Einhander

"EINHANDER is a very addictive shooter, it has pleanty of levels and it's very fun."

Genre: 2D (arcade style) Shooter
WARNING: this game is extremely difficult, not recommended for young or non-hard core gamers.

Gameplay: 9/10
Shooters this fun are rare. Obviously, you control a flying craft against endless enemies and impossible odds. When you start the game you have three ships to choose from, one can hold up to three weapons. The other can hold two weapons, but can use them both at the same time. And the last ship can only hold one weapon, but has double the basic (unlimited ammo) machine guns. Each level is well thought out, you start in the city, and work your way to the "entertainment" part of the city where neon bill boards will block your path (you must shoot them out of your way, soon after you will be zipping along a highway at high speeds. This changing background and fast moving areas gives the game a great fast-paced feel. The best part is the length of the game, it will take well over 30 minutes to clear the game on a good run. And since it is nearly impossible to clear on your first try, you will get hours of entertainment.

Difficulty: 10/10
Well, this is the type of game separates the casual gamer from the hard-core gamer. To clear the game you will require a great deal of skill and patience. One hit and you die, and must restart at a check point. If you've never played an arcade shooter you may think that because you die so easy they don't shoot at you too much. However the contrary is true. They send HORDES of enemies and they all shoot a lot. The game starts out relatively slow, but as you make it to the later stages you will see beating Einhander is no easy task. You are given a set 10 continues, with two ships (retries) per continue. Einhander is not harder than the R-type or Gradius series. Also they put no invincibility codes and don't let you earn more continues through massive play time. It will force you to get good at the game, and make the game impossible to beat for young players.

Graphics: 8/10
The graphics are superb for a PSX game. The backgrounds are well thought out, and beautifully done. The enemies are easy to spot because the game is clear. Though it may be blocky, it's not too grainy. Some of the other great things about the game is that your ship looks cool, and the enemies are not stupid looking like in many other shooters. They put a good amount of weapons that can be acquired, and made then all different from each other. Einhander has all the graphics a good shooter needs.

Sound: 10/10 :)
One of the best parts about Einhander is the sound. The sound effects are sharp and can be heard clearly, each enemy makes it's own array of sounds. The explosions are also well made and most of them sound powerful. But the greatest thing about the sound is the music. Because it sounds cool. Most shooters have sound that is not fitting for dodging hundreds of bullets and lasers. Einhander does. The music they play at some of the early stage's boss's sound great, and set the mood. Plus, like I said before, it sounds cool. For a shooter, Einhader has amazing all around sound.

Replay Value: ?/10
The replay value depends on how much patience you have. If you become frustrated easily, you might not even beat the game. But for those who can handle dieng a couple dozen times, you will get hours of entertainment. There are some nice unlockable extras like an art gallery, secret ships, and hidden weapons. Plus the game is so well done after you beat the game on normal (or easy) you will want to try the harder difficulties. This is an addictive game.

Overview: 9/10
Einhander is one of the best shooters out there, it has some nice game play twists. Wonderful graphics and superb sound. Plus the game is flat out fun. The only flaw is that there are not too many people with the patience, time, or skill to play such a game. If your a fan of the genre your gonna love Einhader. If not, you may want to look else where or rent before you buy

Rent or Buy?
The game will take a while to beat, and since there are so many extras. I suggest buying it (unless you get angry easy, in that case rent it)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/20/05