Parents' Guide to Gungrave G.O.R.E.

This stylish third-person shooter is a throwback to older games in the genre, but it stumbles as much as it succeeds. Gungrave G.O.R.E. merges frenetic third-person shooting with the ranking system of games like Devil May Cry. Players take control of Grave, an undead gunfighter, to take on the criminal bosses that rule over the city of Scumland. Grave has two handguns for ranged combat, a larger coffin-shaped weapon for melee attacks, and a grappling hook to either launch himself toward enemies or pull them closer to use them as a human shield. Doing enough damage to enemies will sometimes allow you to do a special takedown to refill your shield meter, and super attacks earned by killing enough enemies will refill your health bar. At the end of every stage, you're judged on your performance, from the length of your combos to how fast you finished the mission. After receiving a rank, you can spend the rewards on new moves and upgrades.

Enemies are relentless, and, despite Grave's ability to dodge, it's impossible to completely avoid taking damage. This means play is about balancing taking hits that drain your refilling shield gauge without taking so much damage that it would affect your health bar. When things are going well, this can be a fun juggling act. Unfortunately, it gets repetitive very quickly and plays out like a shooting gallery most of the time. Many shakeups that happen during levels lead to frustrating instant deaths instead of excitement or engaging gameplay. The auto-targeting ranged combat feels good, but the melee attacks are awkward, and Grave moves sluggishly. The limited movement and awkward handling undermine the free feeling you want in an action game that thrives on style. Gungrave G.O.R.E. still has some of that style, but it's probably safe to skip for all but the most die-hard action fans.