Is Punishing Gray Raven worth playing in 2024?

Developed by Kuro Games, Punishing Gray Raven (PGR) features an action-based combat system with RPG gameplay mechanics and gacha for obtaining new characters and weapons. The developer released it for mobile devices on December 5, 2019, and PC on May 16, 2023. The title has garnered over one million downloads and a 4.4-star rating on the Google Play Store.

PGR is also considered more of a free-to-play-friendly title among gacha gamers. However, is it playable in 2024? If you’re wondering the same, this article provides a brief overview of Punishing Gray Raven to help you make an informed decision.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer’s opinion.

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Punishing Gray Raven: Play for the skill-based combat and generous gacha

Kuro Games has been introducing QoL improvements and optimizations, providing Punishing Gray Raven players with a seamless experience. Additionally, monthly new content helps keep the game fresh.

A new version update, Renaissance Du Fantastique, is ongoing globally as of writing. It features the debut of a new character, Ayla: Kaleido, and her exclusive 6-star weapon, Star Voyager, among many events. Additionally, Sequence Pact was introduced as a new permanent game mode in the latest update, along with two new features: Dormitory Dispatch and Infinitas Awaken.

That being said, let’s look at why Punishing Gray Raven can be a great game to play in 2024.

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Punishing Gray Raven's story starts slow but gets better

The title’s story is set in a post-apocalyptic world destroyed by a lethal pathogen called the Punishing Virus. Due to its effect, humans abandoned Earth and retreated to the space station in Babylonia's orbit. Humans perfected a technology with time, allowing them to transform themselves into modified soldiers called Constructs.

Players take on the role of a commandant, descend to earth with their three-construct squad, and embark on a mission to reclaim their homeland.

Punishing Gray Raven's first few chapters (up to eight) might feel slow-paced for some as they focus on world-building and introducing different story elements. The story becomes more intriguing and lengthy and improves afterward (the plot thickens after chapter 8).

Therefore, one must be willing to play through it to understand the PGR world better and immerse oneself in the plot. However, the well-written narrative will keep players hooked to the story, and the length no longer becomes a concern.

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Punishing Gray Raven has a unique combat system

Punishing Gray Raven’s combat is action-based, where Constructs unleash various combos to deal damage. Players build a team of three PGR Constructs, deploy them, and engage in an adrenaline-pumping battle against enemies. They can control only one character at a time by switching among the three.

Players must focus on three primary things on the battlefield: Signal Orbs, QTE moves, and the Dodge button. The Signal Orbs have three colors: Red, Blue, and Yellow, each indicating a special move. They can be generated by spamming the primary attack. Once they appear, players must attempt to align three orbs of the same colors in a row, triggering a 3-ping attack with lethal damage.

Tapping on the Dodge button allows characters to evade the opponent's attack. Dodging at the perfect time triggers the Matrix, where enemies become slow, and the orbs flash. Players can tap on a single orb to trigger an attack as lethal as a 3-ping.

Lastly, QTE depends upon the color of 3-ping orbs. Players place their characters in Red, Blue, and Yellow colored slots while building their squad. When 3-ping becomes active, players can tap that character’s portrait whose color matches the ping and execute a robust QTE move.

The combat might seem complicated and confusing initially for Punishing Gray Raven beginners, but it can be gratifying once mastered. One must hone combat skills by practicing regularly and familiarizing oneself with units and their abilities to clear the stages swiftly.

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Punishing Gray Raven's gacha has an excellent pity system

Punishing Gray Raven’s in-game gacha system is called R & D. It features various categories with multiple banners. The categories are Base, Event, Target Uniframe (for Uniframes), and CUB (for summoning Pets). Players can use Black Ticket (in-game currency) or banners’ respective tickets to summon. The Base and Event categories feature banners that grant characters and weapons.

The characters come in varying rarity, from the lowest B and A to the highest S rank. B and A rank units have a drop rate of 13.95%, while S-rank has 0.50%. Meanwhile, the weapons come in three rarities: 3, 4, 5, and 6-star, with a drop rate of 27.90%, 33.40%, 1.50%, and 0.50%, respectively. Their drop rates aren't excellent, but the pity system makes it better.

Regarding the Base category, it offers three banners: Member Target, Target Weapon Research, and Weapon Research. Players can select one A-rank character from the Member Target banner and boost its drop rate to 80%. The banner guarantees an A or higher rank unit in every 10 pull and an S-rank in 40.

On the other hand, one can select a 6-star weapon in the Target Weapon Research banner with a rate of 80%. Every 30 pulls guarantees a 6-star, and 10 pulls a 5-star or above rarity weapon. The Weapon Research banner also shares the same pity system.

Players can summon a 6-star Punishing Gray Raven character on the Themed Event Construct banner in the Event category. This banner features the character who debuted in a particular ongoing event. For instance, during the Renaissance Du Fantastique event, Ayla Kaleido is featured on the banner, where she enjoys a 100% rate-up.

One can get the featured Punishing Gray Raven S-rank character in 60 pulls and A-rank or above in every 10 pulls on the Themed Event Construct.

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Punishing Gray Raven’s skill-based combat system, generous gacha rates, and story are the plus points for anyone looking to try this gacha in 2024.