Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 (Switch)

Inti Creates have become a household name creating retro inspired adventures, one of their biggest I.Ps is the heavily inspired Gunvolt series. Is this latest Spin-Off more MegaMan Zero and less Soccer?. Read on to find out. 

Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 is infact a sequel to the original Luminous Avenger iX which spawned from Gunvolt Azure Striker 2, starring Copen the anti-hero from Azure 2. Without trying to draw too many comparisons it’s much like MegaMan X and it’s spin off MegaMan Zero. 

Being a standalone series now (hence the Gunvolt Chronicles moniker) Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 has its own narrative independent from the main series and follows Copen as he stumbles across a giant tower after falling through a wormhole. 

The good thing is despite all the nods and references mainly to the previous title, Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 manages to stand up narratively on its own and paints a fairly decent story that will grip you early on with its cheeky writing and distinct characters. 

On the other side of the coin you can skip as much story as you want and it doesn’t really impact you, much like the series it emulates it’s more gameplay than narrative and doesn’t require you to know anything. 

Visually Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 is the best looking Inti Creates title to date, it’s a perfect marriage of detailed sprite work, flawless animation and varied scenery that presents a master class in how 2D Platformers can be timeless visually. 

The character designs are all a little OTT anime cliche to the point fanservice is painfully rampant throughout the cutscenes. Though a special shout out to the boss designs which were all fantastic and brought me back to the days of huddling over the Gameboy SP playing a certain Blonde Maverick Hunters latest adventures.

A final note on visual presentation is how fluid and well drawn the special attack animations are, think Super Robot Wars level of animation and detail, as the kids would say “it slaps”.

The music in this game is brilliantly catchy and energetic matching the look and feel of the title. There are some vocal tracks which I “believe” are produced by a famous Japanese singer but it’s far from my level of expertise sadly to confirm. 

Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 is an action 2D platformer, as I’ve made many mentions to it is very similar to the Mega Man series so if you’re familiar with them then you’ll know what to expect. 

If you haven’t ever ventured into Gunvolt or Blue Bomber territory, this game involves platforming and fast paced run and slash action. 

Unlike previous titles this one gives Copen a blade attack instead of a ranged attack like in previous games. This brings the overall pace and weight of the game down and honestly it feels really REALLY good for the change, helps separate itself from the main series while still feeling familiar. 

Copen still has his dash and can zip across the screen within his meter, hitting enemies causes you to lock onto them and you can attack at a distance very briefly. 

You also have access to various side weapons, more are unlocked after beating a boss and usually each boss has a weakness to a specific weapon, creating a little strategy in how you tackle the game’s bosses. 

Finally in your arsenal you have a special attack which not only triggers the stunning animation I mentioned earlier but also deals some hefty damage and screen clears weaker foes. This requires time to build up so it is something you should use sparingly. 

The boss fights are all fantastic and through sound and tells you can easily identify attacks, while pattern based you’ll be kept on your toes and grasping for that weakness in some of the best boss fights produced by Inti Creates yet.

Initially Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 isn’t a long game clocking in at around 2 hours to finish. There are plenty of challenges and even some secret endings to unlock to bolster the playtime but don’t expect anything JRPG standard. 

Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 feels like exactly where the series should be now, the previous title felt a little too “more of the same”, this one on the other hand looks and feels familiar but fresh at the same time. The future for this series is about as bright as Gunvolt himself!