Hands-On: Gunvalkyrie
Pong Sifu spends some time with Smilebit?s futuristic, bug-hunting fragfest, Gunvalkyrie.
Set in an alternate, steampunk-inspired future, Gunvalkyrie is a fast-paced bug-shooter developed by Smilebit (Panzer Dragoon, Jet Set Radio). Though originally scheduled for the Dreamcast?and slated to make simultaneous use of the controller and light gun?the game will now appear on the Xbox. As a cybernetic super-soldier armed with an arsenal of bug-shredding weapons and upgradable, biomechanical armor, you?ll go up against legions of giant insectoids. The graphics in the preview version looked super-sweet with smooth, fantastically shaded animation, while the outdoor environments featured beautiful textures, exotic alien flora, and hordes of gargantuan, squishy arachnids to pulverize into bug paste.
So far, so good, right? Well, not so fast. While the controls in the early build should have enabled you to effortlessly run and shoot in every direction, they instead made it impossible to turn right or left without running around in a large circle. Unless fixed, this could be a killing blow for a game that requires quick response time and sharp maneuverability. Hopefully, Smilebit can fix this aspect before the game?s release.
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