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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 found the following review helpful:

Unjustly maligned controlsOct 08, 2002
By D. K. Malone
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 found the following review helpful:

Very challenging and a lot of fun!Mar 13, 2003
By Blwessels "Blwessels"
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.

7 of 7 found the following review helpful:

A Five Star game BUT...Mar 21, 2002
By Joseph C. Dangelo "twokegger"
It can be honestly said that GunValkyrie is visually stunning. It's anime style graphics will please all. It is definately an XBOX only game (too graphically intense for PS2 and the controls were obviously designed with the XBOX controller in mind only).

The game centers around an alternate reality, where the British Empire controls much of Earth, thanks to a British scientist discovering how to harness the energy residue from Haley's Comet in the 1900s. After the scientist (his name escapes me at the moment) and the inhabitants of a colonized planet disappear, two GunValkyrie are sent to investigate.

The game itself plays out like Halo meets Starship Troopers, where you battle it out with a variety of giant insect swarms in 20 or so missions.

And now for the "BUT"

This game is NOT for everyone. It has a very high learning curve in respect to player movement - and I mean a HIGH LEARNING CURVE. All 6 buttons, both thumb sticks, and both triggers are used heavily. Once you get the hang of it, a lot of the game will remind you of classic NES games, where you have to make a long series of timed jumps (actually, they're jet-pack boosts). This wouldn't be so bad, if you did not have to start the mission over again - from the beginning - if you die (try jumping from small platform to small platform in a 3D environment while giant mosquitos are dropping bombs on you in one life!). Another way it will remind you of old NES games is that after every mission, you can "buy" power-ups.

Another intersting aspect of the game is how unforgiving it is if you don't walk, fly, and fight in the manner the game expects you to do. You will find yourself boosting all over the place to avoid swarms of giant insects to survive - mess up, and it's back to the beginning.

As I stated, this game is not for everyone. If you thought moving your character in other games was finicky, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Once you learn how to navigate, the game is incredibly fun and fluid. I think it is one of the best games ever made, but there will be a lot of people who will disagree because of the difficulty in learning how to play.

8 of 9 found the following review helpful:

Porcupines and ButterfliesMar 18, 2003
By flaviolius
Originally slated by Sega for release on the Dreamcast (and to have used a controller in conjunction with a light gun!), GunValkyrie is the type of game that is becoming rare these days: a skill-based, challenging, unique experience. But it adds superb graphics and sound, and some of the best videogame art found in the current generation.

It wasn't Halo that sold me on the Xbox (although it's a fantastic game in its own right), but Sega's steampunk bug-shooter with the bizarre and perfect control setup.

It's intentionally ironic, I think, that the "A" button - often the primary button for most games - has no game-based function in GunValkyrie. Smilebit (the Sega team that developed GV) has introduced an ingenious control scheme that's one of the best things to happen in the 128-bit era. Simple, yet demanding, especially when combined with the devious level designs of the planet Tir na Nog. Contrary to what others may say, GV's controls are NOT terrible. They do exactly what they're supposed to do, with no lag between input and execution. What the doomsayers mean is that the controls are UNFAMILIAR. Smilebit throws you into the middle of hordes of enemies, with tiny platforms to navigate, daring you to complete the obstacles. Much like MDK2, GV starts tough and quickly gets tougher, but in doing so, it causes you to adapt and grow, to the point where you are regularly maxing the boost combo meter without even thinking about it, rarely touching the ground. That is the sign of inspired game design. With dedication and patience, anyone can learn the controls, and the payoff is an "in-the-zone" feeling, along with a dazzling midair ballet as you deal matchlock cannon and drive-gun death to the insectoid minions.

And what visuals there are. The animation for all characters is astounding, and the boss creatures are awe-inspiring, horrific, and memorable. Small details, like how your character absorbs the recoil of gunfire, are everywhere. The best part of the graphics, however, are the levels themselves. The Valley levels teem with organic, pulsating life, uplifting air currents, and remarkable skylines. The Civilian Base halls sport alien, yet familiar architecture, with huge gears and semi-transparent doors. The real winner is Naglfar's Pit, a mile-high acid-filled gorge with drifting lights, multiple platforms, and an odd, almost underwater ripple effect to everything, along with a haunting music-box soundtrack and insane ramblings from...well, I'll leave that to you to discover.

GunValkyrie combines the best aspects of the shooting, platforming, and adventure genres into one incredible experience, adds a heavy dose of much-needed innovation, and tops it off with a perfectly realized, surreal atmosphere, polishing everything to a hypnotic shine. Some may argue that once you learn the controls, the game becomes simple, and while that's true in part, the joy is in the journey, not necessarily the destination. Getting "S" rankings on all missions will take some time as well! Sega is one of the gaming industry's last real pioneers, and it's good to know that they're still around. Microsoft also gets a nod for taking a chance on this kind of title on a relatively new console.

Anyone looking for something a little different, or a serious challenge, owes it to themselves to try GunValkyrie. Gems like this are becoming precious few.

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