Gungrave was a third-person shooter originally released on PlayStation 2 back in 2002, where its distinctive art style and gameplay feel gained it praise. Back in August, 2017, Korean publisher Blueside and developer IGGYMOB announced a virtual reality (VR) version, Gungrave VR, would be heading to PlayStation VR.
The original version of Gungrave was developed by Japanese studio Red Entertainment, and the VR version will be a upgraded version of the original, converted into VR with some additional VR features, in a similar way to how Rez Infinite was handled for its own VR conversion. The setting will remain the same, but new features such as the third-person ‘Full-break action’ and first-person ‘Dynamic Shooting’ will all be part of the VR version, but the story will be extended beyond what was shown in the sequel to the original title, Gungrave: Overdose.
Gungrave is set in a city controlled by the corrupt Millennion organisation. The city is subject to a huge crime wave, fuelled by the market for a mysterious drug known as Seed. The main character, Grave, sets out on a mission of revenge against a man called Harry Macdowell, who has taken over the Millennion organisation in a coup. The storyline is largely presented in cutscenes styled like anime. Eventually, Gungrave was adapted into an anime series as well as getting a sequel, Gungrave: Overdose.
The original version received the most praise for the character designs, which were provided by acclaimed illustrator Yasuhiro Nightow, who also worked on popular Manga and anime series Trigun, so fans will be pleased to learn that he is being involved with the development of the Gungrave VR, along with composer Tsuneo Imaori.
Gungrave VR is set to be released on 14th December, 2017 for PlayStation VR, as reported by Siliconera. The release is only planned to be available in Japan, there have been no plans announced so far for a Western release.
VRFocus will bring you further information on Gungrave VR as it becomes available.