Review: Azure Striker Gunvolt 3

destructoid.com:

I say this so often, but it’s hard to imagine a gaming landscape without Inti Creates preserving old school experiences for new audiences. Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 keeps that train rolling.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 (PC, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch)Developer: Inti CreatesPublisher: Inti CreatesReleased: July 28, 2022 (Switch) / August 2, 2022 (Xbox) / Q4 2022 (PC)MSRP: $29.99

At this point, we’re flush with Gunvolt games. Here’s a recap since the series kicked off in 2014:

And yet, I’m not sick of it all. Still!

While the story still plunges into the depths of insanity at times in Azure Striker Gunvolt 3, we’re once again grounded by the addition of a new playable character: Kirin. Smartly, Kirin is the focus this time, as she’s the core playable character, with Gunvolt serving as a swappable “bonus” of sorts. Playing as Kirin gives the game a completely different feel, since you can pretty much play the entire game with just her.

Her hook is throwing talismans (kind of like how Gambit throws cards in X-Men), which latch onto enemies similar to Gunvolt’s lock-on feature. Except this time, those talismans are “softening enemies up” for sword slashes, giving Kirin a “Zero to Gunvolt’s Mega Man X” gameplay juxtaposition. The entire “battle priestess” angle works through and through, and her attacks have a lot of flair to them that make her feel different not just compared to Gunvolt, but prior characters in the series.

It’s also really intuitive. You gauge how much damage you’re going to do to enemies by marking them for death, and a little indicator comes up on their health bar showcasing the damage you’ll deal if you hit them while talismans are attached. You can load up enemies while you’re dodging around and then