Thursday, July 30, 2015

Ten Improvements I'd like to See in Gunvolt 2

I don't think it's any secret that I'm a massive Gunvolt fan. From the very second I started playing the game (and heck, even before), I knew it was going to be my favorite title on the 3DS up to that point. And I knew that I was gonna play the crap out of it. And I also knew that I wasn't going to be able to rest until I'd managed to get the highest rank possible in every single stage. It's an absolutely phenomenal game, filled to the brim with fast-paced action, thrilling music, breathtaking artwork, and clever stage design. In short, everything you'd expect to find in an Inti Creates title!
As much as I love Gunvolt overall, though, I won't deny that it has some problems here and there. In this post, I'll be covering ten things that I'd like to see improved in the game's sequel, which is currently in development. Now, bear in mind, these are all just based on my personal opinion, but having played the game for around 300 hours now, I'd like to think I'm as good of a judge as the next guy.

So, without further ado, here we go!


1. The kudos counter on the left-hand corner of the screen needs to be reduced in size. There were a lot of times where it would blind me (ex. when I'd hop up a left wall), and I'd get hit because I couldn't see the position of GV.

2. The special skills should really be assigned to specific buttons on the 3DS, instead of the bottom screen. In such fast-paced gameplay as Gunvolt, extending your thumb to a specific spot on the bottom screen can be kind of a hassle, especially if the skills are located further left on the screen.

3. (English version) Don't. Cut. Any. Text. This is probably my biggest gripe about the first Gunvolt game.

4. (English Version) Keep the translation more faithful to the Japanese version. I don't want to whine too much here, but I honestly found the translation in Gunvolt to be awful. The combination of the dark, serious setting and the corny dialogue just felt really awkward to me. This post summarizes my thoughts on the matter very well.
Also, I really don't see what difference changing "Feather" to "Quill" makes. Or "Monica" to "Moniqa". Or "Gino" to "Zeno". If anything, they tend to make things more confusing. By renaming Gino "Zeno", he goes from being an Italian to a Greek. And by renaming Monica "Moniqa", she goes from being a German to a Swede. The next thing you know, all the characters' established backgrounds are turned upside-down. Things are often a lot less confusing when you just stick to the original source.

5. (English version) Try to keep the JP voices intact in the cutscenes/stage dialogue. I can understand how English translations can sometimes interfere with this, but I really think it's a good idea to maintain the original voices whenever possible. In any case, if it could be done for Mighty No. 9, it can be done for Gunvolt 2.

6. The Kudos counter should extend past 9,999. There were a lot of times, particularly in my Gauntlet runs, where I was required to reset the counter with a skill because I couldn't carry any more than 9,999 kudos at a time.

7. There should be an option that disables the command-dash. There were several times where I'd get hit because I accidentally pressed left/right twice in rapid succession. This was a particular problem when I was trying to dodge Daytona's Sunshine Nova.

8. The gear that you can unlock as you buy more stuff in the shop should be made more obvious. I recall relying on just trial-and-error to discover what items lead to what, and save-scumming so I wouldn't waste my funds.

9. Maybe I'm nitpicking now, but I found the items in the shop to be a little too expensive. I kinda think the prices should be reduced.

10. Please don't add another attack like Daytona's Sunshine Nova. Please.

And there we have it! Do agree with the things listed above? Do you disagree? Let me know!

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