Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX (v2019.12.19 & ALL DLC)

A neon-soaked future ruled by superpowered adepts gives this side-scrolling action game an urgent, electric edge. You control Copen, a young fighter whose speed, airborne mobility, and target-locking gunplay make every stage feel like a precision assault course. The tone is unapologetically anime: dramatic rivalries, expressive character portraits, voiced story scenes, and bosses who arrive with enough attitude to match their oversized attacks. Beneath that presentation sits a demanding 2D platformer built around staying in motion rather than cautiously picking enemies off from a distance.

Copen marks opponents with his gun, then converts those locks into devastating electrical attacks while dashing through the air. Wall jumps, hovering, midair boosts, and rapid directional movement let skilled players chain attacks across crowded arenas without touching the ground for long. Stages mix hazardous platforming with enemies designed to pressure your positioning, while boss battles test whether you can read patterns and maintain an aggressive rhythm under fire. Defeated major foes hand over EX Weapons, adding alternate offensive options and giving later encounters more tactical flexibility than a simple run-and-gun. Checkpoints and selectable difficulty options keep the campaign approachable, but higher ranks demand clean runs, quick kills, and confident use of Copen’s movement kit.

Its biggest strength is how tightly mobility and combat connect: shooting is not merely damage, but the setup for the real attack, and mastering the lock-on system turns Copen into a blur of bullets and lightning. The colorful pixel art, elaborate mechanical enemies, and energetic soundtrack carry the same retro-modern spirit as Inti Creates’ Mega Man Zero and Azure Striker Gunvolt work, yet the aerial emphasis gives it its own identity. Fans of fast Mega Man-style action, challenging boss duels, and score-chasing replay value find plenty to enjoy here. Newcomers can finish the story with persistence, while genre veterans get the most from learning how to keep every encounter flowing at full speed.