A long time ago I sold my original copy of Gunvalkyrie; an Xbox title by Sega released exclusively on Xbox. Two days a go I found a preowned copy priced at £2.50 and bought it in a heartbeat. All I can say is that this one of the most under-appreciated games around. It won't appeal to everyone, but those to do enjoy and appreciateit will understand exactly what makes it so much of a joy to play, regardless of how many times you've cleared the game.

If you're familiar with the likes of Otogi, Shinobi (PS2) and Kunochi, you'll feel right at home here. If you were to read most reviews of the game, you'd find that a common opinion shared by the critics is that the game is very hard. While this game is not for the average, casual player, I think most of the reviewers are somewhat over-exaggerating. In fact the largest barriers for new players to overcome will be the control scheme and playstyle required for one to effectively play the game.

I finished my first playthrough yesterday and am currently three quarters of the way done with my second, though I'll have to wait until my third run before I can get the True ending. I'm going to write about this in more detail at some point (most likely after posting the blog about Men Of Valor) as well as produce a review (which I should be able to actually finish this time, unlike the Singularity review which was not possible to complete due to it being too difficult to get into a multiplayer game). i'm going to replace my current theme with a Gunvalkyrie theme after acquiring the true ending.

I was expecting an option for a harder difficulty level and possibly a New Game+ option but seems both features were omitted from the game. Other than this, my only disappointment with the game is that the game just feels too easy. Yes that's right. I said 'easy'. Because as I've also already said, the greatest obstacles that can potentially limit the game's accessibilityare the control scheme and playstyle. Upon grasping both, it should be possible to progress without much difficulty (until you reach the some of the last few bosses, who can still be a pain). Thoughnone of the above issues bother me much.It was only a few minutes ago that I found a solid strategy for use against a specific boss. It took me quite few tries during my first playthrough. In the end I ended up using a Reserve Shield, a single-use only item used toprevent death by restoring the Shield to max the moment it hits zero. While I died during the final boss fight (along the Normal ending route) after a ten-minute battlewithin which I inflicted no damage whatsoever, I defeated the boss during my second attempt earned an S rank. Now how the exactly does that work?

I won't be able to continue blogging until the current family computer is moved to our new house. Unless I were to use my laptop. Which runs off Windows Vista. Or my PS3. SoI hope my new college dosen't issue any computer-based work to be completed outside of college until that time, or until a new computer is purchased.

Now it's time to be honest. Who assumed this blog would be about something else other than Gunvalkyrie after reading the title and the first paragraphup to 'A long time ago I...'