Bangai-O HD Missile Fury

Posted 2 years ago By - Michelle Gonzales

Treasure is a developer known for its insane shooting games like Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun. These titles challenge gamers to use quick reflexes while fighting off an onslaught of enemies . Bangai-O HD Missile Fury follows in the steps of its predecessors with crowded action on screen and an intense difficulty. This is not an experience the casual fan will enjoy easily.

At its core, Bangai-O is a linear twin stick shooter. Players will perform dash, freeze, and counter moves using the simple and accessible controls on their trip through the numerous, varied levels. While the tutorial provides an endless playground to sample the arsenal, it is rather minimal and strategy will come through practice after dying repeatedly. Bangai-O does not shy away from being insanely challenging.

The sheer amount of enemies and levels in the game are impressive. Foes fill the screen at a rapid rate and it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the massive force. Sometimes there is so much action occurring on screen that the frame rate will struggle to keep up. The extreme difficulty curve is punishing, but thankfully you can skip to the next level after failing three times on the current one. Treasure exceeds in maintaining players’ interests by including varied level structures and challenging any expectations on how a stage will play out. This trial and error kept the gameplay fresh throughout, despite the steep learning curve.

Creative gamers will appreciate the included level editor. While the interface is somewhat clunky, it still provides a playing ground for expanding the experience. The other major drawback is limiting level sharing amongst friends. Unless you have many friends with the game or are a designer yourself, the feature may fall on deaf ears.

Those seeking a friendly hand can play two-player local or online co-op over Xbox Live. I had an extremely difficult time finding someone to play with online and when I did, we experienced some lag. With so many bullets and enemies on screen, this just further hampers the experience. Solo play was the main attraction and that didn’t disappoint.

Conclusion

Despite those drawbacks Bangai-O HD was a fun, chaotic experience that is aimed at the hardcore shooter crowd. It still manages to hold appeal for the casual gamer with varied level design and ability to skip levels once you’ve hit a brick wall. Fans of Treasure will not be disappointed in the value included in this challenging yet rewarding hell.