Azure Striker Gunvolt

So, I've spent a lot of time over the past couple of years playing Mega Man games. I've played the entire classic series, about half of MMX, all of Mega Man Zero (and Mega Man ZX), so I've become pretty familiar with Inti Creates as a company. They've developed most of the more recent Mega Man titles instead of Capcom--and, more recently, they've developed an original IP in Azure Striker Gunvolt, which reads as something of a successor to Mega Man Zero/ZX and Mega Man X. And hey, it's pretty good, too.

What I like about Gunvolt is that it's not just a copy of previous formats. It's much less shooting-focused than Mega Man X because of the way Gunvolt's tagging works. Enemies can be tagged with fired shots, up to three times. These tags make enemies vulnerable to Gunvolt's lightning attacks, which emanate from his Flashfield, toggled on with the R button. In fact, lightning will straight up seek targets that are tagged, meaning there's no aiming element at all once tagging has been done.

Of course, there is a downside to using Flashfield--it rapidly consumes EP, the resource through with Gunvolt wields his electricity. Fortunately, EP can be instantly replenished simply by quickly double tapping down on the d-pad. There is a brief animation when this happens and it therefore cannot be done while moving, which makes it difficult to do in hectic boss encounters. EP does slowly regenerate over time, however.

EP isn't used just for the Flashfield, though. It's also consumed when Gunvolt uses special techniques like Air Hopping and Air Dashing--both of which are unlocked by crafting mechanical components consisting of pieces collected from the game's levels. Additionally, EP is consumed for Prevasion, a mechanic in which Gunvolt blocks damage entirely as long as he has EP left to discharge. It is for this reason that it is extremely important to avoid getting hit, because once his EP has been completely depleted, he overheats and is unable to recharge for several seconds. This renders Gunvolt much less effective in combat, much less mobile, and much more vulnerable to damage.

Mega Man X is firing off massive charged shots while rapidly dashing and wall-jumping through stages. Mega Man Zero is more about getting up close and personal with the Z-Saber while performing similar feats of speed. Of course, MMZ is much more unforgiving and in fact awards you ranks for your competence at completing certain levels. Azure Striker Gunvolt strikes a balance between the two. It's not altogether as challenging as Mega Man Zero, but there is still that emphasis on being as efficient as possible. There are challenges to complete that reward upgrade parts and you are still ranked on your performance--but these ranks are somewhat less important this time around.

What makes Gunvolt feel so different than X or Zero is his emphasis on using electrical powers and his use of flashy special skills. The majority of the damage Gunvolt deals comes from his electricity. His shots really only serve as a means to an end. Balancing the use of electricity and maintaining a stack of three tags on bosses while rhythmically recharging EP is a unique play style that really sets the game apart. Of course, the traditional MMX dashing and air-jumping mechanics are still there, but it is a game that has its own identity even so.

I'm playing the sequel as we speak and I'm intrigued at the inclusion of a secondary character. I'll probably have some things to say about that as well sometime soon.