Overall, Gleylancer isn’t some kind of boundary pushing or standard setting entry in the shmup genre. And it doesn’t have to be. What it does, it does well. The difficulty curve is a bit wonky, but even at its hardest it never feels impossible. Putting the options to use was a ton of fun, even if my method of using them ended up a bit…uncomfortable for my thumb. At its budget price ($6.99 at the time of writing), this game is an absolute no-brainer for shmup fans. I would argue that it’s a great option for genre newcomers as well, with its relatively easy opening levels before the difficulty really ramps up. As I continue my exploration of retro shmups, I’m glad this one fell into my hands.