Radirgy

"A cell shaded shooter?"

Just when we all thought the DC had breathed it's last breath, late 2005 saw the announcement of 2 new shooters. One was a helicopter based vertical shooter called Under Defeat that looked very similar to Zero Gunner 2 but it was the other one that really caught my attention. The reason? It was cell shaded. That's right, a cell shaded, 2D vertical shooter. It's name was Radilgy, or Radirgy, depending on which train of thought you follow.

Anyway, February 2006 rolled around and Radilgy was released to an anxious DC public. While the last few releases had been good shooters, they weren't in the 'great' league. Would this be any different? Would it be a must have or another also ran? I can tell you it's the former and you should buy yourself a copy immediately.

Graphically, the game is outstanding. The cell shading works really well and I don't think it will be too long before we see a flood of cell shaded shooters. Everything is very clear, there's no slowdown, the weapons and fire are varied as is the range of enemies. The sounds are great and really suit the game. Some may find the whole thing a bit 'cute' but trust me, this is no 'cute' game.

You have several firing options. There is your main gun which can be powered up. There is also a sword, much like in Radiant Silvergun, which is devastating when used close up on enemies. There is also a 'blast shield' which can only be used once you have filled the gauge for it. This is filled by collecting a particular power-up. Speaking of power-ups, I've never seen a game with so much stuff to collect. Some are merely for scoring bonuses, others are genuine power-ups.

There is 3 ships to choose from, each one having very distinctive fire. I prefer the standard one though the others do add some variety. Try them all and see which one suits you.

Is it a must buy? As you unlikely to find it for rent, then I say yes. It may not be to everyones tastes but it is a damn fine shooter no matter how you look at it. It's not the best on the DC but it's up there amongst the best.

8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/30/06