There are many shoot ’em up series out there, but few reach legendary status. One such series to achieve that distinction would be R-Type, one of the most influential shoot ’em ups (shmups) of all time. The series has had many phenomenal entries over the years, from its debut title, to R-Type Delta and then R-Type Final. R-Type Final was planned as the last entry in the series, but spinoffs and remakes soon followed after. Now however, a new entry in the series has come in the form of R-Type Final 2
I want to get some of the negatives out of the way before anything else. When I first started playing R-Type Final 2, I felt the game was a bit slow, and while the series in general is not a fast paced shmup but rather a slower paced one, this game felt a bit sluggish to me. I soon found out that while I had the issues on Switch, there were issues when played on PS4 and even PS4 Pro according to others as well. I had similar issues on my mid range PC, but soon found out that when played on PS5 (via BC) and Xbox Series X, the game plays fine. Upon borrowing a more powerful gaming PC rig for a few days, I noticed the issues were not as present on steam either when played on a higher end computer. There were frame drops on the Switch and PS4, which contributed to the slow feeling, but as I said, these were fixed on the more powerful hardware.
Now for the game itself. R-Type Final 2 is a bit of an exercise in frustrating gameplay, but of the kind that makes you feel like you accomplished something in the end You have a number of ships to unlock, as well as upgrades and ways to customize your ships, and the desire to replay the game often will be there in order to get everything. One thing I must stress is that if one ship is not working out for you, you should switch to a different one instead of just causing more frustration to yourself. This is a game that requires methodical strategy and going in expecting a fast paced bullet hell shmup will just see you get killed fast.
The level design and enemy placement could have been a bit better in some areas, since some areas will place enemies in positions that leave you with little room for reacting, but the more you play the game, and the more you understand how things work, you will get better and better at it. It took me a little while for the game to click and finally be clear to me, but my enjoyment increased immensely once that happened. R-Type Final 2 has a lot to offer the hardcore shmup fun, with intense gameplay, a good variety of enemies, and unique levels.
Presentation-wise, R-Type Final 2 goes above and beyond its predecessors, with new cutscenes and more, in addition to great visuals and music. The framerate issues aside, R-Type Final 2 is a good looking game that definitely takes advantage of the advancements in gaming to look better, its just that the gameplay could have been a bit more innovative aside from the ships as well. I do like the game and will replay it several times on different platforms, but I feel there was just something more that could have been done to set the game apart from its predecessors.
Speaking of the ships, I do love the customization in the game, and feel it is a high point. Nearly every aspect of the ship can be customized to your liking, and upgraded in a variety of ways. This allows for a lot of replay value as well as making the game play just right for you. But R-Type Final introduced this to begin with, and I feel that Final 2 could have done something different to give itself some more distinction from what came before.
Ultimately, R-Type Final 2 is a good shmup that will be great for fans of the genre. It may not innovate that much compared to earlier games, but it does have a lot of quality going for it. If you give it enough time for the game to click with you, you will come to appreciate it for what it is. This is a game that requires time but is ultimately very much worth that investment.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
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