I’ve had Radiant Silvergun on the brain constantly lately. I’m not sure what triggered it in the last few weeks, perhaps when I shared it on Twitter for my #SegaGamesEveryDay2022 hashtag. Just a few minutes with it is usually enough to let the game sink its tendrils into me and become an obsession.
Having played through the Saturn original countless times, I've finally put some proper time into the Xbox 360 port (playable on all modern Xbox consoles) which is proving to be something of a new challenge.
My story with Radiant Silvergun has been told before on GameTripper (if you are not familiar with this brilliant site, make sure you check it out) but given the recent surprise Nintendo Switch release and my latest bout of a recurring obsession with the game, I wanted to discuss it some more.
Because frankly, I don’t think it gets the recognition it deserves,
Yes, I know it reviewed extremely well back in the day, especially in Sega Saturn Magazine where it garnered a whopping 95% score. A score which I believe it thoroughly deserved.
Yes I’m fully aware that it carries a hefty price tag on the Saturn (sadly like most games these days) which reflects the demand for a physical copy of the game.
But I still think that it is overlooked, or even looked down on in the modern day. There’s plenty of posts and videos where gamers state that they aren’t fans of Radiant Silvergun, which in itself is fine, but I don’t see enough championing of it.
Even recent releases get little respect, it deserves more than a 30 second trailer and surprise release on Switch, whilst the Xbox version, upon being included with Games with Gold, was viewed as "another old game on the service".
Furthermore, scour the web for any “greatest shoot-em-ups” list and you’ll rarely, if ever, find Radiant Silvergun on there.
Obviously I disagree. If I posted a top ten shmups list (now there’s an idea) Radiant Silvergun would not only be there, it would occupy the top spot. And possibly two and three as well. I love it that much.
But why, you may ask.
I’m not great at the shmup genre. Despite being a long time fan for as long as I remember, I’m pretty awful at them. Radiant Silvergun is no exception, even on the lowest “Very Easy” setting I’ll spend a good proportion of my playthrough listening to the sound of my exploding Silvergun ship. And this is after playing the game for over 24 years.
But there were several things that made Radiant Silvergun stand out for me. Not least that it looks absolutely phenomenal. The Sega Saturn original is one of the few titles that basically used every trick that the console could to create an astounding visual showcase. Huge polygonal machinations, sprawling VDP2 landscapes, transparencies and all other graphical tricks. It is one of the best looking games of its generation, easily.
But beauty is only skin deep. What matters is what is underneath. Well, Radiant Silvergun has it all underneath, peel back its first layer and you don’t find an onion or an ogre, you’ll discover a sports coupe, a trip to the Bahamas, a cottage in Cornwall and a new washer-drier, no Jim Bowen here telling you what you could have won, its all here.
Allow me to explain.
More than any other attempt in the genre, I feel radiant Silvergun succeeds in being a “cinematic shmup”. The story is one I’ve always found fascinating, a cautionary tale of mankind’s constant drive for industrial progress at the expense of nature, and the ending (which I wont spoil) is particularly poignant. This surprisingly thoughtful story for a shmup, is of course filled with epic moments. You will gasp, you will laugh, you may even cry.
It's fantastically voice acted (in Japanese) and even before I had access to any sort of translation, the whole space opera setting and the characters really resonated with me. Sure, other shoot-em-ups have tried to add story but none have felt as cohesiveor as epic as it does in Radiant Silvergun.
This is all elevated by an incredible soundtrack. Space Opera, again, is a term that springs to mind. It’s a beautiful melding of an epic orchestral score with 90’s electronic instrumentation. Hitoshi Sakimoto’s use of motif’s gives the game a distinct audio personality and is easily up there with not only the best videogame soundtracks, but I’d say it’s up there with the best in film too. The main motif is as distinct and recognisable as anything you’d see in, say, Star Wars, though when slowed down I definitely think you can hear some Space Odyssey 2001 influence in there.
So what of the gameplay? Well, again, I’d say it ticks every box going.
I’m going to start with the issue which plagues every shmup, at least from a casual or “I’m not very good” perspective, and that is death, weapons and power-ups. You’ve been there, after toiling away in a stage, learning the patterns, accumulating power-ups or obtaining decent weapons, you get to the boss who unceremoniously ends you. You respawn, depending on the game it may be immediate or at the last check point, but those buffs you’d accumulated are gone, or at least drifting away either off screen or perilously near the bosses head.
This isn’t a concern in radiant Silvergun. Firstly, you have access to all seven weapons at any time, and secondly you power-up your tools by using them, and that progress isn’t erased upon death. It’s a different approach and one I don’t think I’ve seen in any other shooter, and perhaps that’s why some genre experts thumb their noses at the game, but I love it.
It doesn’t make the game a cakewalk by any stretch of the imagination, Radiant Silvergun is still mind-meltingly difficult and you’ll need to not only remember those patterns, but be able to make decisions quickly as to which of the seven ship shattering weapons you’ll need in any given situation.
The game doesn’t let up, each of it’s stages consisting for five acts with their own boss at the end. These titanic foes are made of several parts which can be destroyed for a maximum score, or you can aim for the weak point like a coward (i.e. me) and get the battle over as fast as you can.
This sort of decision making is rife in Radiant Silvergun. Score hunters are well catered for not just by the multi-part bosses, but by the games clever colour coded enemies. Destroying three enemies of the same colour gives you a chain bonus, and those chains are driven by their rarity, from Red (the most common) to yellow. So you can shoot everything away if you like, or just shoot a single colour, while evading the others. Again, it’s intelligent Risk vs reward stuff.
It's not surprising that this aspect was showcased in the reveal for the Nintendo Switch port as it really is ingenious. But to call that scoring system out on its own felt a bit one eyed to me. By focussing on the score, I feel like it alienates so many other players that might enjoy Radiant Silvergun.
Radiant Silvergun should appeal to the masses as much as it would the hardcore, it has accessibility without sacrificing the challenge, it never feels cheap and the high spectacle keeps players eager to see what is next. The story makes you want to reach the end, and you should, because it is beautiful. It has visuals, it has a great story, and any player should make it a mission to reach the end. Even if you suck at shooters (like me) the game rewards repeated play with extra lives and continues over time (though this is a bit more stingy outside of the Saturn original).
But the game has enough for the hardcore too. The score system is ripe for those wanting to demonstrate their prowess.
It has visuals, it has amazing music, it has gameplay for anyone who has the slightest interest in the genre, it has a story and cinematic sequences that add weight to the game.
I may not convince those who have already add their mind up on Radiant Silvergun, but if you've never tried it, hopefully this convinces you to, especially since is now more widely available than ever. Whatever your skill level, there is something here for you.
And if that isn’t enough, it has two player co-op too.
Truly Radiant Silvergun is the shoot-em-up that does everything.
コメント