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R-Type Final

Score: 8.5/10

Let’s face it, the shoot ‘em up genre is in a state of hibernation and there doesn’t seem to be an end in site for the long sleep this style of game has been in over the last five years.  Perhaps it was the overkill of the 16-bit era, or perhaps it’s just that gamers tastes have changed, but whatever the case it isn’t often that we get to hop on board a decked out space fighter, scroll around the cosmos, collect power-ups, and fight giant bosses.  Now one of the first and most popular shoot ‘em up franchises, R-Type, is bowing out as R-Type Final lives up to its name marking the end of the long-running series.  Happily, from the graphics to the intensity of the gameplay, Irem has made sure the series goes out with a bang and not a whimper.  

Right from the get-go, R-Type Final will remind gamers that series has never been easy.  The level of challenge is very high as players frantically dodge enemy fire and the requisite gigantic mechanical flying limbs one would expect from a shooter like this.  From Normal mode and up the difficulty level will likely get many players screaming all manner of obscenity while throwing controllers around the room, eventually reducing the gamer to a crumpled whimpering heap in a dark corner of the room.  Nonetheless, despite the difficulty R-Type by no means gives players a hard time through cheap shots.  The title truly is a test of reflexes that will really put players through their paces, as they take on wave after wave of enemies, and lock horns with all manner of boss that takes up most of the screen.  The game is a challenge, but a wonderfully frenetic, visceral one.

Surprisingly, R-Type Final even has a story to it.  Players will find themselves leading the human race on a last ditch effort to rid the universe of the Bydo, a decidedly ambiguous race that the game doesn’t fully explain.  It’s not Shakespeare, but the level of story telling in R-Type Final is certainly better, if only by a notch or two, than what one may find in other space shooters where the only thing players know is that the world/universe is in trouble and it’s time to blow some stuff up.

 

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And blowing things up is a big, big part of the R-Type Final experience.  The controls handle much like that of the game’s predecessors, as players are able to adjust the speed of their ship, select between rapid fire and a high-powered shot that needs to be charged before firing (up to three levels depending on your ship), and, of course, using your ship’s force orb.  The force orb is a multi-purpose tool that can be used to perform a number of duties ranging from being positioned around your ship to absorb enemy fire, to being sent right into the fray and blasting enemies

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at close range, as well as firing weapons gained from power-ups.  It’s a handy tool to have and mastering it is of the utmost importance.  All of these control elements may seem a tad overwhelming early on, especially getting a handle on the force orb, but the learning curve actually isn’t that bad.  Within a couple of hours most players should have a good handle on the controls and be able to start blasting the tar out of enemies in no time.

One very surprising addition to R-Type Final is the sheer number of ships players have available to them.  Usually in a space shooter there won’t be much more than three vessels to choose from, but in this game players will have a staggering 100 ships at their fingertips.  Granted the vast majority of these ships are unlocked over the course of the game, but it doesn’t take long before players will have a massive fleet of ships available considering how often new crafts can be unlocked over the course of the game.  A lot of these ships use similar parts in slightly different configurations, but these are spread out and varied enough between the vessels that they all still individually bring a unique feel when playing with them.  Tack on the way power-up weapons’ execution varies from ship to ship as well as a certain level of allowable customizing (missile configurations and ship color schemes) and there’s easily enough variation in R-Type Final’s fleet to keep most gamers happy.  

What should also keep players happy is just how good the graphics are.  The use of color is great in R-Type Final with lush surroundings chalk full of detail.  On top of this, the frame rate stays solid the whole way through with barely a hint of slowdown, bane of the shoot ‘em up genre.  Sometimes things get a little over the top, giving an almost surreal sensation while playing the game, and the enemies can feel a little uninspired as the game prescribes to space shooter conventions a bit too much here, but in the end the visuals here will not disappoint.

Even the music and sound proves to be more than serviceable.  The zips and zaps of laser, the blasting of the ships thrusters, and the explosions have a real presence, providing a lot more aural impact than many games out there.  The music is a bit more of a mixed bag, with its fair share of uninspired run-of-the-mill tunes, but when R-Type Final’s soundtrack is on the ball the tracks are great, offering a very epic feel to the game.

Despite R-Type Final’s high level of difficulty’s ability to bring out the masochist in all of us, this title is a wonderful close to an amazing series.  It looks great, it controls well, and with time there’s 100 ships for players to choose from.  At a retail price of $30US, the game really is a great value and well worth picking up for anyone that wants a nice, visceral experience.

Mr. Nash

March 28, 2004

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