PlayStation

RayStorm

All in all however, RayStorm is easily the best shooter currently available on the PlayStation (we're reserving judgment on Xevious 3D until we see the home version). No shooting-game fan should be without it. We know that several companies are interested in porting the game, so it's safe to say that if you can't afford to import, the US version shouldn't be too far behind.

Multiple difficulty settings, some varied but unsurprising levels, and a couple of different primary ship designs all lump this into a pretty familiar category of games. That doesn't make it bad, however, all shooter fans who have never tried this lesser-known franchise should definitely give it a look.

Spaz has done more than just translate the original game, though. You won't be able to beat the game all the way through on easy, unlike the Japanese version. You'll only be able to reach the end on difficult. However, the similarities to Xevious are too many to ignore, and hurt the game in its final rating. It is also a little short. However, with amazing graphics, excellent music, and solid gameplay, RayStorm is one shooter you can't do without.

The grandeur of the ending, the originality of the bosses, the overall quality of the idiosyncratic soundtrack and the two player simultaneous option, are what make the flaws in the game play of Raystorm so troubling. For best results, rent it and have an enjoyable go at blowing through it with a friend, if the credits are enough for you to manage it. (There is a code if they’re not.) Because as it is, though the gradual, and rewarding culmination of sights and sounds should be appreciated, and taken quite seriously, the way the game plays throughout cannot be.

While Ray Storm is an amazing technical achievement, its gameplay is flawed. First of all, the bosses take way too long to destroy. It seems like I spent half the game just pounding away at these mechanical beasts! And although the early planet stages are outstanding, the advanced space stages are far less interesting. It's uneven in quality, but shooter fans will still find Ray Storm appealing.