With a third game scheduled for 2027, the Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX series has grown to be about as important as the numbered games themselves. Starring protagonist Copen and going all-in on the series’ famously fast-paced action gameplay, players have ripped through the original game released in 2019 and its sequel in 2022. Perhaps inevitably, given the series’ past focus on compilations, it’s finally time for yet another. Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 1+2 Dual Collection is a double serving of run-and-gun action from Inti Creates.
The Out of Gunvolt, Luminous Avenger iX 1
Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX opens with Copen fighting through a now totally dystopian future of Gunvolt’s world, which was already full of strife thanks to the constant battles between the ordinary humans and Adepts, humans blessed with innate and unique superpowers. For reasons unknown, normal humans (now labeled “Minos”) are on the back foot and are being slowly and systematically culled as a species by the world government Sumeragi, one of the major antagonistic factions of the first two numbered Gunvolt games. Yet something is amiss: Sumeragi initially did the opposite of what they’re doing now, using every method to keep Adepts and not ordinary humans in check. Even in this current setting, Adepts are also kept under heavy surveillance and used as what are essentially pawns. This new story begs a ton of questions out the gate. Why is Copen so different from how he was in Gunvolt 1 and 2, going from a hot-blooded killer who spoke about purging all Adepts to someone generally more mellow and perfectly willing to spare his enemies? What in the world is the Butterfly Effect that he and Lola (his robot companion) are seeking out? On top of many pressing questions, the one at the top of the list has to be “Where in the world is Gunvolt?”
Before those questions can be answered, a mysterious and powerful Sumeragi soldier named Blade hounds and nearly kills Copen. On top of being a bit crazy, they also strangely bear the same Azure Striker power as Gunvolt. After being narrowly saved by a group of kids including secondary protagonist Kohaku, Copen resolves to protect them by fighting off Sumeragi’s top brass while inching closer to the truth of what the Butterfly Effect is. It’s a pretty fun, though generally leaner story compared to past Gunvolt games. Unlike prior games, which featured mid-stage dialogue to help flesh out plot and characterization, Luminous Avenger iX has mission briefings, conversations with different characters at Copen’s home base, and pre-battle and post-battle dialogue with bosses. Despite the lesser amount of dialogue, it gets a lot of surprisingly good emotional beats in its short window of time.
iX 1’s story also features some especially tremendous revelations that make it an excellent companion piece to the first two Azure Striker Gunvolt titles, which I would recommend playing first for the fullest impact here. It’s not a sequel to Gunvolt 2 and doesn’t really feel like one, but it also fulfills something that only a spinoff (or as the creators call it, a ‘spinout’) can really do when made with a lot of care and intention. It adds a lot of recontextualization to those first two games in ways that allow me to appreciate them even more in retrospect. I can’t go much further than that without spoiling what it gets up to, but suffice it to say that I think every player should go into this game as blind as possible. The end result is my second favorite overall Gunvolt story, just below the original game.
Dash ‘n Shoot
The gameplay of Luminous Avenger iX 1 is solely focused on Copen’s gameplay from Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, containing many of the same isms that the series has since downplayed in the wake of iX 2 and Gunvolt 3. Copen maintains Gunvolt’s “tag and attack gameplay,” where you perform a certain action to lock onto them and attack from a distance, but instead of shooting an enemy to tag them, he instead dashes directly into them with his Bullit Dash. Copen expends a Bullit to perform a Bullit Dash, letting him fly at high speeds in any direction, and he regains a Bullit either by safely dashing into an enemy and tagging them or by bouncing off of a wall. Once an enemy is tagged, he can shoot rapid-fire homing shots from any distance. With each enemy defeated also comes Kudos, points received for defeating enemies and collecting the four Bonus Emblems hidden in each level. With 1000 Kudos comes Overdrive Mode, where Lola will transform and sing, with extra enhancements being given to Copen based on whatever skills and upgrades he has equipped. At the end of each stage, Kudos collected are multiplied based on player performance (number of enemies defeated and how much time is spent in a stage), where players are then given a rank from C to S+.
Luminous Avenger iX is predicated on high-risk, high-reward gameplay, based on its three gameplay styles and Prevasion system. Prevasion is a mechanic that will let you instantly phase through an attack if players remain still or aren’t performing an attack, at the cost of one Bullit. With this come three options that are effectively difficulty selects for score attacking:
- Gutless, where players will not lose Kudos upon being hit, but its score multiplier maxes out at x49.
- Cautious, where players can be hit a maximum of three times before losing their Kudos, but its score multiplier maxes out at x89.
- Fearless, where players will instantly lose all Kudos upon being hit a single time, but its score multiplier maxes out at x99.
Getting an S+ Rank involves going all-or-nothing. If you want to go for the highest score, you need to play flawlessly, meaning never dropping a combo, never being hit, and ensuring that you maximize your points payout against every enemy, and doing this all while stopping to grab every Bonus Emblem in a timely manner. Worse still is that you have to contend with each stage’s boss and their complex patterns, making sure not to lose it all by being hit by one of their attacks. It’s deliciously tense stuff and makes finally landing an S+ Rank intensely gratifying. Once players reach S+ Rank, they’ll know the stage like the back of their hand; it’s incredible. This is all made better by solid stage gimmicks and the EX Weapons Copen unlocks by defeating each stage boss a la Mega Man, expanding strategic potential and playstyle approach for all player types.
Just about my only issue with the game, as is typical of Gunvolt, is that it can be a grind to unlock upgrades and customization options to experiment with new kinds of playstyles. Gameplay is otherwise in peak form here, with the fat trimmed and focused down on what kinds of design opportunities can be uniquely offered by Copen’s Gunvolt 2 iteration and a supremely rewarding skill curve. Coupled with a solid story, a great soundtrack, art design that was a noticeable improvement over the 3DS Gunvolt titles, and only just a small handful of frustrations from previous Gunvolt games, and you have what’s my favorite Gunvolt title of all. Upon revisit, I think it’s actually even better than I gave it credit for.
Rip and Tear Until it is Done, Luminous Avenger iX 2
I’ve already covered Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 in the past, and my revisit has further improved my opinion of the game. To give a brief overview of the plot, Luminous Avenger iX 2 goes in a different direction from the first game (which I’m fine with, since iX 1 ends on a reasonably conclusive note), going with a multiversal plot that takes Copen, Lola, and Kohaku to a parallel world where humans have gone extinct and the robots left behind, named Workers, are all that’s left. Joined by Null, who’s just the sweetest cinnamon roll of a robot you’ll ever meet, the four set out to the Grave Pillar, said to be one of the last bastions of humanity’s efforts to repair the desolate planet they find themselves in. Filled with dangerous Workers who hold the keys to proceed up the Grave Pillar, Copen again fights to secure a way home and find out just what the heck is going on.
Despite its detachment from the original game, I still rather enjoy iX 2’s story for its strong sense of mystery. It’s definitely not as good as the first game’s story, and I think my one key disappointment is the lack of Blade in this game’s plot, but otherwise I quite enjoy it. The character work is solid (especially for Null and Lola) and I think its ending pays off in a way that’s true to the overarching themes of Gunvolt. Its worldbuilding also poses some interesting questions about both past and future games, but never in a way that’s overbearing or too lost in its mysteries that the emotional answers are unsatisfying.
Gameplay in Luminous Avenger iX 2 is also quite different. While the game is still a score-focused platformer with Mega Man-like elements where you’ll defeat bosses and take their weapons, the actual mechanics in achieving that are quite different. For one, Copen no longer has his usual Bullit Dash or Bullit system like before, with him able to perform only one dash before he has to land and use it again. His gun has also been replaced with a physical weapon called the Razor Wheel, allowing him to shred enemies while grounded, while projectiles can be fired once the player dashes into an enemy and locks onto them. After reaching 1000 Kudos (which are no longer lost at all unless you die in iX 2’s Normal Mode), players have much more control over their flight and can rack up long combos through stringing flight chains against enemies. I really like this system, as it imparts a nice and irregular rhythm to levels that helps make players consider whether land gameplay or flight gameplay will rack them more points or keep them safer.
This is especially true of the game’s Hard Mode, which is possibly the single toughest Gunvolt experience to date. Kudos returns to its old system, a lack of upgrades forces players to maximize Copen’s base kits and EX Weapons, and much tougher boss patterns require mastery to overcome. While a lot has been said about Hard Mode, I think it’s incredibly satisfying bar the fact that you have to beat the game once to unlock it. For more info on that, you can check out our guide here. iX 2 is overall a pretty darn good game, and while I don’t think it’s as strong as its predecessor, it’s very much worth playing and a great addition to the overall Gunvolt saga.
As A Set
With this all established, the Dual Collection iteration of both titles brings about a decent set of additions and changes to both games. The headlining feature is Endless Battle Mode, which is exactly what it says. Players will go for a high score against an endless wave of boss fights from either Luminous Avenger iX 1 or 2 (using the Hard Mode variations in iX 2’s case), in either Freestyle Mode where you can customize your loadout before battling, or Survival Mode where you’ll be locked out of all your abilities sans Auto-hover and have to regain weapons from defeated bosses. After each defeated boss, you’ll have a choice between one of two randomly chosen boss fights to proceed, and you can go up to 99 wins if that’s what your heart desires. I imagine I’ll get a lot of mileage out of this mode in the future thanks to both games having excellent boss fights across the board, and I hope it gets featured in future Gunvolt games.
Both games also feature some changes that help to smooth over their playability. Luminous Avenger iX 1’s changes are relatively minimal, throwing in some DLC outfits for Kohaku and Lola which were originally timed or store exclusive, as well as a boss battle against a massively empowered Blade. This fight ranks among one of the most difficult in the series, so it serves as a great final test for any would-be Luminous Avenger iX masters. Besides that, Lola’s Darkness Mode has also been noticeably strengthened in attack power and overall usability, adding a nice splash of choice for playstyle. I already love iX 1, so I don’t need any more than this, though it would have been nice if certain aspects of the English translation got touched up to fix inconsistencies.
iX 2 got noticeably more revisions. The most major one is that Copen’s Razor Wheel has also been considerably buffed. After reaching 500 or more Kudos, players will enter a sort of “sub-Overdrive” state where Razor Wheel rips through enemies with ease. Many normal enemies that originally took two or three hits to destroy may now only take one or two, with even larger enemies and bosses being given something to fear with this buff. While I’ve always liked the Razor Wheel as it was, this does the game big favors in improving the overall pacing and flow. This, in addition to the ability to disable lock-on on the fly, adds a lot of new gameplay opportunities that make it more fun to engage with overall.
This version of Luminous Avenger iX 2 also comes with all post-launch DLC, which wound up being fairly extensive. The DLCs total feature five boss boss battles against Kohaku Otori (from COGEN: Sword of Rewind), Yang Yumo (from Dusk Diver 2), Jason Frudnick (from the Blaster Master Zero series), Kurona (from the Gal*Gun series), and finally Kirin (the protagonist of Azure Striker Gunvolt 3). These fights are all a lot of fun, and the latter three characters in particular have some especially tough fights. Jason’s and Kirin’s boss battles also have fairly important clarity regarding certain story elements, so I would recommend playing these for any lore enthusiasts out there. These battles also come with some solid rewards, like an enhanced Bullit Dash for Copen after defeating Yang Yumo, or a rebalanced Cryo Flash after defeating Kohaku Otori.
Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and PC versions of the collection also now come with a smooth-as-silk 120fps mode, which also brings about a noticeable improvement in what was already low input latency. When playing in Handheld Mode on Switch 2, it was the mode I had constantly enabled. There’s also a 4K display option, but I never enabled it since 120fps is significantly more noticeable in terms of improving playability.
Verdict
Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 1+2 Dual Collection is a double dose of some of Inti Creates’ most considered games to date. While it’s fair to say that it’s probably too soon for a collection like this, it delivers subtle but keen improvements to gameplay in addition to performance enhancements that let the games play smoother than ever. While not every quirk has been addressed, such as more translation polish, the games are quite good and easy to recommend. Luminous Avenger iX 1 in particular is my favorite game in the series to date, featuring a solid (if short) story and incredibly focused, rewarding score attack gameplay. If you haven’t jumped in already, this is a great way to get prepared for Luminous Avenger iX 3.
GUNVOLT CHRONICLES: LUMINOUS AVENGER IX 1+2 DUAL COLLECTION IS RECOMMENDED
Guide: Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX 2 – True Ending, Hard Mode, and Bonus Emblem
If you would like to see more platformers, you may be interested in our review of Sonic Frontiers – Definitive Edition.
Many thanks go to Inti Creates for a Nintendo Switch 2 review code for Luminous Avenger iX 1+2 Dual Collection.
A hobbyist who took up the pen to write about their favorite pastime: games. While a lover of many genres, Isaiah Parker specializes in Platformers, RPGs, and competitive multiplayer titles. The easiest way into his heart is to have great core gameplay mechanics. Self-proclaimed world’s biggest Sonic fan. Follow him @ZinogreVolt
