Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX

This page is about the game Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX. For the character also known as "The Luminous Avenger iX", see Copen "The Luminous Avenger iX".
Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX, known in Japan as White Steel of X: THE OUT OF GUNVOLT (「白き鋼鉄のＸ（イクス）THE OUT OF GUNVOLT」), and also known by various shorthands such as Luminous Avenger iX, iX and LAiX, is a game developed by Inti Creates for the Nintendo Switch, PS4 and Steam, released worldwide on the 26th of September, 2019, with an early release on the 24th in select territories.Korean WebsiteChinese Website An Xbox One version was expected to launch the same day, but was delayed and was eventually released December 19th, 2019.Inti Creates' Twitter
The first game in the "Gunvolt Chronicles" series,May 20 2018 Gamespark interview with Takuya Aizu (English translation)June 8 2019 Gematsu interview with Takuya AizuAugust 20 2019 Noise Pixel interview with Matt Papa iX features Copen as the main protagonist, who returns alongside his gameplay from Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, more refined than ever before.
==Gameplay==
Luminous Avenger iX returns to having one player character, this time main series anti-hero Copen. His basic gameplay is largely recycled from his playable debut in Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, consisting of using his boosters to fly towards enemies to tag them, then unleashing a storm of homing shots to gain kudos, though there are slight adjustments. For example, Prevasion now consumes two bullits instead of one, making the game somewhat harder. The Guard Counter and Guard Counter EX kudos bonuses have been removed. The ranking system has also changed, with the three kudos settings adding a score bonus at the end of the stage, rather than affecting the score multiplier. A higher score also rewards you with a more colorful and impressive end card.
As in the previous game, you can buy subroutines that augment Copen's gear to give him differing attributes, such as giving him extra Bullits or even reducing his HP to make the game harder. However, it is now possible to buy subroutines mid-level from the pause menu and equip them on the fly without having to return to base. Materials have also been completely scrapped, with subroutines only needing the required amount of credits to be purchased. As a side effect of credit importance being increased compared to previous games, not all enemies will spew credits upon defeat, and there is no post-level minigame to earn credits from.
Copen is once again accompanied by Lola, an A.I helper that allows him to use EX Weapons to replicate the Septima of any Adept he defeats. As with past games, when the kudos count hits 1000, Lola assumes her "Idol Mode", and overrides the stage music with a vocal track. When Copen's HP reaches zero, he can be revived by "Anthem", which also triggers a second form for Lola known as the "Awakened Mode", which also appears during special moves. Another version of Anthem, "Darkness Mode", can be triggered by activating the EX Weapon "Darkness Trigger", which buffs Copen's other EX Weapons and grants him unlimited energy with which to use them with. However, this comes at the cost of draining Copen's HP whenever he isn't locked onto an enemy, forcing the player to constantly attack.
This time around, Copen only has one skill: Twin Shredder, which is functionally identical to Shred Storm from the previous game, acting as a screen-clearing attack that gradually recharges. However, it is much more dynamic and features several pieces of artwork. This reflects the overall distinct style of the game, which is noticeably flashier and more detailed, with cutscenes using full body shots, result cards being more elaborate the higher your end score is and even Lola cheering the player on mid-battle as they build up a combo streak.
===Stages===
In a deviation from previous games, stages in iX are presented in a far more linear pattern; instead of all seven boss stages given at the start, they are in two groups of three separated by an intermission stage.
Name 	Description 	Boss
City Slums 	Intro stage. 	Blade
Store Ruins 	First group stage. 	Rebellio "The Craftsman's Dream"
Sumeragi Building 13 	First group stage. 	Stella "The Sudarshana Gravity Well"
Auto-fab Plant 	First group stage. 	Crimm "The Explosive Artiste"
Medical Center 	Intermission stage. 	Blade
Radio Tower "Artemis" 	Second group stage. 	Isola "Falcon★Idol"
Data Center Alpha 	Second group stage. 	Bakto "The Leonian Tempest"
Data Center Beta 	Second group stage. 	Dystnine "Altair of Vengeance"
City Slums 2 	Boss only final group stage.	Giant Lola
Sumeragi Secret Bunker 1	Final group stage. 	Blade
Sumeragi Secret Bunker 2	Final group boss rush stage.	RebellioStellaCrimmButterfly Effect
Sumeragi Secret Bunker 3	Final group boss rush stage.	IsolaBaktoDystnineDemerzel (2 phases)
Special Missions 	Once the final stage has been completed, "Special Missions" are unlocked.
These six missions consist of short, harder versions of the boss stages, with bosses that have been redesigned to be significantly harder.
Beating all of the regular special missions unlocks "Boss Rush".	Various
Versus Missions 	Introduced in iX, "Versus Missions" are stages simply consisting of a single boss fight.
To unlock VS Missions, you need to obtain all four "X" pieces on the title screen.
These are obtained by:
* Finishing the main story
* Clearing all Special Missions
* Collecting all emblems
* Completing every single stage (including Special Missions) in "Score Attack".	Various
==Plot==
Some time in the future, Adepts have now become the dominant species on the planet, far outweighing humans (now known as "Minos") in terms of numbers. At the top of this new order lies the Sumeragi Institute of Human Evolution, which operates with the goal of hunting Minos to extinction to usher in a new age of humanity.
However, one mysterious young man stands alone to protect Minos from Sumeragi's genocide. Spoken only in hushed whispers, urban legends talk of a warrior clad in pure white armor and his robotic companion: the Muse of Hope. That warrior is known only as...
... the Luminous Avenger iX.
===Characters===
Character	Image
Copen - Voiced by Yuma Uchida (内田雄馬)
The main protagonist and the titular Luminous Avenger iX. Seen as a symbol of hope for many Minos, he walks down a weary, bloody path, driven by his desire to find the mysterious "Butterfly Effect".	
Lola - Voiced by Mayu Mineda (峯田茉優)
A combat support robot created by Copen to aid him in battle, capable of copying an Adept's Septima and using it for Copen's benefit, and can even use her "idol" mode to support Copen through song. She is known by Minos as the "Muse of Hope", whose online music videos serve as inspiration for the oppressed.	
Kohaku - Voiced by Yumiri Hanamori (花守ゆみり)
A young girl who has an affinity for tinkering with machinery. She acts as the leader of a small band of Mino children, and though times may be dark, her bright, cheery personality help everyone keep going.	
Jin - Voiced by Ryosuke Sakamaki (坂巻亮祐)
One of the Mino children Kohaku looks after, Jin is a mature, intelligent and thoughtful young man. His general knowledge is extensive, and he is good at thinking on his feet. Secretly though, he is a massive Lola fanboy.	
Maria - Voiced by Maria Naganawa (長縄まりあ)
One of the Mino children Kohaku looks after, having lost her parents to Sumeragi's death squads. A feisty young girl with a crippling shyness, she adores Kohaku and craves her attention, and openly resents Copen for stealing it from her.	
Kyota - Voiced by Nozomi Chikamura (近村望実)
One of the Mino children Kohaku looks after. A brash, confident boy, he looks up to Copen as a legendary hero, and is fond of similarly "cool" things.	
Blade - Voiced by Yui Ishikawa (石川由依)
A mysterious swordsman whose combat prowess is rivaled only by his unquestioning loyalty to Sumeragi. Wielding a powerful electric Septima and reporting directly to Sumeragi's supervisory AI, he is said to surpass all of the Falcons in authority and raw Septimal strength.	
Rebellio - Voiced by Ryota Yoshizaki (吉崎亮太)
After being forced to serve in a terrorist cell, this gentle, peaceful young man was recruited by Sumeragi against his will, having no choice but to comply, lest he endanger himself and his family. Septima: Energy Wool. Boss of the stage Store Ruins.	
Stella - Voiced by Ryoko Shiraishi (白石涼子)
This young, shrewd businesswoman is the head of the country's most powerful manufacturing company. Self-confident to a fault, she looks down on others and trusts no one, bar her personal assistant, whom she joined Sumeragi to protect. Septima: Gravity. Boss of the stage Sumeragi Building 13.	
Crimm - Voiced by Suguru Narisawa (成澤卓)
A passionate, artistic beauty guru whose charismatic and fancy demeanour belies a psychotic, narcissistic obsession with causing destruction on a mass scale. Septima: Detonation. Boss of the stage Auto-fab Plant.	
Isola - Voiced by Miku Ito (伊藤美来)
An idol revered nationwide, Isola effortlessly plays the part of both a giddy pop star and a straight-laced Falcon, though when it comes to her true personality, it seems even she's in the dark. Septima: Companion. Boss of the stage Radio Tower "Artemis".	
Bakto - Voiced by Atsushi Tanaka (田中惇之)
The don of a crippled mob, Bakto was recruited by Sumeragi in a power move. In order to secure his Family's future, he serves the corporation as one of its many unwilling Falcons. Septima: Spiral. Boss of the stage Data Center Alpha.	
Dystnine - Voiced by Yuichiro Umehara (梅原裕一郎)
Stella's trusted assistant, Dystnine is an android who inexplicably developed a Septima, catching the eye of the Sumeragi Group, who would have torn him apart for "research purposes" if not for Stella's intervention. Septima: Vectored Cloth. Boss of the stage Data Center Beta.	
Demerzel - Voiced by Masashi Yukita (雪田将司)
Sumeragi's supposed "supervisory AI", in reality a certain Azure Striker surviving as disembodied electricity. Running the institute as its effective leader, he ensures Sumeragi's genocidal agenda is carried out and establishes order amongst the Adepts underneath it.	
==DLC==
===Kohaku Pre-order Outfits===
By pre-ordering the game on Switch and purchasing within three weeks of release on other platformsWebsite Product Page, you can obtain the "Kohaku DLC Outfit: Lolawear", which changes Kohaku's outfit on the menu to one resembling Lola's. Pre-ordering the game from specific Japanese retailers also gives three other costumes: a sailor uniform, an animal costume, and ripped clothing. This doesn't affect her in-game portrait or sprite however.
===Extra Song: Raison d'Etre + Concert Outfit===
A new song sung by Lola was made available to download on the 19th of December, 2019, known as "Raison d'Etre". Purchasing the song also comes with a subroutine that changes Lola's Idol Mode costume to one that resembles the one Mayu Mineda wore during concerts. This DLC was free until January 1st, 2020. It was also included in RoRo Melodies / ROROMELO.
===Extra Mission: VS ???===
A new Versus Mission released on the 19th of December, the same day as Raison d'Etre, and is also free until January 1st. Titled "VS ???", the mission is a version of Blade's third boss fight, but heavily altered to be much harder, similar to the "Ultimate Challenge" pack from Azure Striker Gunvolt 2.
== Physical and Collector's Editions ==
On June 1st, Japanese physical package versions of the game for Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4 were announced, with the Cyber Diva Roro Medley CD and a download code for Kohaku's Lolawear outfit being bundled with it. Depending on the retailer purchased from, there were a variety of bonus items such as wall tapestries or file holders, generally with risque promotional artwork. Three retailers offered download codes for a sailor suit, ripped clothes, and a catgirl menu costume for Kohaku.
On August 23rd, Limited Run Games announced that they were partnering with Inti Creates to bring not only a physical version to the West, but a Collector's Edition, which, in addition to the game, also included: an enamel pin of Lola, a double-sided poster and an album containing all the game's vocal tracks.Limited Run Games Twitter
Additionally, in 2020 the Japanese version of the Playstation 4 Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack came with a special storage box for the PS4 versions of both it and iX as a pre-order bonus.
==Development==
Luminous Avenger iX began development at the beginning of 2018 with the intention of pleasing fans until the team could begin proper development on Azure Striker Gunvolt 3Inti Creates panel at Anime Expo 2019, which main series director Yoshihisa Tsuda was "having a difficult time with". Because of this, the game is instead directed by series writer Toshiaki Tai, with Tsuda acting as supervisor. The game was built from the ground-up for more powerful hardware, which allowed the developers to overhaul the art style and make the visuals more detailed.Noisy Pixel interview with Matt Papa The internal codename of iX is "GVA". Although Inti Creates previously debuted its newer game engine Imperial with Mighty Gunvolt Burst in 2017, iX was developed using the older engine ICE (Inti Creates Engine) like the first Azure Striker Gunvolt was.INTI CREATES 25th Anniversary Special! - Hangin' at Inti HQ 5/11/2021 (44:56)
Like with the main series, Aizu imagined Luminous Avenger iX becoming a trilogy. While the main series is of the light novel 2D action genre, Luminous Avenger iX was made with pure 2D action in mind because that's the type of game Tai wanted to make while designing Copen for Azure Striker Gunvolt 2.Daewon Content Live interview with Tai and Aizu Unlike the mainline games, which are considered Inti Creates' flagship series and have many staff members involved in character and boss battle conception, iX had a more conventional development process with the director and character designer deciding things.Dengeki Online interview with Aizu, Tsuda, and Inafune, part 2(English translation) The six Falcon bosses were modeled after angel choirs and corresponding constellations, and this idea came from the image of Adepts, who rule the world and are more evolved than Minos, pushing Minos out of paradise.Gameabout article on the Daewon Content Live presentation by Takuya Aizu and Toshiaki Tai While it's unknown whether or not there is a connection, the alternate timeline and distant future setting of iX resembles the initial story idea for Gunvolt 3 which Tsuda had not long after Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 came out. Believing that the story of GV2 came together beautifully, Tsuda imagined setting Gunvolt 3 in a totally different world 300 years in the future, although he admitted other staff members reacted coldly to the idea.Inside-Games interview, part 5
Voice casting ran into some issues. The original voice actress of Lola, Yurika Endo, retired from the entertainment business in late 2017. An audition was held to find a new voice actress, and of the three left in the final selection Mayu Mineda was chosen. By early Summer the original voice actor of Copen, Kosuke Masuo, also put in notice that he wanted to be let go from the role to pursue other lines of work. Inti Creates postponed giving an answer, but by 2019 Masuo hadn't changed his mind. With the start of a new series in mind, the decision was made that both main characters would be recast. Yuma Uchida was chosen as the new voice actor of Copen.Luminous Avenger iX Soundtrack, game production notes
iX was announced on the 12th of May 2018 at BitSummit (as is tradition for the series) alongside Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon and the Armed Blue: Gunvolt Complete Works Artbook. A short trailer and the main artwork was published, and the game was playable at the event. It was said that at the time the game was 10% complete. At this time Inti Creates CEO and game producer Takuya Aizu did not know whether or not the story would follow the original series. When questioned if the name iX was a reference to Mega Man X, Aizu stated that he didn't know but he believed Tai was very conscious of it. In June he stated that while they were starting to get more people from other projects on to the Gunvolt Chronicles team, he didn't have much to share. The heads of the project, the director and the producer, were keeping a lot close to their chest and kind of doing their own little secret thing despite all of them sharing the same office.https://www.dualshockers.com/inti-creates-ceo-interview-bloodstained-gunvolt-dragon/
On the 26th of December later that year, during a live-stream, Aizu revealed the silhouettes of the seven main bosses, later revealed to be "The Falcons". That same live-stream, it was announced that development was preceding smoothly, that the game would be out by Christmas the next year in 2019, and that more news would be out after the release of Dragon: Marked For Death in January.
On June 1st 2019, more information was finally revealed at that year's BitSummit in the form of a presentation, including a new poster, several characters and a trailer. The trailer detailed the game's premise and basic gameplay elements, as well as the planned release date. It was also announced that the game would be released on PlayStation 4 and Steam as well. A demo was present at the event, which also revealed a few members of the Falcons, some new stages and further highlighted the game's new aesthetic compared to the main series. The presentation also revealed new voice actors for returning characters, having been recast to mark the start of a new series, and confirmed that a physical release would be present in Japan, and that Inti Creates were hoping to also have physical releases in other territories. They would eventually achieve this thanks to a partnership with Limited Run Games.Limited Run Games Twitter
===Ports to Other Platforms===
While at the time of announcement the Nintendo Switch was the only platform listed, Steam and Playstation 4 versions were later announced on June 1st 2019, making it the first title in the series to come to the Playstation platform. One of the reasons behind this decision was Luminous Avenger iX being the start of a new series, with a story that new customers could enjoy without playing prior games. Thus Inti Creates did not think it was necessary to port past games first--a task that would have been difficult due to the development team's small size.June 26 2018 Gamespark interview with Aizu
On the 5th of September, less than a month before the game's release, it was announced the game would come out digitally on the Xbox One.Inti Creates JP Twitter However, the day before the global release date, it was announced that the Xbox One version would be delayed due to a game-breaking bugInti Creates' Twitter (2), eventually releasing on December 19th.Inti Creates' Twitter
iX was released on DMM on February 21st, 2020, making it one of only two games across the entire series to be released on it, the other being the first Azure Striker Gunvolt.
===Localization===
Unlike Gunvolt 1 and Gunvolt 2, which were localized by the company 8-4, Ltd., the localization of Luminous Avenger iX was done entirely in-house at Inti Creates, with Matt Papa acting as localization director and Andrew Singleton as localizer.
The English localization altered some things, such as changing the game's title (and in turn Copen's) from White Steel X: THE OUT OF GUNVOLT to Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX. While the Japanese script, in a reference to the English localization of prior games, changed its original terms for Adepts and their powers to "Septima Holder" and "Septima" with the shifting story setting, the English version continued to use the term Adept without any changes.
==Soundtrack==
Main article: GUNVOLT CHRONICLES: LUMINOUS AVENGER IX SOUNDTRACK
The game features 45 official tracks, one secret track, and one DLC song. The soundtrack was composed by Ippo Yamada, Ryo Kawakami, Aoi Takeda, Takumi Sato, Ryo Yoshinaga, and Hiroyuki Sato. All vocal tracks were written by Hakofactory and sung by Mayu Mineda in-character as Lola, with Keishi Yonao serving as the arranger of them. All background music tracks have their BPM set to 150, and Kawakami sought to fuse the “dystopian feeling” that the scenario had as well as the “speedy feeling” of the gameplay. Lola's songs are meant to have a positive melody and fill the listener with energy, and were made with a different concept and image compared to past songs. While in previous games the idea was that Lumen had Sumeragi-made ballads intended for the general populace, Lola’s concept is that she wrote her songs herself and is a net creator idol spreading them to give hope to the Minos.
The game's soundtrack received an official release, while the Lola songs were compiled in the album RoRo Melodies. Karaoke versions of the songs were released in the fan discs Isola: Full Power Idol and Prologue: The Muse of Hope.
List of vocal tracks:
Song Name 	Lyrics 	Composer 	Arranger
Luminous Promise (Main theme)	Hakofactory	Ryo Kawakami	Keishi Yonao
Igniter 	Hakofactory	Ippo Yamada 	Keishi Yonao
Chronicle of Our Lives 	Hakofactory	Ryo Kawakami	Keishi Yonao
Original Chord 	Hakofactory	Ryo Kawakami	Keishi Yonao
Kindled Spirits 	Hakofactory	Ryo Kawakami	Keishi Yonao
Beyond Probability 	Hakofactory	Ippo Yamada 	Keishi Yonao
Resonating Hearts 	Hakofactory	Ryo Kawakami	Keishi Yonao
Countdown: 3-2-1-0 	Hakofactory	Ryo Kawakami	Keishi Yonao
Inner Alarm 	Hakofactory	Ippo Yamada 	Keishi Yonao
Searchlight 	Hakofactory	Ippo Yamada 	Keishi Yonao
Raison d'Etre (DLC) 	Hakofactory	Ippo Yamada 	Keishi Yonao
===Music Videos===
As part of the game's promotion, for the first time in the series live action music videos were produced, with Mayu Mineda appearing as Lola in them. The first MV, featuring the game's theme song Luminous Promise, was released on August 6th, 2019, with ones for Beyond Probability and Searchlight following on September 10th and 25th, respectively. Chiai Ishikawa was responsible for creating the Lola costume.Tweet by @boutique_chiai about Lola costume
==Trailers==
===English Trailers===
===Japanese Trailers===
==Reception==
===Pre-release===
Reviewing the game at E3 2019, DualShockers called iX "one of Inti Creates' best platformers yet", with the reviewer praising the game's high speed and superior visuals compared to the 3DS games, despite complaining about the decision to map ammo reloading to the d-pad.DualShockers Preview
===Post-release===
Upon release, iX received positive reviews, with critics praising the upgraded visual presentation, the fast pace and the upgrades and improvements to Copen's gameplay, though it did receive some minor criticism for its short length. It is currently the highest rated game in the entire franchise and the second highest rated Inti Creates game (not counting collaborations with other developers) on Metacritic, behind only Blaster Master Zero 2.
In October 2020 it was stated that Inti Creates was satisfied with sales of iX, and that its sales had continued to grow even long after release.https://nintendoeverything.com/interview-inti-creates-on-azure-striker-gunvolt-3-switch-support-more/
==Cut Content==
*There are unused Lola Navi voice clips for the following:
**Guard Counter bonus, implying the mechanic was once intended to be carried over from Gunvolt 2.
**Secret kudos bonus, implying iX was once intended to feature them like the prior two games.
**A warning for when a boss is about to perform their SP skill.
*There are two unused health bar symbols, one for QUILL, and another which appears to depict a Falcon Quill.
Gallery:
iX1 boss health bar sheet.png|Boss health bar sheet
==Character Ranking Poll==
In October 2019, a character ranking poll was held by Inti Creates' accounts on Twitter to decide the top six characters who'd get into the Halloween promotional wallpaper by illustrator and character designer Yoshitaka Hatakeyama. Unlike past polls, only pre-designated characters were eligible.
Isola came in first place, which is acknowledged in the official product description for the fan disc/drama CD Isola: Full Power Idol. Blade's costume and pose on the wallpaper are similar to Asimov's on the GV1 wallpaper.
When the Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 Halloween wallpaper was released, Hatakeyama was given permission to publish design drafts for the Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack and iX1 Halloween wallpapers.
iX1 Halloween drafts final.jpg|Final design drafts.
iX1 Halloween draft concepts.jpg|Unused concepts. Lola was a siren, while Stella concepts include a sphinx and Cleopatra.
Character	Costume
Isola 	Halloween idol
Blade 	Grim reaper
Lola 	Vampire
Copen 	Vampire
Stella 	Bastet
Dystnine 	Zorro
Total votes: 589
Final results:https://twitter.com/IntiCreatesEN/status/1181403965470248960
Rank	Character	Votes
1 	Isola 	147
2 	Blade 	135
3 	Lola 	125
4 	Copen 	95
5 	Stella 	72
6 	Dystnine 	65
7 	Kohaku 	59
8 	Crimm 	59
9 	Rebellio 	52
10 	Bakto 	20
11 	Maria 	13
12 	Kyota 	9
13 	Jin 	3
==Trivia==
*The "iX" in the title (a possible reference to the Mega Man X series) is pronounced as a single word, "icks". This holds true for the Japanese version, despite the lack of an "i" in the logo.
**It could also be a reference to the Rockman X Mega Mission antagonist X, a copy of Mega Man X, also referred to as "iX" to differentiate the two.
*iX sets a number of milestones for the franchise (excluding crossover spinoffs), including:
**The first game to have a multi-platform release.
**The first game to be released on PlayStation.
**The first game to not launch as a Nintendo exclusive.
**The first game to have a simultaneous physical release.
**The first game to not be directed by Yoshihisa Tsuda.
**The first game not to be localized by 8-4, Ltd.
**The first game to not feature story dialogue in the middle of gameplay (not counting the original localization of Azure Striker Gunvolt). 
**The first game to use full-body character portraits in cutscenes as opposed to just head-shots.
**The first game to not feature Gunvolt as a main protagonist/playable character.
**The first game to feature stages set in the daytime as opposed to always nighttime.
**The first game to not feature a purple boss.
**The first game in which bosses have dialogue for when the player loses to them.
**The first and only game that does not include a boss fight against two characters at the same time.
**The first and only game to have only one ending.
==References==
*English Site
*Japanese Site
== Navigation ==
===Series Navigation===
===Luminous Avenger iX 1 Navigation===
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Category:Luminous Avenger iX
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