R-Type Final

 PlayStation 2
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 38 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 38
  3. Negative: 2 out of 38
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  1. SrinuV.
    Feb 1, 2004
    10
    To those who treat mould-breaking games as life's milestones; those who can still smell the silver coins on their fingers ... this is dangerously close to the best in the genre.
  2. StarlessBB
    Jun 18, 2012
    10
    You know, for some reason I have always sucked completely at horizontal shooters. I can play the crap out of a vertical one but not a horizontal. But I have ALWAYS felt at home with the horizontal R-Type series, one of my favorite game series of all time. And this game is probably the best in the genre, at least aside from space shooter masterpiece Ikaruga. BUY IT. There is so much contentYou know, for some reason I have always sucked completely at horizontal shooters. I can play the crap out of a vertical one but not a horizontal. But I have ALWAYS felt at home with the horizontal R-Type series, one of my favorite game series of all time. And this game is probably the best in the genre, at least aside from space shooter masterpiece Ikaruga. BUY IT. There is so much content in this game it's unbelievable.… Expand
  3. Me
    Oct 15, 2003
    10
    R-TYPE = The father, mother, and God of the oldschool shoot em-up. IREM knows this is a masterpiece of a game. Very challenging to finish. 100 Diff ships to unlock :) Must have for old 2D schoolers.
  4. Razzka
    Oct 1, 2003
    10
    This games rulez! oldskool action + new console power= gr8 gaming (;
  5. [Anonymous]
    Oct 2, 2003
    10
    Bloody brilliant game, get it and you will not be disappointed.
  6. RockerN.
    Feb 1, 2004
    9
    i dont care if this game dont bring nothing new , i will play it until i drop dead! enjoy !
  7. MrT.
    Aug 18, 2004
    8
    A beautiful looking, almost laid back shootemup (compared to others) with lots of play time. I have not played a game like this for years - i enjoyed it so much that i went and got Ikaruga for my GC (after numerous recomendations) and have a copy of Gradius V on order. Old school game play values still thrive! If you liked the old R-types, you will love this.
  8. SusanaSerraM.
    Jan 31, 2004
    10
    It enchants...best game to me, very entertained.
  9. DeanS.
    Feb 7, 2004
    9
    A perfect marriage of 2D gameplay with stunning 3D graphics and particle effects. It recaptures the somewhat lost art of thrilling arcade gameplay on the modern console. Must own.
  10. Fighter17L
    Jul 27, 2005
    8
    Over 100 ships to unlock, Very high replay value!! The only major problem with this game was the slowdowns, my god. Anyway, if you are a R-Type fan, BUT IT NOW!
  11. ChiaChiehK.
    Sep 24, 2003
    10
    What a gorgeous and exciting game in the video game jungle.
  12. Luiguithethird
    Jan 11, 2004
    10
    1 of the best shoot-'em up games.
  13. llamayarmybar
    Jul 21, 2011
    6
    Almost unplayable, but such a majestic way to go out right IREM? Lack of consumer interest in the series in Japan aside, IREM have put together a nice little parting gift to likely their niche of fans here in the West and mostly in the East. Its suitable given that R-Type Delta came out so long ago its like chewing on year old potato chips in terms of game play innovations. Its the sameAlmost unplayable, but such a majestic way to go out right IREM? Lack of consumer interest in the series in Japan aside, IREM have put together a nice little parting gift to likely their niche of fans here in the West and mostly in the East. Its suitable given that R-Type Delta came out so long ago its like chewing on year old potato chips in terms of game play innovations. Its the same game with a few minor exceptions and many would also argue that the better game is in fact the former. I would argue simply- this game was not made for this hardware. The Playstation 2 was a beast back in 2000 and it tore through to the finish line by being modestly more powerful than the Dreamcast (although this was never seen after SEGA pulled the plug). However, that doesn't mean that every game that was made for it ran well on the hardware. Shadow of Colossus chugged, God of War chugged, and R-type final nearly died right out of the gate. When I started the first level and bumped into an astonishingly large robotic crab I though their was something wrong with my Playstation, but it turns out that the game was just trying to look too awesome apparently. Its practically unplayable and although slowdown was an issue periodically in the R-type series it was never meant to still be an issue this far in. Even more disappointing is the lack of care by even hardcore fans when it came to the issue at hand. Even they would claim it made large fire fights easier to get through and they practically welcome the lurching frame rate right into their game play experience. Its unacceptable, though many put up with it God of war II, a title that admittedly pushed the hardware to the extreme end of its capabilities possibly even slightly less that Shadow Of the Colossus did, and we're supposed to be excited when a horizontal space shooter can't keep up that 60 frames per second? That reason that was arguable the bread and butter of the argument as to why the Playstation 2 was quote "better" than the Dreamcast hardware. It could output those frames per second at a nice consistency that looked so fluid to the human eye. R-type final boasts a meandering 60 FPS while dropping to below 30 FPS in very "busy" sections. Its frustrating because it ruins the experience of the game when you're eye keeps detecting that motion is no longer smooth anymore on you're TV. Even worse the sudden speed ups can get you killed very easily. What an upsetting finale for such a great series.… Expand
  14. LuciusMcGibbon
    Sep 8, 2018
    7
    Very stylish, and very much rebuffs any thoughts that 2-D shmups have nothing meaningful to gain from more powerful later-gen system capabilities. Fun to play, great level design, and some nice callbacks to the classic original.

    So why didn't I rate it higher? Because to me, the main appeal of this game over others is the insane number of ships and very fun weapons that can be unlocked    Very stylish, and very much rebuffs any thoughts that 2-D shmups have nothing meaningful to gain from more powerful later-gen system capabilities. Fun to play, great level design, and some nice callbacks to the classic original.

    So why didn't I rate it higher? Because to me, the main appeal of this game over others is the insane number of ships and very fun weapons that can be unlocked (and judging by the cover art, the makers feel the same way...) meanwhile, in order to unlock them, you have to complete levels. At some point, you just find yourself grinding through the game over and over. So you get to fly all your fresh new ships across stale old levels. That is kind of annoying, and to some it might not be worth it... in which case you're left with a very good-looking, fun game with a rather short playthrough time and a lot of food left on the plate.    … Expand
  15. thesuperioreddi
    Apr 24, 2014
    10
    Let me tell you about R-type. This **** is for real gamers only. Go **** play your bull**** Candy Crush or Farmville, or whatever the **** you want. But if you want some **** high intensity action play this game. I was playing this at my **** Robert's place. He told me he say like Final Fantasy were tight when oyu were younger and had all this **** time, but nowadays we don't have time forLet me tell you about R-type. This **** is for real gamers only. Go **** play your bull**** Candy Crush or Farmville, or whatever the **** you want. But if you want some **** high intensity action play this game. I was playing this at my **** Robert's place. He told me he say like Final Fantasy were tight when oyu were younger and had all this **** time, but nowadays we don't have time for that level grindy bull****. We need action. We need R-type. tenouttaten… Expand
  16. GAFerreira13
    Feb 18, 2015
    8
    A worthy ending for an amazing series. R - Type Final pushes the PS2's hardware to the limits by providing full 3D graphical fast-enough paced action (absolutely 0 sprites in the entire game!). Huge replay value thanks to the enormous roster of 101 ships, all different and with a Developer log that's always fun to read, increasing the R - Type universe's richness. 12 Stages in totalA worthy ending for an amazing series. R - Type Final pushes the PS2's hardware to the limits by providing full 3D graphical fast-enough paced action (absolutely 0 sprites in the entire game!). Huge replay value thanks to the enormous roster of 101 ships, all different and with a Developer log that's always fun to read, increasing the R - Type universe's richness. 12 Stages in total (including the secret ones) to make sure that you don't get bored when you repeat the same levels over and over again only to unlock new ships with cool new Wave Cannons and Forces.
    Unfortunately, some cool features like testing ships in real time or changing the difficulty mid-campaign (in case you get stuck) aren't present in this game, and the frame rate drops sub-30 sometimes. The complex PS2 Hardware doesn't allow Frame Skipping, so in, maybe half of the stages, the game will suffer from a major slow down to keep pace with the FPS. This can be very frustrating, specially when it actually helps you beat the game. But I still highly recommend playing the game.    … Expand
  17. jaydon18056
    May 28, 2021
    10
    it's the best of the shooter of the r-type series because r-type is a pretty cool game for the ps2
  18. Yojimbo2015
    Jul 15, 2023
    7
    The latest incarnation of the classic shooter gets some impressive visual upgrades and a host of unlockable ships, but the game itself gets a little to carried away with its own visual trappings and as a result is not as exciting or fun to play. A solid scrolling shoot 'em up, but it's nowhere near as good as R-Type Delta on the PS1.

Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Best PS2 Game of 2004
60
#60 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2004
42
#42 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2004

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 50 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 50
  3. Negative: 0 out of 50
  1. Total Video Games
    70
    This 2D shooter in a 3D environment may look slightly frayed around the edges and dated in many respects but with so few proper video shooters that go back to the real roots of arcade blasting this is a nice short fix.
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  2. Armchair Empire
    85
    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.
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  3. Next Level Gaming
    85
    My only gripe is a lack of multiplayer mode. It's fun, but not as fun as you and a friend taking the Bydo head on. Still, Fresh Games, Eidos, and Irem get kudos for giving us one more memory of R-Type, and the excellence it maintained all this time.
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