Inti Creates has developed some of the best 2D action games ever made, and that is a simple fact. From the Mega Man Zero and ZX series, to their own titles like Azure Striker Gunvolt, the company knows how to make great games. Now they have taken their beloved Gunvolt series and created a spinoff that focuses on the character Copen. Luminous Avenger iX functions as the Mega Man Zero to Azure Striker Gunvolt’s Mega Man X, in that way.
Inti Creates is never one to be satisfied with what they have done so far and have set out to top themselves with what might just be the best entry in the series yet. The basics of the Gunvolt series are here, but its the polish that makes this stand out. The game includes a number of tweaks to reduce needless frustration without holding your hand, such as small hints as to which weapons work against which bosses.
In addition, the EX weapons have been changed to now have individual energy bars, This means you no longer have to worry about wasting all your energy on an ineffective attack and can now switch to the correct weapon and still have a full amount of energy. Of course this comes with a big tradeoff, as you will have to recharge each EX weapon individually. That is not a major issue though, as the benefits outweigh this detail.
Another change is that mission collectables are handled differently and will always appear in consistent spots making them much easier to track down. Loadout Customization is also different in this game as you no longer need to do any material farming and just need credits. You can also equip as many subroutines as you want, so you can go all out. If anything, this plays very similar to Coppen’s route in Gunvolt 2, but with a lot of attention put in to fix what was needed and make the game better.
Luminous Avenger iX is perhaps the darkest game in the series so far in terms of tone, but there is also a hopeful energy about it. The narrative is well handled and Copen truly stands out here as a character. I love what Inti Creates have done here, as they have truly gone wild in terms of game design. This is the most inventive I have seen them be with the series so far, and the weapons and levels are very inspired.
To sum up: This is a perfect refinement of the Azure Striker Gunvolt formula and is easily a must play for fans of the series and 2D action. I highly recommend checking this one out.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided