By Sean Only
PLATFORM: PC, PS4/5, SWITCH, XBOX ONE/SERIES (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
The Raiden series of vertically-scrolling shooters have been chipping about since 1990 and would probably be considered the flagship franchise of that particular niche subgenre of video games. Although sometimes criticised for being a little generic, the series has consistently given us smooth gameplay, well-implemented mechanics, flawless controls and fantastic soundtracks with very few missteps. Originally released to arcades all the way back in 2007, Raiden IV has had quite a few ports over the years, but now modern console and PC owners are getting to experience the frantic coin-op classic in the comfort of their own homes in the form of the MIKADO Remix.
If you’re familiar with Raiden games (particularly the later ones) this should all feel comfortingly familiar. Although gameplay doesn’t descend into the kind of bullet hell one might associate with a Dodonpachi or Gigawing title, things do still get pretty chaotic, especially in the later levels when bullet movement increases to quite frankly terrifying speeds. The main selling point of this package and where the lion’s share of your gameplay experience will likely come from is the Overkill mode, which turns an already hectic and colourful game into a complete bombardment of the senses – this was originally added to the PS3 release of Raiden IV, which came out nearly ten years ago. Which begs the question – what new content has actually been added to this latest re-release? Well, other than fresh online leaderboards, the only addition of note is the brand-new MIKADO soundtrack.
Raiden IV is an undeniably classic arcade shmup that has been pretty influential since its release. While fans of the series and of the genre will no doubt get a lot of enjoyment from the (admittedly banging) new soundtrack, this would be a great place to start for anyone that hasn’t got around to playing it for whatever reason, and it does look surprisingly great (even taking into account the obvious upscaling) in 4K. It is difficult to recommend, however, when considering how lacklustre the overall package is, given that this is the third or fourth time it’s seen a fresh coat of paint. Only pick this one up if you’re a shmup aficionado and you’ve never played Raiden IV before.
