Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 3

By virtue of the second main iteration trumpeting both styles of play (Gunvolt, Copen), I prefer it, but Luminous Avenger distills so much of what made the series pop in the first place that it's also worth investing in. My advice? Try Gunvolt 2 first to see if you like Copen, then go from there.

What we have here is a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding action platformer which lives up to the quality as expected from the studio. Its minor quibbles do little to tarnish what is a charming game and all-round rewarding experience. The ride does end a little too quickly and veterans of the genre may desire a bit more of a challenge, but on the whole this is a great little game which confirms the studio as being perhaps the best in their field.

Copen was originally featured as a playable character in Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, but being given his own title has made him shine amazingly.

As a huge Mega Man fan and considering the similarities (I actually devoured the previous Gunvolt game on Switch early last year), I tried very hard to enjoy Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX. The presentation and the feel of it felt like I was playing an homage to the original Mega Man X game, however the lack of tutorial and absurd combat drags it down. It’s really fun until you reach a boss; trying to randomly manage your sub-weapons while bosses do exaggerated damage is annoying. If you have the patience to figuring out an overly complicated combat system, there’s a chance you’ll enjoy; otherwise you might want to check out Metaloid Origin instead.

Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX is what comes next in the Azure Striker Gunvolt series and it should be said, it's a very good work at keeping the banner high. With a frantic, high-paced yet simple and accessible gameplay, Luminous Avenger iX brings the best of the series to the Nintendo Switch and will charm the fans of the Gunvolt franchise and its retro inspirations, despite a rather unpolished soundtrack and inconsistent boss fights.

A curious example of a title being both more refined, but also less good than its predecessor. The action is smoother, better, and overall much more engaging. Purely as a platformer it is great fun, can be picked up cheap, and is only marred by simplistic, one-way levels and its short length. As an entry it is inferior to its predecessor with the removal of various gear, crafting, and challenges, making it a one-trick pony.

Despite some issues that makes it feel like a step below Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, Luminous Avenger iX is still a worthy inclusion in the Gunvolt Chronicles universe.

If you’re a new player just getting into the franchise, you might be a little lost with the narrative, but you’ll still have a good time with the fast and frenetic gameplay. For a paltry $15, the game’s meager length can be pretty easily forgiven as well.

The game flows well as a result, encouraging you to go back and improve your performance in certain stages. The level design and gameplay mechanics make for a very sharp 8.5 hours.

Delivers some of the best momentary action in the series.