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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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

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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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