles.

    • “Very cool graphics and nice arcade action shooter!”
    • “The graphics are beautiful and there's even an option to turn on cel-shading (as of the recent patch) to make it a more classic experience.”
    • “The animation and graphics are really solid.”
    • “One pro though is that this game has amazing cinematics, but there is only a handful while the rest of the cutscenes are done with in-game graphics and they look really bad.”
    • “One of the major step downs this game has from its predecessors is the art style.”
    • “Runs like crap, missing basic graphics settings like framerate, cutscenes stuck at 30 fps while also running at half speed so the audio immediately desyncs and the video keeps cutting out trying to catch up.”
  • optimization19 mentions

    The game's optimization has received largely negative feedback, with players reporting significant bugs and performance issues, including stuttering during level loads, even on high-end hardware. While some users noted improvements after initial stuttering, the overall experience is marred by inconsistent performance. In contrast, the PS5 version appears to offer a more stable experience.

    • “[stylish gunplay and special moves, good, consistent performance on PS5]”
    • “-performance is alright.”
    • “-small hiccups in performance here and there.”
    • “Poorly optimized game.”
    • “It's marred with bugs and performance issues (though I recommend mitigating it with -dx11 in your launch settings).”
    • “Each level loads in as a stuttering mess.”
  • character development14 mentions

    Character development in the game is highlighted by impressive character designs, particularly for the main character and bosses, showcasing a distinct art style influenced by its Korean developers. However, some players expressed disappointment over the limited return of original characters and the inclusion of a playable character that feels out of place within the game's foundation. Overall, while the character designs are praised, the depth of character development appears to be lacking, with some rough edges noted.

    • “The character designs have impressed me, and I especially loved Bear and Lee's superior forms in this game.”
    • “While far from perfect with some obvious rough edges here and there, what had me sold on this game are the amazing character designs for the main character and the bosses.”
    • “Great character design, levels are interesting.”
    • “Yasahiro Nightow did the original character designs for Gungrave, but sadly few of those characters return.”
    • “I have to dock points for the Vietnam caves level where you control Quartz. Iggymob, I'm sorry I loved your game, but please don't feature a playable character designed for the opposite of what your entire foundation is built on.”
    • “Character design: I understand that this was done by a Korean developer, and you can tell by the art style.”
  • grinding12 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is characterized by a repetitive gameplay loop that requires extensive farming for upgrades, particularly after level 8, where the resource demands become notably high. While some players find excitement in the upgrade process, many criticize the grind as tedious and unfun, compounded by subpar animation quality in cutscenes. Overall, the experience can be frustrating if players attempt harder challenges without sufficient upgrades.

    • “The gameplay loop is grindy and repetitive; aside from a few pre-rendered cutscenes, most of the cutscene animations are barely comparable to 'baby's first SFM reel'.”
    • “It's grindy, repetitive, and some of the animations are janky as hell.”
    • “The amount of farming to upgrade the special attack points after level 8 is brutal: 36,000 DNA for level 9 and 50,000 DNA for level 10 (with grave and with bunji).”
  • stability11 mentions

    Overall, stability in the game has received mixed reviews. While some players report encountering significant bugs, particularly during boss fights, others have noted that they have not experienced any major issues since the initial release. However, the presence of glitches and janky gameplay remains a common concern among users.

    • “The boss fight in the Hong Kong area freezes at the last part of the fight.”
    • “If people thought Gotham Knights was buggy, that has nothing on this.”
    • “Gameplay gets tiresome quickly, with repetitive environments, an array of bugs and glitches, and haphazard encounter design.”
  • replayability7 mentions

    The game offers high replayability, with multiple playable characters and upgradeable stats and abilities, making it suitable for both casual and hardcore players. While it has some budget title pitfalls, many users find it enjoyable for quick achievement hunting and are optimistic about future improvements from the developers. Overall, players have engaged in multiple playthroughs, indicating strong replay value.

    • “Still has many of the pitfalls associated with a budget title like this, and maybe still wait for a sale, but this game has tons of replay value and the devs seem to be very invested in making this game a much more fun and welcoming experience to both casual and hardcore players alike.”
    • “I have played multiple playthroughs on this game as it has quite good replayable value.”
    • “Replay value is high - Grave's stats and abilities can be upgraded and there is more than just Grave to play as.”
    • “Replay value is high - Grave's stats and abilities can be upgraded, and there is more than just Grave to play as.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back. The story doesn't change, and the side quests feel repetitive.”
    • “While there are multiple characters to choose from, the gameplay mechanics remain largely the same, making it feel less fresh on subsequent playthroughs.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding the janky cutscenes and quirky character animations particularly amusing. The comedic elements contribute significantly to the overall enjoyment, making for a lighthearted experience.

    • “It's hilarious.”
    • “The janky in-game cutscenes are funny.”
    • “The model animation is funny when the grave is pinned down by 4 bosses.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    Reviews indicate a strong dissatisfaction with the monetization strategies employed, particularly criticizing the reliance on microtransactions in remade classics, which many feel undermines the original experience and caters to corporate interests over player enjoyment.

    • “Everything has to be modernized to appeal to the status quo for the big men in suits, even nostalgia-baiting people with the 'olde' by remaking classics, and totally butchering them with microtransactions.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

56% average critic score

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