Even though new shoot em’ ups (shmups) are not as plentiful as they used to be, when a new one gets released it’s a big deal for fans. It’s an even bigger deal if it’s a series that hasn’t had an entry in over 17 years. This is the case for Granzella’s R-Type, as it just released a new entry to the series, R-Type Final 2.
Story
Now for the most part, most shmups don’t really have a story other than “kill evil space aliens who are trying to take over the galaxy”. R-Type kind of does that, but adds in a bit more flavor text, at least that’s what it seems to me. The story has players “compile the military history of the war between humanity and the Bydo and to pass down the know-how for anti-Bydo weapon development”. So I’m guessing that the game is having the player relive these events. While it’s cool that there’s an attempt to have some type of story, its not really the main focus.
Gameplay
R-Type Final 2’s gameplay sticks to the tried and true style that it’s known for: methodical pacing. Unlike other horizontal shmups, R-Type has a feature that allows players to either speed up or slow down their ship. This allows players to either speed through the level as fast as they can or to slow down to shoot as many enemies as they can, racking up points and avoiding large waves of enemy fire. In addition to this feature, players have access to over 100 ships, each with different stats and firing modes.. This gives players a wide range of tactical options in how to tackle a stage: from going in bombs blasting everything in sight to lasers bouncing off of different surfaces. This is also in addition to customizing their ship’s loadout as players progress through the game and letting them register 12 ships for their loadouts.
There are a few issues I have with the game, one of which is how respawning works. When your ship gets hit and destroyed, instead popping you back in and continuing the stage, the game stops and loads you back to the last checkpoint you reached. I feel that this slows down the pace of the game.
Graphics
The graphics are a bit of a mix bag, depending on which version of the game you happen to get. Of course the PS4 and Steam versions of the game will look better since the hardware is more powerful than the Switch (which is the version I’m basing this review on), however that shouldn’t discount that even on weaker hardware, it still looks really good. There are some sections that are a bit empty and look a bit unfinished, but do get better as you progress further into the game.
The best looking part of the game are the ships. Each ship looks different and unique, especially when upgraded to a newer version. What’s also great is that you have the ability to customize the look of the ship. You can change the colors to the different parts of the ship, add decals and change the color of the canopy. This customization also extends to the player’s pilot avatar. You can change their suit and helmet designs and the colors. These really don’t do anything to the performance of the ship, but they do make your pilot avatar and ship look awesome.
Sound/Music
The R-Type series has always had great music and this trend continues on with R-Type Final 2. Each track has a cyberpunk/industrial/EDM feel to them which really goes well with the action and the locations that the player travels to. At times the music gives off a space opera vibe, which matches really well to the more open areas in the game.
Extras
In terms of extras in R-Type Final 2, there are a couple. There’s the Stage and Score Attack mode that unlocks stages as you go through the game. There’s Data & Gallery, here you can access the pilot & war records (ie player stats), the Bydo Lab (enemy stats), Gallery (various screenshots and images), R Museum (view ships and develop new ships) and the Shop (ship decals and pilot suits).
For a series that hasn’t seen a release for almost twenty years, R-Type Final 2 hasn’t lost a step. From the tried and true action and the amazing music to the new shiny graphics and extras, there is a lot to enjoy if you’re into shmups, especially if you’re a fan of the series. Even newbies to the series will have fun. If you’re looking for something a bit old and something a bit new, R-Type Final 2 is what you’re looking for.
