R-Type Final 2

Although graphically it is a little below what we expected at this point, its mechanics are totally faithful to the R-Type legacy and offers a remarkable challenge to all those who long for the space shoot'em-ups of the golden era.

R-Type Final 2 adds modernized graphics and gameplay to the action of the original games in the series, which together with its great challenge, amount of content and replayability makes it an essential title for all players.

Whatever its faults, there’s really nothing much like R-Type Final 2 on the market right now. It’s unabashedly old school in its approach and delights in letting you go hog wild with its dozens of weapons. Frustration and visual crowding aside, there’s plenty to love here for space fans.

I had high expectations for R-Type Final 2; its direct predecessor is one of my favorite games in the genre. To this day, I still rant to strangers about its massive collection of bizarre ships, its daringly cryptic branching paths and its boldly avant-garde final stage. The sequel doesn't quite soar to the same heights, but after you start unlocking its better content, it "finally" becomes a solid, compelling, long overdue return to the beloved, iconic series. [Issue #53 – July/August 2021, p. 74]

Compared to the magnum opus of the series that was R-Type Final, R-Type Final 2 serves more as an epilogue that maintains how solid the series still is. The level design and combat feel just as good as in past games, with a level of challenge that'll test those who have cut their teeth on modern bullet-hell shooters. The number of unlockable ships and the processes needed to do so will make players spend more time with this than most other titles in the genre, and that'll make up for the lack of extras like online scoreboards. Despite having a few issues in presentation and a rather annoying load upon death, R-Type Final 2 will please genre fans.

The space-shooter genre has had an Arrowhead-shaped hole for the past 18 years and finally, that void has been filled. R-Type Final 2 is not here to revolutionize the genre, it’s merely here to remind us how great the series is and celebrate its long history. Although its old-school mentality may deter some, fans of the franchise will love this iteration.

R-Type Final 2 marks the return of the much revered 2D shooter series after nearly 20 years without any new games, and it does a marvelous job at bringing the R-Type experience to our day and age. Its levels are tough, the vehicles and weapons are varied, and the formula is loyal to its origins. New players might feel, however, that this game is not most suited for them, given the emphasis on an arcade experience.

R-Type Final 2 is a bombastic if relatively safe continuation of the horizontal side-scrolling shoot-em-up. It has visual flair in spades and packs in plenty of customisation options, both of which make blasting away endless enemy waves fun.

If you need a hit of nostalgia from a sci-fi shooter, then jump in the cockpit for this one. It packs the challenge but may feel a little too stuck in the arcades of old. This release is a testament to the power of a loyal fanbase. As far as side-scrollers go, it’s definitely on the money. For many, a space-themed game like this might feel like something new and exciting for the genre. Difficulty does require some fine-tuning and there are some levels that will kill you more than the actual enemies if you’re not careful. Returning players will likely see this game as a solid tribute to a franchise they hold dear but it’s worth jumping in even if you are completely new to the side-scroller world of R-Type.

All of this leads to a game experience that doesn’t quite feel as polished as it could have been, but with enough of that core R-Type DNA to keep me engaged enough to keep on unlocking ships. Although, once again I come back to that silly title, because even R-Type Final 2 isn’t the final R-Type. There’s DLC to come, and a premium edition just of this game if you’re particularly keen.

In the end, I’m not sure we needed another R-Type, but I still enjoyed R-Type Final 2. For your money, you get a ton of content and lots of challenge. While I still fervently hope they patch the issues I pointed out, such as the unskippable intro and end credits, the base game is still solid. If you’re an Irem fanboy that is looking for the next great shmup, this is probably a safe choice.

The game is an easy recommendation for anyone that has been pining for the shoot-’em-up glory days or any fan of arcade-style games. There is a lot of trial and error that is inherent with games of this nature and if rote memorization coupled with some light strategy in weapon choices doesn’t sound like your idea of fun, you might not find it here. There are multiple difficulty modes, however, that add continues and alter some boss patterns. I found the easiest setting offers a fair challenge while still teaching lessons to take into the more demanding difficulties. R-Type Final 2 is a prime example of a competent product that fills a niche perfectly. Even though R-Type Final was meant to be the last game in the franchise, this new sequel proves there’s still some fight left for shmups.

I didn’t understand what R-Type Final 2 was doing with its Practice difficulty—you’d think it’d be easy with unlimited continues. I mean, we’re talking about PRACTICE. It took me several days to get the idea of what the game was doing, so I’m probably going to bounce off it. It’s only really recommended for those with way better reflexes than me—which to be fair, is probably everyone reading this.

R-Type Final 2 is sadly the classic example of form over substance. On paper, it provides fans of the beloved R-Type series what they would want in a modern sequel. In reality, it is simply an unenjoyable, below average title with little allure to wade through it.

R-Type Final 2 is a worthy revival of an iconic shoot-’em-up series, with plenty of ships to unlock and exciting new levels to explore. But with performance struggles that can create unfair, unexpected failures in a game that’s already pretty challenging to begin with, Switch isn’t the way to play this one.

I’ve been playing the game quite a bit, exploring all of the various options and features, and I get the impression I’m not anywhere near finding everything the game has to offer. Shoot-em-up fans without other platform options may still find the tech problems worth dealing with, but it’s too bad Switch owners are left with this kind of decision yet again.

R-Type Final 2 is a good but flawed horizontal shoot 'em up that suffers from multiple technical issues on Nintendo Switch but one that is still worth playing elsewhere.

R-Type Final 2 makes an authentic if flawed contribution to an iconic shooting game series. Many of the problems seem technical, so hopefully an update could do plenty — especially if it lets you lock that camera pitch. All we can hope for, then, is that we are still in the beginning of R-Type’s final phase, and that what Final 2 gets right is allowed to rise to the top.