The Gungrave Cast. Brandon Heat / Beyond the Grave voiced by Kirk Thornton and 1 other. Harry MacDowel (Young) voiced by Tony Oliver and 2 others. Balladbird Lee voiced by Steve Blum and 1 other. Bear Walken voiced by Beau Billingslea and 2 others. Gungrave Edit. Grave in his Anime and Original outfit. After Brandon died at the hands of Harry McDowell, Dr. Tokioka, at Brandon's request, salvaged his body and began the process of resurrecting him, planning to use him to cleanse himself of his sins (creating Seed).

Gungrave is a Japanese animated television series that ran for 26 episodes from 2003-2004, based on the videogame of the same name. Like the videogame, it features character designs by Trigun creator Yasuhiro Nightow. The story concerns two friends, Brandon Heat and Harry MacDowell, as they rise through the ranks of 'Millenion' (a mafia organization) to become an established hitman and a cut-throat business tycoon.

The following guns were used in the animated television series Gungrave:

Cerberus

The pair of massive handguns the resurrected Brandon uses as 'Beyond the Grave'. Described as 15mm caliber handguns with 60cm barrels. The magazine is a rectangle shaped structure under the barrel and can be detached for loading.

Coffin

Grave carries a huge, though technically small, as it isn't the size to hold a body, metal coffin on his back which contains a variety of weapons; in the videogame, these include a large missile launcher, a quadruple set of launch points for anti-tank missiles and a gatling gun; Grave uses these weapons for his special 'Demolition Shots.' The coffin is also the holster for his two handguns, one side unfolding to allow them to be drawn. The manner in which Grave carries and uses the coffin bears a strong resemblance to the cross carried by the Wolfwood from Trigun. It is also directly inspired by the 1966 movie Django in which the main character carries a coffin with a Gatling gun inside.

SIG-Sauer P226

Brandon's daily carry handguns are SIG-Sauer P226, after he becomes a full fledged gunman. It was the first handgun he used to defend Big Daddy.

Heckler & Koch P7M13

Harry MacDowell carries an Heckler & Koch P7M13. It was originally Bear Walken's who tossed it to Harry to use. It is Harry's gun for most of the series.

Tokarev TT-33

Members of Millenion and other thugs carry Tokarev TT-33 pistols.

.475 Wildey Magnum

Brandon Heat acquires the .475 Wildey Magnum, powerful handgun when faced the prototype Orcmen. In the story it uses ammo called D-type and from the recoil, it is powerful enough to send the shooter flying back and hurt his arm. Though the real Wildey Magnum is plenty powerful, it wouldn't send someone flying back like a handcannon.

Derringer

Bear Walken's backup.

M1911

Brandon is given an M1911 when he starts working for Millennium as a loan shark. Maria's uncle keeps one in a box in his closet and uses it to intimidate Deed.

Colt Trooper Mk. III

The youngest member of Brandon & Harry's gang, Kenny, carries a Colt Trooper, it is later revealed to be a toy he uses to look cool.

Browning Hi-Power

Bunji Kugashira carries a pair of Browning Hi-Power. During one scene he is seen using rare 30 round drum magazines attached. One of DeCarte's thugs holds Brandon at gunpoint with a Browning.

Luger P08

'Mad Dog' Ladd's primary sidearm is a Luger P08, he uses it during his assault on the laboratory, carried in the small of his back (seen when the two thugs approach him). The drawing of this handgun was shown that it was out of ammo yet they keep animating it shooting.

Walther PP

'Mad Dog' Ladd's back-up gun (he is seen pulling it from an ankle holster) that he gives to his brother Deed to exact his revenge on Brandon & Harry's gang.

Heckler & Koch USP

Smith & Wesson Model 60

First seen in the first episode, Mika was trying to improve her aim with a stainless Smith & Wesson Model 60, but was unsuccessful.

Colt Anaconda

A Colt Anaconda is shown in the credit sequence.

Colt Python

Custom Ruger Super Redhawk

Brad carried Ruger Super Redhawk gold and silver revolvers, with engravings on them.

MAC-10

MAC-10 are seen in the hands of Millennium thugs and security guards.

Uzi

Uzi are in the hands of Millennium members.

Heckler & Koch MP5#Heckler & Koch MP5A3 Heckler & Koch MP5A3

Heckler & Koch MP5A3 are seen in the hands of Millennium members. Brandon also uses the Heckler & Koch MP5A3 in the last episode.

SA Vz.61 Skorpion

SA Vz.61 Skorpion are seen in the hands of an Orcmen and Millennium members. Harry used one in the last episode.

Thompson Submachine Gun

Thompson Submachine Gun are seen in the hands of random street thugs and Millennium thugs, in particular, Harry's group. It is hard to tell, but they might be A1s.

AK variant

An unknown AK variant was seen in the first episode. We get a good close up of the front end of the rifle.

That looks like a Gyrojet rocket pistol.Plus a VP-70Z, an S&W Schofield, and what looks like a Tokarev. RW66

Maybe a Remington 1100?-Flavio

Successfully complete the game and save. Load the cleared saved game file to start just before fighting the final Boss. Instead of starting the battle again, exit and return to the cemetery. The fence that previously blocked your way will now be gone. Enter the area that it protected to find a bonus dungeon. Shining force neo secrets. Shining Force EXA A bitter war between two world superpowers has raged on for decades with armies of beasts and demons devastating the. Phantasy Star Universe.

With the exception of the odd hardcore Japanese release, the old-skool shoot 'em up genre has pretty much been put out to pasture. The relentless killathons of old, like Gremlin's long forgotten Loaded and the thousands of 2D shooters of the 8 and 16-bit era are but fond memories of the days before RSI crippled ageing gamers everywhere.

But Gungrave unashamedly dusts off the template of 'kill everything in sight', dresses it up in Trigun creator Yasuhiro Nightow's supremely stylish Manga clothes, and asks the player to create as much carnage as possible across 'six intense stages fighting waves of gun-toting thugs'.

The story makes little sense, but graphic novel fans will no doubt buy into it: you're an undead assassin by the name of Grave, sent to destroy a shady criminal organisation. Each level is interspersed with various cut scenes that are top quality, but subtitled - sparing us the hell of dreadful English voiceovers at least.

In between levels you get to engage in fairly pointless conversations, but they fail to offer any insight - it's simply there to deliver more background information and take up a bit more of your time.

Not exactly complex

So what of the game? It's hardly what you'd describe as complex. After a week playing the intricate Splinter Cell, this is almost the polar opposite. Essentially the guide to playing Gungrave is as follows: move around the coffin carrying Grave with the left stick, shoot at the numerous oncoming enemies with your dual pistols by pressing square rapidly, and target them individually with L1. You can fire a limited number of special weapons to dispense with particularly stubborn baddies (or big groups of them). If you get crowded out by enemies, then you can swing your coffin by tapping R1, or alternatively hit circle and run away if you're taking a bit of a pounding.

The health system has a little in common with Halo's; with a rechargeable shield giving you initial protection. Allowing your shields to recharge fully allows you to plough through most situations unscathed, although rocket firing baddies and the increasingly tough boss monsters at the end of each level will test you to the limit.

Gorgeous, delicious visuals

The thing that strikes you immediately about Gungrave is its superb graphics. The FMV sequences set the scene beautifully - especially if you're a fan of Nightow's work, and thoughtfully they never go on in the way that so many Japanese games believe is mandatory. The in game visuals make a pleasant change too, and the stylised, well animated, Manga look gives the game a character more in keeping with graphic novels than videogames. Being a balls out shooter, just about everything can be destroyed, so stationary scenery such as barrels and vehicles all blow up spectacularly if you feel the need to wage some destruction. It often helps to just blow the crap out of everything, as enemies tend to use scenery as cover, and it adds a level of satisfaction to the gratuitous carnage, and to top it all you get rewarded at the end of the level for clearing - resulting in weapons power-ups.

But the initial impressive feelings of exciting relentless action give way to sterile boredom once the repetitive - and on rails - nature of the gameplay becomes apparent. Given that there are only six levels, to find ourselves on level five on our first go wasn't an especially promising sign - after less than three hours. Ok, there are harder difficulty levels, but the overriding issue is that there's just not enough to keep you interested for any great length of time. Each level is one long winding path, and there's no need to worry about locked doors or anything even remotely resembling puzzle solving. It's just a case of blamblam blam blam blam, blammablamblam, until you either finish the level or you're too bored to notice those rocket wielding enemies behind you. If you die, you're given unlimited continues to keep ploughing through, but it was level four by the time we experienced one death - and that was on the boss.

Admittedly, the latter bosses are quite entertaining, and well realised in the top notch visuals department, but the attack patterns are hardly groundbreaking. It's all been seen and done before in dozens of better games over the decades.

Depressingly hollow

At times Gungrave feels as ho-hum and pointless as that disgrace to software State Of Emergency, but with an attacking onslaught, rather than fleeing innocents. It also has that on rails feel of gun games like Time Crisis, except that you have control over your direction. But maybe this sounds appealing to you - if you want a mindless, good looking blast that you can dive straight into, then by all means give it a crack, but stood next to any of the better games of the year, Gungrave feels like a depressingly hollow experience designed to showcase some nifty graphics. You might get an hour's entertainment from it, but for forty quid, that's a hefty price to pay for something you'll probably never want to come back to once you've given it a run through. Maybe Gungrave is worth a rental if you're a fan of the art style and instant action gameplay, but at the full price you'd be mad to consider parting with hard earned cash for this.

4 /10