Every once in a while, there comes a time when developers take up the courage to delve into new frontiers in a market that is saturated with unoriginality. Irem is one such developer that has stepped forward with a brand new take on their classic shmup (shoot-em-up) series, R-Type.

After their previous game, R-Type Final, Irem had announced that this was to be the last iteration of their famous series, making it an instant collector’s item for fans. Little did gamers know that Irem had another card up their sleeve, and that this would shape Irem’s franchise into a completely different form.

Story has always been one of R-Type’s stronger features compared to other shmups that simply cut to the chase. In R-Type Command, players are once again immersed into the complex universe, taking the role of a first-time commander whose armada leads the way through various scenarios. The story is told through this persona, and brief logs can be read to better understand your missions. Returning fans will also welcome the familiar ships and their alien counterparts(i.e. the Bydo), just like the rekindling of old, long lost friends.

Since this is a “tactics” game, the visual department isn’t very astounding by any means, but expecting mind-blowing graphics from a tactics game would be as illogical as expecting a moped to reach supersonic speeds. In short, the game presents itself well enough for its purposes and load times can be avoided by turning extra features off in the options.

The gameplay is where this game truly shines, however, due to the ingenious blending of shmup mechanics with hardcore tactical aspects. It may seem daunting at first to learn the details of each unit, along with their individual strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, the tutorials aren’t much help, resulting in many initial “trial and error” attempts before players are truly able to understand the nuances of the game. After this initial grooming phase, however, the game is quite a solid and fresh take on the tactics genre that was beginning to grow stale. Units are laid across an octagonal battlefield, and combat is carried out usually on a horizontal plane. The mechanic of attaching and removing “Forces” from your ships and destructive charge beams have also been included seamlessly into this turn-based genre. Most combative encounters reward strategic players rather than those who enjoy going all-out with guns blazing; this game is not for those without patience. On top of all this, there is also an aspect of collecting resources so that players can invest in research and development of new ship types. Outside of the expansive and deep single player campaign is an ad-hoc multiplayer mode, which pits two commanders and their respective armadas against each other in battlegrounds unlocked through the single player mode, with the reward being a set amount of resources that the players can pre-determine.

R-Type Command is still a solid game for R-Type fans and especially strategy fans despite its slight flaws.

Editor’s Note: I thought this article was published a while ago, I found that it wasn’t yet.

Time to catch up on reviews.

Dead Space can be best described as a horror game that does everything right.  I haven’t been this spooked, thrilled and exhilerated all at once.  This is a harsh, brutal foray into the dark and twisted creations that lurk in the vents, under the floor and on the ceiling.

Sure enough, the premise LOOKS horrifying, but how does it PLAY?

Hit the jump to find out.

» Read The Rest