Dariusburst: Chronicle Saviours

Dariusburst is perfect for short play sessions and the crazy amount of content in the game means it’ll probably take me months to see everything.

DARIUSBURST Chronicles Saviours not only provides an authentic arcade experience for a classic shmup, but also reinvigorates the series by adding a great deal of meaningful content that makes it one of the biggest releases for the genre in recent years.

Its innumerable stages makes it an infinite game, with a soundtrack as brave as its proposal for a, hopefully, not so much a goodbye as a new beginning.

The visual design is excellent, the music is avant-garde and memorable, the boss encounters are thrilling, and it’s chock-full of challenges to keep you coming back and playing more.

Yes it's expensive, but it's also a beautifully presented shooter with deep gameplay mechanics, satisfying boss encounters and excellent level design. [Issue#266, p.70]

Darius Burst: Chronicle Saviours reinvents the franchise without changing the feel. The highest number of levels make it virtually infinite, while graphics and sound create a unique show on the screen.

The main thing that holds Dariusburst Chronicles Saviors back from utter greatness is its price of admission. $60 for a "shmup" may be a bit much for some gamers to ask. However, those who do invest will find Chronicles to their liking, with the number of modes available, the local co-op support, the awesome presentation and the devotion to the series' history. Fans of the genre will definitely get something for their buck.

A wonderfully rich celebration of one of gaming’s more forgotten shooter franchises, although it’s unfortunate its pleasures come at such a high price.

Hot off the heels of the recent Kromaia Omega, which defied genre conventions at every turn, DariusBurst is there to remind players that traditional 2D shooters can still put up a fight. The arcade mode alone provides dozens of well-spent hours to genre fans and is enough to cover up for the gratuitous padding elsewhere.

It’s a beautiful throwback to arcade games of bygone years. From its awesome combat, powerups to taking on massive bosses and visiting varied environments it’s a game that’s worth checking out.

Outside of a few baffling design decisions, DariusBurst Chronicle Saviours is a jam-packed package that should be on the radar of any self-respecting shoot 'em up fan.

DariusBurst Chronicle Saviours is a welcome return for one of gaming’s longest-running series, digging deep into its history to create a modern shooter with a depth of content unmatched in its genre.

Obviously, your feelings on Dariusburst Chronicle Saviours will differ from mine greatly if you're more favourably inclined towards shmups in general. If you like the prospect of getting a few thousand shots at refining your shmup abilities without the hassle of changing games, then this is absolutely the game for you. It's visually appealing, the controls are intuitive, and it's pretty well-made overall. Non-shmup fans, however, will probably find the experience much less worthwhile.