5 tips and tricks for new players in Punishing Gray Raven (PGR)

Punishing Gray Raven (PGR) is a 3D stage-based hack-and-slash action game in a post-apocalyptic setting, designed by Chinese developer Kuro Game. It has characters with spectacular movesets and an entertaining battle cycle. However, several aspects of the game may be daunting for first-time players. While Kuro makes an effort to describe the game's mechanics, it is not very extensive.

Compared to other similar titles, PGR has a lot of mechanics to learn. Newcomers may become disoriented when navigating the game's menu or might have difficulty understanding how to play the characters to their full potential. Another typical error is not knowing which banner to use with your in-game coins.

This guide should make it easier for new commandants to get acquainted with the world of PGR.

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Essential advice for someone starting out in PGR

1) The different parts of the main menu screen

The main menu is the first thing one will notice when they launch PGR (Image via Kuro Game)

First, let's look at the main menu. This is your core hub, where you may access many game features. The following is a description of a few of these aspects:

Battle Screen

The battle feature allows you to access combat-related events (Image via Kuro Game)

Clicking on the battle tab in the main menu takes you to this screen. You can select various combat-related events, both limited and permanent. This option also allows you to play the Story mode.

Guide

The new patch gives several free goodies to old and new players alike (Image via Kuro Game)

The Guide can be accessed by clicking on the small sphere at the bottom of the screen. This tab was implemented in the newest patch of PGR and helps new players with setting up the game. Completing a set of 49 missions gives you a lot of pulls, a free S-rank character selector, and a free S-rank weapon Selector.

Items

There are many items, ranging from character upgrade materials to weapons (Image via Kuro Game)

The Item tab allows you to check the items you collect via various in-game methods, such as event tokens, character upgrade materials, and weapons.

Members

Characters you obtain are shown under this tab (Image via Kuro Game)

Characters that you obtain via various methods in the game are shown here. You can customize and level them up in this tab.

R&D

This is the tab where you can use in-game premium currency (Image via Kuro Game)

The R&D tab displays the numerous banners that are available. It features several characters as well as their weapons. Your premium in-game currency, known as black cards, and the free tickets you receive are used to obtain the characters here.

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2) Character Skills and colored orbs

Combat heavily relies on you using each character effectively (Image via Kuro Game)

Each character in PGR has three fundamental abilities. In this game, they are referred to as orbs.

Orbs

The skills of one of the game's characters, Lucia-Plume (Image via Kuro Game)

Orbs are associated with three colors: red, blue, and yellow. When three of the same colors are combined, your character performs a high-damage version of the skill, known as a ping.

Matrix

A matrix is triggered when you dodge perfectly (Image via Kuro Game)

Alternatively, one of these orbs can be used to cause massive damage. If you time your dodge correctly, your character enters a slow mode called matrix. Tapping one skill orb in the matrix deals the same damage as a ping.

Core Passive

Core passives are what makes your characters unique (Image via Kuro Game)

Each of your characters has a unique set of skills called Core Passives. To check on how to activate these skills, pause the game, and it will show your active character's core passive.

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3) Story

The story of PGR is presented in a Visual-Novel style format. The plot is divided into various chapters. There are two nodes of playable story content.

Chapters

The primary story mode is divided into various parts (Image via Kuro Game)

These are your main chunk of story content and a way to understand the world and politics of PGR. You play the role of an army captain, called a Commandant, and lead a party of three warriors. Your team is called Gray Raven, consisting of three capable battle-hardened soldiers: Lucia, Liv, and Lee.

Interludes

Interludes are a great way to understand the various characters more (Image via Kuro Game)

Each of your character's backstory is told via the interludes. These minor side chapters discuss the various playable characters in-depth and help you understand their motivation in the world of PGR

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4) Black Cards and Research Tickets

Your go-to currency in the game (Image via Kuro Game)

Black Cards are the premium currency of PGR. These can be used in the R&D tab to obtain various characters and weapons. You can obtain Black Cards by completing daily and weekly tasks, limited-time events, and stories. You can also purchase them via the Top-up section. They are generally converted into the following.

Event Construct R&D Tickets

Event construct R&D is the butter to your bread (Image via Kuro Game)

This is what you should always use your black cards for. This ticket is used to research limited S-rank characters.

Basic Construct R&D Tickets

Don't use your Black Cards on them (Image via Kuro Game)

Using Black Cards on these tickets is least recommended. You will get enough of these via weekly login and from the new bonus mission set in the guide section in the main menu.

Target Weapon R&D Ticket

These are used to buy weapons (Image via Kuro Game)

These tickets are used to obtain weapons for your characters and make them even more potent.

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5) The banners

You can obtain characters using the banners found under the R&D tab (Image via Kuro Game)

If you are familiar with titles similar to PGR, you might be familiar with the word banner. Regardless, these banners are how you obtain various characters and weapons in the game. Both the characters and weapons are divided into A and S ranks, with S being the rarest.

Characters should be your priority if you are a free-to-play player. Let's go over the banners once and see what it does.

Themed Event Construct

The main banner in PGR (Image via Kuro Game)

Every new character makes their debut in PGR via this banner. For their debut patch, they are available at a 100 percent rate.

Arrival Construct

Rerun banners for characters after their debut banner was over (Image via Kuro Game)

After a character's initial entry patch, you can obtain them via a rerun banner called Arrival Construct. You can select among a set of three characters.

Target Uniframe

Uniframes are characters with very unique abilities (Image via Kuro Game)

Uniframes are only viable in a few scenarios. They boast a particular Execution skill that your regular characters don't have. This banner is only recommended if you already own all other essential characters in the game.

Target Weapon Research

Weapon can be used to boost your character's power significantly (Image via Kuro Game)

The weapon banner gives you S- or A-ranked weapons your characters can use. It allows you to select a set of weapons you want.

Base Construct R&D

Base tickets are given out on a basis by the devs (Image via Kuro Game)

Referred mainly as the standard banner by the PGR community, this banner should be your lowest priority to spend your Black Cards on.

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As a new player, you may be concerned about which units to invest in and whether to go for older ones. You don't need to worry about this because the PGR developers, Kuro Game, reward free S-rank character selectors during certain events and patches. Using these choices, you can get numerous older units that you like.