History VideoGame / AzureStrikerGunvoltSeries

* FamilyFriendlyFirearms: ZigZagged. Most of the enemies utilize energy weapons that fire beam or photon shots, but they also possess ballistic weapons, such as missiles and bullets (the latter mainly reserved for mini bosses and an ATEMS heavy gunner).

** Inverted, ballistic rounds such as missiles, rockets, live bullets (fired from an ATEMS heavy gunner) and grenades can be deflected with Flashfield/Flashshield. It's the EnergyWeapons that can go through it, forcing Gunvolt and Copen to dodge them.

** Also averted in ''3'' where due to a several decade time-skip, Adepts are now as numerous as the non-Adept population and also come in all ages. Apollo for example, worked as supply manager for Neptune prior to becoming a Primal Dragon and recruitment into the Bureau of Dragon Saviors.

* ArtisticAge: The artbooks reveal that despite their height, they have a confirmed age that makes them younger than their appearance would suggest (Nova and Viper for examplem, are 14 and 15 respectively but they are as tall as adults, etc.)

** Also averted in ''3'' where due to a several decade time-skip, Adepts are now as numerous as the non-Adept population and also come in all ages.

* ArtisticAge: While ages are never stated outright in the game itself, artbooks and such say that Asimov and Moniqa are the only characters above 20. Now look at [[YoungerThanTheyLook Carrera]].
** CompetenceZone: The same artbooks show that the competence zone is on the low end. There is not a character in the game older than 24. Justified as Adepts at that time are mostly young. This is no longer the case in Luminous Avenger iX as the Adepts are now considered to be the world's general population. [[spoiler:Since it took place a century later.]]

** The Glaives, a sword-shaped weapon created by Sumeragi that contains an Adept's "Adept gene" that holds their powers. As a result, Adepts under Sumeragi's employ generally stay in the form of normal humans until they enter combat, upon which they use their Glaives to activate their Septimal power. They can also boost an Adept's power without sealing their Adept gene into it, but the resulting power boost is marginal by comparison.

* DefeatEqualsExplosion: All of the MechaMooks explode when defeated. This even applies to flesh and blood footsoldiers (including if you only defeat them with untagged attacks) with the difference being that their bodies remain intact (minus their damaged armor, firearms, and helmets).

** Superpowers are called "Septima", and superpowered people are called "Adepts" (both are called "Seventh" in the Japanese version). The name is attributed to a PowerLevel scale called the "lifewave", of which Adepts stand on the highest, 7th tier.

* SpiritualSuccessor: ''Gunvolt'' borrows heavily from Inti Creates' prior games ''VideoGame/MegaManZero'' and ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'', such as the use of a mission-based format, RPGElements, and heavy emphasis on story. Ironically, PowerCopying wasn't introduced until the second game, and is never used by Gunvolt himself.

* TheWallAroundTheWorld: Thanks to the Kamishiro National Barrier erected by Sumeragi, Japan has achieved a nationwide example of this. This prevents anyone (but registered Sumeragi exmployees) from entering or even leaving Japan without going through a tedious process to enter and this is done to further monopolize Glaives which only they currently have. [[spoiler:With Zonda disabling the barrier, this caused Japan to once again open up to the outside world.]]

* HaveANiceDeath: Most bosses have a unique quote that will play if you die against them in ''Luminous Avenger iX''.

** The Glaives, a sword-shaped weapon created by Sumeragi that contains an Adept's "Adept gene" that holds their powers. As a result, Adepts under Sumeragi's employ generally stay in the form of normal humans until they enter combat, upon which they use their Glaives to activate their Septimal power.
** ''3'' introduced Binding Brands, a type of sealing sword created by Shadow Yakumo that serves as the prototypical form of the Glaives currently used by Sumeragi. Like the Glaives, they are also capable of controlling Septima, although due to the advent of Glaives, the Binding Brands have fallen out of use. They become the resident {{MacGuffin}}s in the second half of the game, as [[spoiler:they are sealing something important deep within Sumeragi's archives that ATEMS wants.]]

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: The series is set in a world that is very similar to ours except set an unspecified time into the future. [[spoiler:''[=iX=]'' averts this with a 100 year TimeSkip.]]

* InteractiveFiction: A short text adventure called ''Azure Striker Gunvolt DOS'' was released as a promotional item at PAX Prime 2015 on an actual floppy disk (thus making it unplayable on most modern systems). It's loosely based on the first game and uses a lot of IntentionalEngrishForFunny. [[http://inticreates.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/gunvolt.html It has since become playable online]], but [[GuideDangIt the codewords needed to progress only come with the physical copy]], [[spoiler:and the secret phone number that is awarded at the end of the game now redirects to a completely unrelated line]].

* InteractiveFiction: A short text adventure called ''Azure Striker Gunvolt DOS'' was released as a promotional item at PAX Prime 2015 on an actual floppy disk (thus making it unplayable on most modern systems). It's loosely based on the first game and uses a lot of IntentionalEngrishForFunny. [[http://inticreates.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/gunvolt.html It has since become playable online]], but [[GuideDangIt the codewords needed to progress only come with the physical copy.]]

** ''3'' introduced Binding Brands, a type of sealing sword created by Shadow Yakumo that serves as the prototypical form of the Glaives currently used by Sumeragi. Like the Glaives, they are also capable of controlling Septima, although due to the advent of Glaives, the Binding Brands have fallen out of use.

* SmartBomb: All playable characters in the series have skills that clears the screen of enemies. Gunvolt has his Voltaic Chain in all his appearances, Copen's skills have various names and are CombinationAttack in the iX games, while Kirin has her Hidden 92nd Rite - Divine Ruin Heresy.

* FamilyFriendlyFirearms: ZigZagged. Most of the enemies utilize energy weapons that fire laser or photon shots, but they also possess ballistic weapons, such as missiles and bullets (the latter mainly reserved for mini bosses and an ATEMS heavy gunner).

* FamilyFriendlyFirearms: ZigZagged. Most of the enemies utilize energy weapons that fire laser or photon shots, but they also possess ballistic weapons, such as missiles and bullets (the latter mainly reserved for mini bosses).

** Inverted, ballistic rounds such as missiles, rockets, and grenades can be deflected with Flashfield/Flashshield, it's the EnergyWeapons that can go through it, forcing Gunvolt and Copen to dodge them.
** ZigZagged with the weapons system used by the Mantis and Fazent; on one hand, their missiles can be deflected, however, when it comes to their Gatling guns it can easily pierce through Flashfield/Flashshield as the bullet's size (combined with high velocity speed) being too much for GV and Copen to easily deflect.

** In pre-release footage from ''3'', Kudos no longer vanish at all, but taking damage inflicts the Kudos Lock status, where your ability to gain Kudos is frozen until you earn back your Kudos "debt". The severity of the Kudos Lock scales proportionately to the amount of Kudos you have on-hand, with more Kudos leading to a higher Kudos Lock penalty.

* {{Combos}}: Gunvolt gains more Kudos for defeating multiple enemies at roughly the same time, up to three enemies. Copen, conversely, gains more Kudos for every enemy he defeats without landing, up to 5x the base value.

* MultipleEndings: ''Gunvolt'' features two different endings, [[spoiler:both of which lead into different timelines.]] ''2'' had the True Ending be accessible by completing both campaigns and is an extended version of the normal ending. ''[=iX=]'' did away with any ending variations, having only one concrete ending. ''[=iX=] 2'' brought them back with 3 different endings: a normal ending, a bad ending version of normal, and the True Ending only accessible by beating Hard Mode.

* BottomlessPits: The heroes will oftentimes traverse over precariously placed obstacles, with imminent death awaiting if they fall. Unlike most normal hazards, Anthem can't save you from falling to your death. Easy Mode in the Steam port of ''Gunvolt'' does add a BottomlessPitRescueService, however.