Total Playtime: 6h 34m

One of the glaring issues with Mega Man-style games is that they tend to wear their influence almost too close to their sleeves to the point that I find myself thinking that I’d rather be playing Mega Man instead. Azure Striker, Legend of Dark Witch, and Gunman Clive are some examples that come to mind, while good games in their own right, tend to be overshadowed by their attempts to replicate Mega Man. And jumping into this, I was afraid it would fall victim to the same pattern. However, that is not the case and this game absolutely ROCKS! It has that same Mega Man vibe but it still manages to find the perfect balance where it still has its own identity.

Typically in a game like this one, you’re often having to rely on some sort of long range weapon to get the job done. In Gravity Circuit, your main source of damage comes from a barrage of punches and kicks, forcing players to engage enemies up close and personal. Additionally, you’re also equipped with a hookshot, which has a decent fire rate and moderate range, not the most ideal weapon for battle. However, its true potential lies in its ability to swing around ceilings and help you zoom around the level with ease.

At first I wasn’t really vibing with the hookshot and found myself wishing for a more traditional buster gun, especially since how finicky it can be when inputting a direction, often shooting straight when I aimed for an angle shot and vice versa. I also instinctively tried to latch onto the ceiling from the ground only to quickly learn that you must be mid air to be able to cling to ceilings in the first place, which threw me off balance for a lot of the earlier stages causing multiple deaths. There’s minor gripes I have with the hookshot’s mechanics. However, as I kept playing and overcame that initial hump, I found myself really getting into the rhythm of things and came to understand the badassery feeling you get whenever you flawlessly maneuver around levels all the while destroying everything in your path.

On top of that, you’re also given the ability to equip chips that modify certain attributes, allowing players the opportunity to change the playstyle that better suits them. Such as an additional jump to enhance mobility, increased damage and speed output for a more aggressive approach, or even defensive chips that help to restore your health. There’s dozens of chips, all that help to tailor your preferred playstyle, my personal favorite being the ability to use the hookshot to latch onto enemies and rapidly closing the gap between them.

There’s also the more traditional powers ups you acquire by defeating bosses. Once defeated, you have the opportunity to purchase some of their unique abilities for your own usage. However, despite having a vague idea based on the battle and a brief description, there’s no definite way to completely grasp an ability’s full functionality without having to go to a level and test it in action. It’s a minor thing, but I’d be nice to have some kind of preview window before purchasing an ability, or at the very least, have some sort of training room to let the player experiment with their newly acquired abilities. It’d be a quick sure fire to easily identify which one best complements one’s playstyle without the need to waste a bar during a level. On the bright side, the game is generous enough to allow you to switch between chips/power ups on the fly, which is much appreciated.

On a final note, Gravity Circuit has an honest heartfelt story. It’s by no means an award winning narrative, but it’s the thought put behind it that counts in my eyes. It has a sense of love and dedication put into it which I respect. It’s not perfect, some of the level designs are questionable, particularly when it came to enemy placements, bosses at times also felt a bit cheap in their difficulty. Overall, I still had a good time playing this. A solid 7/10 Mega Man-style experience that any fan of the formula should definitely check out.