What
Gungrave has in graphics, it most certainly lacks in gameplay. This game is about as deep as a pond in the Sahara, and only becomes dryer by the minute. As you take the main character, Grave, on a destructive romp through slums and subways, the plot as well as the action becomes more insipid.
As Grave, a former member of The Syndicate (how many Syndicates does that make now?), you have sold your soul for a body that can wreak havoc upon mortal man. Aided by an old friend and a pair of huge pistols that never run out of ammo, you trudge from level to level, carrying your coffin on your back (this also doubles as a weapon at times), blasting everything in site.
If done the right way, this method of gameplay can turn out great (Contra anyone?). However, Gungrave has twisted it into a recipe for disaster. Blasting the same enemies again and again, in very monotonous environments, tends to get a little boring. The guns, too, never change, except for the coffin on your back, which fires special shots that must be guarded with rabid enthusiasm.
Enemies you will face along the way can wield a number of weapons, including rocket launchers, suitcase machine guns, right down to samurai swords. Unfortunately, most of them are never on screen long enough to get a good look at, leaving you firing at a silhouette most of the time, taking the excitement out of crushing you enemies. Even the level bosses suffer from a lack of inspiration here. Making the bosses a little more unique could have saved a little face, but instead of battling crazed monstrosities, you usually end up face to face with a guy in a suit, and you have no idea of why you have to end their meager lives.
