R-Type Final

R-Type returns for what hopefully isn?t a Final time with a refreshing next-gen spin on the tried-and-true franchise.

Releasing a 2D side-scrolling shooter may seem like suicide in today?s 3D-happy, hi-res-heavy world, but R-Type wouldn?t be the game it is if it were anything but 2D. Fortunately, the classic Irem shooter play mechanics are fully intact, but this time, they?re matched to a dynamite polygonal graphics engine that takes advantage of the PS2?s processor power.

Use the Force (No, Not That Force)?.
Along with Gradius, R-Type became one of the most faithful?and difficult?shooter series ever created. The premise is simple: You pilot a small ship through several stages, blast enemies, and collect power-ups to give your weapons a bigger bang. R-Type features an item called Force, a small sphere that attaches to the front or back of your ship and can be used as a battering ram or launched and then drawn back toward you and reattached. Force accumulates damage, and it can unleash a screen-clearing bomb of some sort when it reaches its peak level. Despite the multiple functions, the simple and adjustable controls keep frustration to a minimum.

Hopefully, ?Final? Doesn?t Mean ?Last?
Final is a difficult game, even with its multiple skill settings, and it relies on a gamer?s patience for trial-and-error and memorization as it does deft skill and trigger-finger firing. Unfortunately, one other ?trademark? R-Type element is also present: slowdown that kicks in whenever the special effects and onscreen activity get overly intense. Although the mechanics are 2D, the action has a 3D feel that?s due mostly to the constantly changing sharp polygonal surroundings and enemies that attack from every conceivable direction. Final packs awesome replay value with over 100 space cruisers that can be unlocked if you fulfill specific requirements during play. For fans of the genre who thought 2D shooters were phased out to extinction, R-Type Final is a sweet reminder that some types of tried-and-true gameplay never go out of style.

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