"Still quite possibly the best shooter ever made"

Ever since it was released on the Saturn many moons ago, Radiant Silvergun has been the poster child for many vertical shooters.

Graphically its all the big words you can think of...stunning, beautiful, amazing, etc. the game simply looks great. It takes everything we loved about the 32-bit era, great sprites, transparency, and scrolling (oh my is there scrolling), the graphics are simply solid. The Saturn hardware makes perfect use of everything. The bosses are huge and flashy, the backgrounds are a mix of 2D and 3D maps and polygons, and every animation is beautifully done.

The Sound is what we’ve all come to expect from a shooter...explosions and shooting sound affects sound great and go along with the music tracks that don’t distract the player. Warnings to prepare you for a boss' arrival, and atmospheric sounds blend in with the music. There is nothing to complain about.

In the genre of shooters Gameplay is the most important part because its what makes or breaks the game and Silvegun more than meets this requirement. Each button unleashes a certain attack...a front attack, back attack, lock on, side shots, homing, missiles, you name it. There is definitely a way to kill every enemy no matter where they are but what is even more innovative is the ability to absorb bullets with an attack that looks like a sword swipe. You swing and absorb weapons to fill up a bar, once it is full you can unleash a devastating attack that can either kill everything on screen or cause allot of damage. Lots of diverse features make the gameplay a dream.

As much fun as you will have playing through the game your first time you will find yourself dying to play it over and over. This is a true sign of a good game, the story mode (all be it in Japanese) is interesting to play through and there are hidden extras for you to play for and you will play!

This title is a rare find for a reason...it is one of the best shooters every made and easily the best 32-bit shooter. I wrote this review after playing Ikaruga for the Dreamcast which is excellent in its own right. Treasure has outdone themselves again and to anyone who can find a copy of the Saturn version and is a fan of shooters or of just having a fun game you can play buy it even for the insane
$120 plus dollars.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/01/02, Updated 10/01/02