Gungrave
A 2002 third-person shooter about revenge.
Gungrave (ガングレイヴ, Gangureivu) is a third-person shooter released in 2002 for the PlayStation 2. It was developed by Red Entertainment and published by Sega in Japan, with Sega also handling the North American release; Activision published it in Europe. The story follows the main character as he moves through various stages on a quest for revenge.
The game received moderate reviews for its gameplay, but was praised for its character designs by series creator Yasuhiro Nightow (known for *Trigun*) and mechanical designs by Kōsuke Fujishima (of *Oh My Goddess!*, *You're Under Arrest*, and *Sakura Wars*). The distinct style from these artists, along with fan support, led to an anime adaptation and a 2004 PlayStation 2 sequel titled *Gungrave: Overdose*. Cinematics for the original game were produced by Ikusabune Co., Ltd., while the sequel was developed by Red Entertainment.
As a third-person shooter, the game centers on combat. Players move through hallway-like stages with free range of motion, facing waves of enemies before reaching an end-level boss. Combat mixes long-range gunplay with close-range melee, and the game rates the player's flair for destroying everything in sight.
Players control Beyond the Grave, who has both a life bar and a damage-absorbing energy shield shown as a blue bar on the heads-up display. When the shield is fully depleted, Grave becomes highly vulnerable, and further damage quickly reduces his health. The shield recharges fully if he avoids damage for a short time.
Performing well in stages unlocks special attacks, such as machine guns or rockets launched from the coffin on Grave's back. These are used by charging the beat meter, represented by a skull in the top-left corner of the display. To build the meter, Grave must perform combos—sometimes hundreds of hits—by destroying enemies or objects in the environment. Strategy is needed to create long, devastating combos that maintain the over-the-top action.
Stages and key events are separated by anime cutscenes with art by Nightow, where the story unfolds. These scenes expand on characters and provide backstory not obvious from gameplay alone.
The game is set in an unnamed city controlled by the Millennion organization, overrun by crime and a mysterious drug called seed.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Gungrave
- Developer
- Red Entertainment
- Publisher
- JP · Red Entertainment · NA · Sega · PAL · Activision · KR · Sony Computer Entertainment Korea
- Designer
- Naohito Hanai / Tomohiro Maruyama / Hidenori Tanaka
- Programmer
- Naohito Hanai
- Artist
- Yasuhiro Nightow
- Composer
- Tsuneo Imahori
- Platforms
- PlayStation 2
- Released
- JP · July 18, 2002 · NA · September 17, 2002 · EU · November 29, 2002
- Genre
- Third-person shooter
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game is set in an unknown city controlled by the Millennion organization, overrun by crime and a drug called seed. The story follows Grave, a man resurrected by Dr. T, as he seeks revenge against his former best friend Harry Macdowell, who killed him. Stages are missions issued by Dr. T, leading Grave through environments like a bar, lab, subway, and a Japanese dojo atop a skyscraper. Anime cutscenes with art by Nightow reveal the backstory of Brandon and Harry, who were close friends and lieutenants in Millennion. Harry shot Brandon after Brandon refused to help kill Big Daddy, the organization's leader. Fifteen years later, Harry's coup led Dr. T to revive Brandon as Grave. Grave defeats Millennion's leadership, but Harry is ultimately killed by his own men or dies in an explosion, not by Grave's hand.
Reader's Guide
Gungrave is significant as a third-person shooter that gained a cult following, leading to an anime adaptation and a sequel. Its gameplay focuses on combat with a free range of motion in hallway-like stages, wave after wave of enemies, and end-level bosses. The player controls Beyond the Grave, who has a damage-absorbing energy shield that recharges after a brief period without damage. Performing well unlocks special attacks like machine guns or rockets from his coffin, charged by building a beat meter through combos. The game's distinct feel came from the character designs by Yasuhiro Nightow (Trigun) and mechanical designs by Kōsuke Fujishima (Oh My Goddess!, You're Under Arrest, Sakura Wars). Cinematics were provided by Ikusabune Co., Ltd., which also developed the sequel under Red Entertainment's supervision. Reception was mixed according to Metacritic, with praise for its style and criticism for limited moves.
Did You Know?
- The game was inspired by multiple action films, most notably those by John Woo.
- Beyond the Grave was created by manga artist Yasuhiro Nightow, who wanted him to be a silent character.
- The character is voiced in Japanese by Tomokazu Seki and in English by Kirk Thornton.
- The game's beat meter is represented by a skull on the top left corner of the heads-up display.
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