Elemental Gearbolt

"A light gun gamer's review...Elemental Gearbolt isn't perfect, but it's pretty close..."

It's not often a light gun game transcends the genre.

For every ''House of the Dead'' or ''Time Crisis,'' there are dozens of lesser gun games like ''Maximum Force,'' ''Police Trainer,'' ''Sharpshooter,'' ''CarnEvil,'' etc. By and large, light gun gaming is a diversionary subcategory relegated to the dark corners of the arcade. With games that, at best, feature lots of action and laughable stories, and, at worst, are boring and listless, light gun games are never renowned for their intricate storylines or cinematic presence. Even the HOTD and Time Crisis series, for all their numerous good points, indulge in laughable, nonsensical storylines and campy voice-acting. I know gameplay is king, but to me, story is part of gameplay, and most shooters (good and otherwise) simply do not have any story; it's a simple fact that sophistication and atmosphere are never associated with gun games. That is, until you play Elemental Gearbolt.

Elemental Gearbolt is the best light gun game on PSX. It's probably the best light gun game EVER (as of 8/2003). It's even one of the best shooters ever. It has style and atmosphere dripping out of every pore. Imagine if you took the shooting action of Virtua Cop, the atmosphere of Panzer Dragoon, and the cinematics and polish of Lunar, and stuck them into a blender. Add in some of the best ideas from Project: Horned Owl, stir with some unique fantasy elements, and you've got Gearbolt. The melange of genres is uniquely satisfying - at the cost of points, you gain experience points that power up your weapons and give you bonus life. If you dump all your points into experience, you'll never get a high score; if you spend it all in points, the game will be harder to get through. It's a brilliant risk/reward system to encourage people to get high scores.

The polish shows from the very beginning - the case is shiny and cool-looking (how many light gun game cases are cool-looking?), the manual is the sort you'd expect to find in a Working Designs RPG, and it all comes in a sumptuous double case (the game only comes on one disc). The opening movie is pure anime bliss. The menu is clean and elegant, marvelously echoing the art design of the main game. You can use the regular PSX controller, the analog stick, the Justifier (and other Type 1 guns), and the mighty Guncon (this is what I use - it's the BEST home light gun, save for the Guncon2). Everything works well and has that ''finished'' feel.

Let's put it like this - you know how you ALWAYS skipped the cut scenes in most light gun games? Even if you had never seen them before? You won't want to skip the scenes in Gearbolt. The music isn't the standard technojunk light gun games usually feature - it's moody orchestral music that you actually enjoy listening to. The stages aren't just generic hallways in some futuristic building; in Gearbolt, you'll fly down narrow alleys, glide over a vast ocean, travel through a subterranean cavern, and even traipse through the halls of an ancient cathedral.

The shooting is similarly wonderful. With a Guncon, the game is almost flawlessly accurate. You'll face massive bosses, hundreds of lesser enemies, and shoot dozens of items. The U.S. version has increased difficulty and new, hard-to-find chalices to uncover. When you get a high score, you can use the Guncon to ''paint'' your initials (must be seen to be appreciated) or even a picture.

When all is said and done, Gearbolt rocks really, really hard. It is a bit short, but this is a light gun game, after all. There are numerous secrets to uncover, and two-player mode is a hoot. This is a keeper.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/18/03, Updated 07/22/03