Nintendo Switch Critic Reviews

All things considered, I really enjoyed Azure Striker Gunvolt 3. While it doesn’t quite manage to give fans a perfect experience, it’s definitely one of the best in recent history. It’s a game with an ambitious story, gorgeous art and sound design, and frenetic and exciting combat. If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll find some especially exciting elements to enjoy. But even if you aren’t, this is a game any fan of the platformer genre needs to own. It’s well worth the price of admission.

Azure Striker GUNVOLT 3 manages to close out the trilogy by upping the ante in all the right ways, introducing new mechanics to keep things fresh whilst re-imagining and building upon what made fans love the series in the first place. A true work of art that blends a retro aesthetic with today’s capabilities, this feels like the culmination of Inti Creates’ many years of work and has been well worth the wait since its predecessor was released back in 2016. If this is the last GUNVOLT title, then we can at least rest comfortably in the knowledge that the Azure Striker went out with the big blue bang he deserved.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 forgets all about the past to create a new path for itself, which was risky, but it paid off. Kirin is the best protagonist the series ever had, with a playstyle that encourages proactively setting up defenses while attacking relentlessly. Even if the story left a bit to be desired, Gunvolt 3 is a step up from an already strong franchise.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 is the game that we were expecting and more. It's new ideas and classic elements, makes it the best entry of the series.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 is very reminiscent of past games, but I'm more than okay with that because it does deviate where it counts.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 is yet another great entry in Inti Creates' library of top-notch retro-inspired 2D action games. So, if you enjoy old-school gaming with a modern sense of style and lightning-fast gameplay then definitely give it a go.

Inti Creates has turned out another well-crafted title, albeit a divisive one. Fans of Gunvolt have been a little put-off that he's not front and center here, but otherwise, everything here works quite well. [Issue #61 – September/October 2022, p. 19]

Gunvolt 3 manages to embody the best that Azure Striker has to offer.

It's tough to say whether Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 is a clear improvement over its predecessors, but this entry is every bit as action-packed and razor sharp as them. Kirin offers up a refreshing new take on the tried and tested gameplay, while the tight level designs and focus on the ranking system make this one a highly replayable experience. The only real downsides here are that the gacha system feels awkwardly implemented and the story can be a slog, but both these things are easily ignored when the thrilling gameplay really gets its hooks in you. If you at all enjoyed the previous entries, it goes without saying that you owe it to yourself to pick up Azure Striker Gunvolt 3, but we’d encourage newcomers to give it a shot, too. Action platformers like this don’t come along too often, and we’re pleased to report that Inti Creates clearly hasn’t lost its mojo in this space.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 3 represents another step forward for Inti Creates and their retro-inspired flavor of jump-and-shoot, slash-and dash action games. Even if the emphasis on story won’t land for everyone, the lightning-fast gameplay is filled with lasers, explosions, and that fun brand of chaos that just seems to hit right. The third Gunvolt entry is an easy recommendation for fans of the series or its spinoffs, and even if the amount of content and challenge aren’t that robust, the visual spectacle certainly helps make up for it.