Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 | Copen combat

I may not have formally scheduled a demo beforehand with Inti Creates, but I am incredibly glad I dropped by and tried out the upcoming 3DS sequel Azure Striker Gunvolt 2. I have a lot of familiarity with the original, and was a big fan, so the chance to play the sequel was a godsend, especially since I mistakenly believed it was supposed to release last month. That said, the biggest draw for the sequel was the opportunity to play as both Gunvolt and Copen, so I jumped at the chance to try Copen out.

Copen
Copen is the definition of badass.

First off, let me say Copen plays entirely different than Gunvolt, and his aggressive playstyle was utterly refreshing. While Gunvolt stays safe from a distance, tagging foes and then zapping them, Copen tags foes by dashing bodily into them, and then blasting them to smithereens. Better yet, he can dash like crazy in pretty much every direction, zipping around like a hummingbird on meth. There is a limit to how long you can do this, but like Gunvolt, you can recharge your dash by pressing the down button.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 | Desna
Talk about a bad hair day…

For the Copen demo I played through a windswept tower with lots of robotic foes to contend with. You’ll also find lots of spikes and wind gusts, but luckily they aren’t instant death spikes. It was pretty intuitive to play as Copen, and I quickly found myself face-to-face with the lovely yet dangerous Desna. This pious beauty uses her hair as a weapon, trying to swat you, drill you or just annihilate you with her golden locks. Hair might not sound like a dangerous weapon, but as any Inhumans fan can tell you, Queen Medusa utilizes her hair just fine. I actually thought I was done for, as Desna managed to deal a critical blow to me before I could beat her, but fortunately Copen’s ACP, Lola, saved me, reincarnating me for a second chance to finish the job. That was all I needed, and I managed to beat the beautiful member of the Seven. I was very impressed with Azure Striker Gunvolt 2, and cannot wait until I can get my hands on the finalized version when it hits the 3DS later this month. It’s gonna be an amazing sequel!

Josh Speer
Josh is a passionate gamer, finding time to clock in around 30-40 hours of gaming a week. He discovered Operation Rainfall while avidly following the localization of the Big 3 Wii RPGs. He enjoys SHMUPS, Platformers, RPGs, Roguelikes and the occasional Fighter. He’s also an unashamedly giant Mega Man fan, having played the series since he was eight. As Head Editor and Review Manager, he spends far too much time editing reviews and random articles. In his limited spare time he devours indies whole and anticipates the release of quirky, unpredictable and innovative games.