can you help me make this youtube video script piece better?: Hey there! While this review can be viewed all on it’s lonesome - it is also part three of a four-part retrospective! So, if you’re unfamiliar with the first two Gungriffon games, or you want to see what my opinion was, you might want to check those videos out first.

Somewhere between the Saturn and Playstation 2, a decision was made to manipulate the Gungriffon formula. Game Arts, as much as I love their overall output, really might have dropped the ball on this one. Whereas the originals did have minor Arcade aspects, a creative change was made to practically make the whole game arcade-like. Going after scores was, in the Saturn games, an optional part the game which was essentially there strictly for fun. With Gungriffon Blaze, the whole game is about scores - that, and random grab-boxes.

Now, my intention isn’t to judge this game based on the fact that it’s different. Blaze was a game that I managed to pickup as a teenager, a little after I got my first Playstation 2. It holds a lot of memories for me, as I’m sure it does for many others. I distinctly remember staying up late in the night with my brother, desperately trying to decipher what the game was all about. So, though I do have those warm fuzzy feelings when it comes to Gungriffon Blaze - I’m not going to be basing my opinion on those. There are still so many things wrong with this entry that it really is becoming increasingly apparent to me why the series fell off as it did.

First off, I have to mention the gameplay change. Yes, the controls here are still wholly unique as the original games were - it does have a slight simulation aspect going on. However, the focus here isn’t piloting a thunderous walking tank with a jet-pack. Instead, Blaze obviously feels like a reaction to games like Armored Core. Out the window is all of the tactical gameplay options of the originals, the on-the-fly timed shots and strategic firing-angles. Instead, the focus here is to basically blast everything in the face with as much rounds as possible. The new HIGH MACS III is an intentionally weak machine, built for speed and equipped with a Sequence Shotgun. And, though it might be hitched to a massive war machine - it sounds about as impactful as a super-soaker. In fact, not weapon in this game feels right on a sonic level. All of those wonderful booms and percussive sounds from the originals are gone. But, it isn’t just the sound which has suffered here. The original weapons from Gungriffon do make an appearance, obtainable through random boxes at the end of each level - but they have all been nerfed to infinity. Whereas the GUN was once one of my all-time favorite weapons, it barely makes a dent in an AWGS unit. Nope, the whole goal here is to basically blast enemies in the face with the SSG or bomb them with the Rocket Pod. Anything else is basically there for long-range shots, which are barely applicable aside from a few situations.

Now, on paper it does seem like the tools are there for you to play the game any way you would like. It certain is possible for you to zoom in and take things slowly and more carefully. A few times, this might even be the best way to tackle an objective. However, nothing in terms of unlockable weaponry is actually balanced. Which leaves most of the games extended options incredibly useless. And, on the topic of useless - the game does feature a few unlockable mechs after obtaining either medals or a sizable amount of points. The point values to obtain metals, however - are extreme. That, and the additional mechs are barely even worth the effort. The Type-9, for instance, is slow and can’t even boost. Whereas, the Jagd Panther takes six million points to unlock and you’ll likely be so tired of the game by that point that it’d be absolutely meaningless to continue torturing yourself in that way.

What do I mean by that? Well, unlike the first two games - you’re also getting only four stages - rather then eight. All of these are immediately available, rather then unlocked over time. Any world-building here is delignated to a small menu with a synopsis of each level and how it applies to the conflict which took place during the first two games. There are a few ‘Advanced’ versions that become available as more overall points are collected, but they are basically the exact same levels taking place at different times of the day. In my experience, they don’t increase the difficulty in any way - though there are three difficulties to choose from this time around. Aside from the tougher enemies and lower ammunition, increased points are given on these difficulties so that more items might be unlocked faster - depending on how good you are at the game. It’s a pitiful amount of content. And, with the power and storage capabilities of the Playstation 2 - the game should have been so much more. Hell, even if this is one of those examples where a Dreamcast game was brought over to the PS2 (like so many games were) - it’s still extremely lacking even in comparison to the original Saturn games. Where are the Survival modes? Why isn’t there any form of co-op when Gungriffon II had it? The whole game, honestly, feels like an extended demo.

Its a shame too, because this game knew it’s audience so well. But it feels so massively incomplete. Unlocking models and viewing them was really cool, after I was tired of wasting box grabs on useless equipment. Presenting them as model kits was really cool. Blaze might have been really flawed, but the mech designs were still extremely on-par. Though I can’t say I enjoyed the thinner more human-esque looking HIGH MACS III very much. This new design felt like a spin on the mech seen on Armored Core 2’s cover-art. And, I never really thought I’d say something like that about a Gungriffon game.