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Gravity Circuit is that new Mega Man game we’ve all been waiting for - Gravity Circuit Quick Review

3K View2023-07-19

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT?

Play it, especially if you’re jonesing for a nineties-style retro action platformer along the same lines as Capcom’s classic Mega Man series. Gravity Circuit just might be the best thing next to the long-rumored new Mega Man game we’ve all been waiting for. Whether or not that game ever arrives, though, I’ve had a blast busting up drones, unlocking unique abilities, and using them against a bunch of bosses as Kai, the master of the Gravity Circuit.

TIME PLAYED

I sank around five hours into Gravity Circuit on PlayStation 4, trekking through various levels. A skilled player could probably clear the game in less time than that. Me, though, I died so many times that I started questioning my skills...and this was just on normal difficulty!

WHAT’S AWESOME

• A world full of robots. Similar to Mega Man X, Gravity Circuit let me select from twelve stages, each with a unique theme and challenges. While the stages rehash territory that will be familiar to Mega Man fans—ore mines, ice-capped mountains, and so on—I enjoyed the nostalgic throwbacks.

• The burst abilities. As someone already familiar with this type of game, Gravity Circuit let me do everything I expected, including jumping, dashing, and more. One major difference from Mega Man is how Kai plays like a close-range fighter. Acquiring burst abilities made me more powerful and, more importantly, made getting at the enemy more satisfying.

• The electric soundtrack. With its retro look and feel, Gravity Circuit successfully transported me back to my childhood. The cool electronic music also struck me as very appropriate to the theme of the game

• Lots to do. Gravity Circuit is full of additional content beyond the campaign, such as horde mode-style challenges to defeat a certain number of enemies and a ton of lost robots to hunt down throughout the levels. These extras added replay value and fun well beyond the main story.

WHAT SUCKS

• No buster cannon. Okay, I know Gravity Circuit isn’t Mega Man, but Kai’s emphasis on close-range attacks just made me miss charging up my gun and blowing enemies away from a distance. The lack of long-range attacks was pretty frustrating at times.

• The grappling hook. At least half of my many deaths in Gravity Circuit were because of Kai’s grappling hook. I appreciated how the developers wanted to make the character unique, and grappling my way over spikes and ledges was indeed different...but it definitely took some getting used to. The silver lining is that using the handy tool to hook my enemies was pretty cool. I almost wish it was just a standard long-range weapon instead of a tool that I mostly was stuck using for traversal.

• Enemies that are a little too familiar. There’s being inspired by a game and then straight ripping it off. Although Gravity Circuit does an excellent job of holding its own as a game, some enemies feel like they’ve been lifted directly out of the Mega Man series. Maybe the virus army outsourced their labor?

💬 Will you play Gravity Circuit or skip it? And if you have played it, what was your favorite stage? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!