Most people would not accuse Sega of developing the same old video game shit. Oddball titles like Jet Grind Radio, Space Channel 5 and Shenmue should prove to anyone that these guys know how to make a different, if not always successful, game. With the quirky dance-fest Jet Set Radio Future already under their Xbox belt, Sega developer Smilebit is back at it again with Gun Valkyrie, another Xbox-exclusive title. (Another one? Sega is going to have to get on a winning team eventually, right? Sheesh!) Gun Valkyrie appears to be just another run-of-the-mill alien shooting game upon first glance, but the game employs an unprecedented control system that will leave many scratching their heads. You'll either love it or hate it, as there really is no middle ground.

But first things first. The game takes place in an alternate reality, in which 19th century Britain rules the day thanks to a man named Dr. Hebble Gate. His research into Halley's Comet has allowed mankind to harness its immense power, leading to staggering leaps in technological advancement. Rocketships and energy weapons are standard issue in 1906 when you take control of the members of Gun Valkyrie, a group of gifted humans who can tap into the power of the Comet. Wearing the super-cool GearSkin battle suits, you play the role of the the two top members of GV, either Saburouta Mishima or Kelly O'Lenmey. These special suits protect the wearer from injury, while allowing an impressive array of mid-air maneuvers. Gun Valkyrie sends you on a journey to the distant colony of Tir na Nog in search of the missing doctor, and lets you blast a ton of gooey alien ass in the process.

The premise of the game is rather intriguing, though it's not utilized to its full potential. Gun Valkyrie is an action game in the purest sense, and story takes a back seat the bug blasting. Not that I mind, of course, as the game feels much leaner and faster without cutscenes popping up while you're fighting. Mission briefings occur between stages, and inform you about terrain, objectives, enemies and tactics before you're sent out to battle. The acting is mediocre at best, though thankfully there is very little of it. Most information is relayed through on-screen text, which would be preferrable if not for the hard-to-read font and garish backgrounds used in the briefing screens. Tsk, tsk, Smilebit. Other than that the interface is clean and hi-tech, while saving and loading are nearly instantaneous. Music and sound effects are fairly average for an Xbox game, neither great nor terrible. The Dolby Digital audio is rather disappointing, as it sounds much the same as the two-channel stereo. This is especially odd considering the Jet Set Radio Future, another Smilebit Xbox title, sounds phenomenal through a 5.1 system.

Smilebit has put together another great-looking title, providing further evidence of the ease-of-development aspects of the big bad 'Box. Characters and enemies are extremely detailed, with very high polygon counts and smooth, rounded bodies. Animation is very fluid as well, as Kelly and Saburouta can pull of a host of cool-looking manuevers. The frame rate is high and steady for the most part, even when swarms of enemies are attacking from all sides. There are rare occassions, usually when blasting an enemy who is right in front of you, when the game slows to a crawl. Thankfully that doesn't happen too often, and the game feels fast and fluid most of the time. The high frame rate is critical to the game play, as you'll be required to pull off various moves in rapid succession. There's a little aliasing here and there (most noticeably on dark rock outcroppings that stand in contrast against the bright skies), but most objects get a nice edge-smoothing treatment.

The environments themselves look fantastic, with a staggering amount of geometry and infinite draw distance in most stages. (There is fade-in present on the vertical drop stages, but this is most likely a stylistic choice rather than a compromise in the game engine.) There are some great liquid effects in some stages, in addition to some cool atmospheric distortion. There are a multitude of particle effects, each weapon giving off a slick display of colorful destruction. Completing the package are a host of excellent lighting effects, which work well with the reflective armor of the GearSkin suit. The textures look detailed from a distance, but tend to get smeary as you get up close on them. They also tend to repeat quite a bit; if you've seen one rock wall, you've seen them all. This ain't Halo, but Gun Valkyrie still looks pretty damn good overall. Unless you're a graphic artist like me, you probably won't even notice the problems with the visuals, especially on an older television set.

Since the play mechanics are what separate Gun Valkyrie from the rest of the 3D action pack, I'll discuss them in detail here. To start, the A button (which is the most used button on any joypad ever created) isn't used at all, except for menu selections. The game is essentially a thumbstick-trigger affair, with the face buttons seeing very little use. Moving your character is accomplished with the left stick, while aiming is handled by the right. The right trigger fires your selected weapon, while the left controls boosting. This setup feels a little weird, but it's not too dissimilar to a first-person shooter, so it's not too bad. Things get tricky when you want to pull of more advanced moves or when the action heats up. To dash forward, you need to press the left thumbstick in and push forward. You can boost-dash to the side and rear using this technique, mastery of which is vital when you're surrounded by hordes of enemies. Pressing both thumbsticks in simultaneously will execute a special move that varies depending on whether you're on the ground or in the air.

The control scheme is very unconventional, and feels very unfamiliar even to a veteran game player like myself. Much of your time is spent in the air, so you must carefully manage your boost meter by making proper use of boost-dashes and hovering. This is quite challenging, especially when you must boost-dash in rapid succession while fighting enemies on all sides. But while many other sites have mistakenly labeled the controls "poor", I've found that's not exactly accurate. Controlling Kelly is actually very responsive once you've come to grips with the highly unusual play mechanics. Despite being a rigorous challenge, the game never feels overwhelming or impossible, as the learning curve is quite gradual and very precise. Mastering the techniques presented in one stage is essential for moving on to the next, and Smilebit has done an excellent job of making sure each successive stage puts those techniques to the test. This is not a game for casual game players, and only dedicated and seasoned gamers will be able to extract any enjoyment from Gun Valkyrie.

There are very few weapons in Gun Valkyrie, so mastering them shouldn't pose too much of a problem. The main weapon for Kelly is the Heat Cannon, which fires homing missiles, and the Matchlock Cannon for Saburouta, which is more powerful but fires slower. Kelly can find the machine-gun-like Drive Gun, whose rapid firing rate works well against a horde of onrushing enemies. Each character can also use the Plasma Hook, which functions similarly to the Grappling Hook from Super Metroid in that you can use it to pull yourself towards certain objects. Unfortunately, it's only limited to the few indoor stages, and sees very little action at that. So, that's basically it: two weapons for Saburouta (if you can call the Plasma Hook a weapon) and three for Kelly. Aiming is a bit of a chore, with no options to change the right analog stick from inverted to normal. (I hate pressing up to look down. Yech.) Thankfully, Gun Valkyrie employs an effective target lock-on system that works especially well when you're boosting around trying to shoot a large number of enemies.

Weapons and armor can be upgraded by spending GV Points, which you earn during missions. The game rates your performance during a mission according to several different categories: speed, number of enemies destroyed, technique, and whether you found any Halley Cores. You're not only required to survive each stage, you're encouraged to do so quickly and efficiently while making full use of the battle system. Performing several mid-air boost dashes during a battle situation will form a combo, which will increase your Technique rating. This will also refill your GV gauge, which becomes depleted when you perform Napalm or Meteor Crashes. Unfortunately, you cannot replay a level until you clear the game, which opens up a Challenge Mode that allows you to play old levels again. You probably won't do so well on your first trip through the game, so it's fun to go back to earlier levels and try to finish them very quickly.

The level design is extremely linear, which actually works very well for a pure action game like Gun Valkyrie. Many stages impose a time limit, so you don't want to be searching for the right door under such pressure. You'll be doing a great deal of boost-dashing amisdt a plethora of floating platforms in the outdoor worlds, while the indoor areas will find you fighting enemies in confined hallways and even long vertical tubes. Like I mentioned earlier, each successive stage requires full knowledge of the techniques used in the one before, so the game doesn't get too hard too quickly. That's good game design. Enemy variety is fairly decent, though after a while each new bug begins to look like all the others. They don't all behave the same way, resulting in the need to diversify your battle tactics. All told the game offers a great challenge with some innovative play mechanics, and can be a rewarding experience if you take the time to master the control system. Whether you can do that depends on your gaming preferences, as there are certainly challenging games out there that have intuitive play mechanics (Devil May Cry comes to mind).

In the end, I can't help but like Gun Valkyrie. It is complex for the sake of being complex, but I commend Smilebit for going to such great lengths to craft an esoteric type of action game that appeals to the only most dedicated of game players. This game is definitely not for everyone, as its downright strange controls, coupled with its short length, will turn off most casual players and even some entrenched gamers. But the top players will enjoy this title, as it does offer a level of challenge unseen in most recent games. If you're looking for an action game that feels like the spiritual successor to the Metroid lineage, then give Gun Valkyrie a try. At the new low price of $29.99, it's a great deal.