Gun Valkyrie

by Sega

Product Features

• For Play on Your Xbox
• Published by Sega
• Game Genre: Action/Adventure

Product Details

• ASIN: B00005Y404
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,972 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Blends intense action with stunning visuals as you explore a terrifying world, exterminating an aggressive alien species.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastically complex control scheme may turn some away., March 19, 2002

By 

Seppo Helava (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gun Valkyrie (Video Game)

GUNVALKYRIE, from Sega is a beautiful game, set in a fantastic electric-punk alternative 1800's world. The graphics are astonishingly beautiful, the action is fast and frenetic, and the missions are reasonably varied, and fun.

All this comes at a price, however.

In an effort to fully utilize the xbox's controller, Smilebit has come up with a control scheme that is as versatile as it is difficult to learn. While you'll be giggling with unabashed glee as you leap into the air, jump over an enemy, blast it to pieces, cartwheel to the side, turn to the left, and fill a handful of aliens full of lead (or whatever it is your gun shoots), all in the span of maybe half a second, and all in one fluid motion, it's not easy to get to the point where you're that familiar with the controls.

In essence, the left analog stick controls your body, and the right analog stick controls the direction your arms (and thus, gun) face. Left trigger jumps, right trigger shoots, face buttons switch weapons. But it's way more complex than that, because of the analog stick clicks, which add a whole new world of complexity to the controls. Click on the left stick and move, and you'll "boost dash", either forward, to the side, or backwards. Click on the left stick, and you'll change facing, in 90 degree increments, depending on which direction the stick's pointed in.

So, while you'll be able to execute that jump-dash forward-shoot-cartwheel-turn-shoot move, it'll require you to left trigger/left stick click forward/right trigger/left stick click right/right click stick left, all in sequence. Rewarding, but again, difficult.

Once you've invested the time, though, GV's an incredible experience. You'll start on the ground, running from the bugs, but by the end of the game, your feet won't even ever touch the ground.

A unique, fast-paced experience, full of interesting levels, and a really unique world. If you can deal with the difficult controls, you'll be well rewarded with an action game unlike anything ever made.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unjustly maligned controls, October 8, 2002

By 

D. K. Malone (earth) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gun Valkyrie (Video Game)

Many people seem to believe that *all* games should have simple, intuitive, pick-up-and-play control schemes... and that any game that does not is not worth playing. Period. While I agree that simple and familiar controls are obviously a plus, some games, such as GunValkyrie, involve innovative mechanics which necessitate controls that are complex and unprecedented and require some effort on the part of the player to learn how to use them properly. The impatient gamer will fumble around for a few minutes, stop playing out of frustration, and delcare that the game stinks. The more dedicated will take the time to familiarize themselves with the controls and the mechanics until they have a firm grasp on them.

A lot of people who dislike GunValkyrie bemoan the fact that the dual joysticks are used to the exclusion of the face buttons. They see this as a design flaw. On the contrary, rather than a flaw it's an utter necessity in order to facilitate the game play. In a way, GunValkyrie is like an updated version of Robotron 2084. It's all about moving in one direction while aiming and shooting in another. As Robotron proved 20 years ago, the best way to do this is by using dual joysticks. The game involves so much constant maneuvering and shooting, there's simply no feasible way to relegate any of the controls to the face buttons. Doing so would require you to remove your thumb from the right joystick, instantly severing your control of the character. You've got to keep both thumbs on the sticks. There's no other way to allow the player to launch into the air, jet horizontally over an enemy to get a clear shot at its weak point, and then aim down to fire at it. GunValkyries's controls are innovative and empowering to the point that they deserve an award.

All of that said, this game is indeed challenging. But the difficulty doesn't come from poor design or merely being "cheap". It's just an excellent update of the good old fashioned arcade style shooter that requires patience, practice and skill.

The beautiful graphics don't exactly hurt either.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very challenging and a lot of fun!, March 13, 2003

By 

Blwessels "Blwessels" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gun Valkyrie (Video Game)

First of all, I am not a typical gamer. I'm a 38 year old mother of two who hasn't really played video games since my Atari days back in my teens (which I was pretty good back then). So when we bought an Xbox last month I didn't think I'd get much use out of it. The first game I played was Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I absolutely loved it!! The second game is GunValkyrie! I think it's a blast! I haven't had any trouble at all with the controls and I don't get what all the complaining is about. I followed the instructions in the beginning (the first level, you get pop ups that tell you how to do things). When I knew I needed to learn how to fly, I read the instruction manual and just practiced it until I got it. There is a big pit in the second level where you need to fly and I practiced a lot in that area and had some fun zooming all over the place. I read that another reviewer also suggests this and I think it is a good time to hone your skills.

I think the graphics are very good in this game. The sky looks really cool and when you look up at the sun you get solar glare. I haven't really noticed the music that some people have complained about at all.

This game is really challenging and you do get frustrated when you have to start a level all over again because you died but it is also fun trying to figure out how to get through each level. Yes, at times I'm ready to throw my control at the TV but I'd be bored stiff if the game was too easy. Just today I had a timed level where you are assigned to kill a specific species and I had 30 minutes to do it in and I had done this level a whole bunch of times and have gotten better each time but this last time I ran out of time a few seconds away from victory!! Not looking forward to doing it again but when I complete it I'll be thrilled!!

I suggest though because others have said that the controls are hard to figure out to rent the game first and give it a try.