A superb Shmup game, and finally on GOG ! Really hard, but unlike other review, I won't say this is a bad thing. It's true that it does not help in making the genre "occasional player friendly", but alas, can't please everyone :/. You have to know that Raiden, as it's core, is not a Bullet Hell type of shooter ; on the contrary, it stars but a few bullets per pattern, but they go damn fast, hence the name "Raiden". Thus, the arcade mode of the game reflect that perfectly well, and keep the root of the franchise intact. The good news is, for danmaku lovers, there IS a bullet hell mode in this game, named "Overkill", with new scoring mechanics, new patterns, new stages, new everything ! You essentialy get two games in one, and that's really neat. However, if you're new to the game / shmup, don't be fooled by the main menu of the game. While Overkill mode is put in great focus (and it had to be, as it was a new game mode for the retail edition of the game), it is NOT a good idea to start playing the game with this mode. It's harder, faster (and stronger too !), the base game is already really hard. I really advise to start with arcade mode instead, that wil still kick your ass a lot of times. The OST is really awesome, with two OST (original and arranged) depending of the mode you're playing. They both are great, Go Sato did not disappoint ! I'd reiterate that it is indeed a game that will shine the most for "true" Shmup fans, that can dedicate their time to learning the games, the patterns, watch better player's replays and roads etc. It may not be worth as much for a "casual" player of the genre, but the overall quality still makes it a valuable purchase in my opinion. The fact that it bring together an old and new school experience of the genre makes it a solid buy no matter your level. All in all an awesome game, let's hope we'll get Raiden V for PC and on GOG one day, and that GOG will continue to bring us awesome Shoot'em Up ! (Go Cave games on GOG, go !)
