A Kingdom For Keflings

Written by Brian Lelas  on September 27, 2011

Reviews: Treasure's classic Sega Saturn shooter finally makes it to the Western world on XBLA to the sound of joy from hardcore gamers

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Radiant Silvergun is the legendary УBullet HellФ masterpiece from kings of the genre, Treasure. Its original release on the 2D powerhouse, the Sega Saturn, was limited to Japan, which lead to die-hard Saturn fans opting to get their consoles modded and switched so that they could pay the ludicrous import prices for what was being hailed as the best game never to see a Western release.

Thirteen years later, Radiant Silvergun hits XBLA, owing the popularity of other Treasure classic, Ikaruga, for the privilege. But can it still hold true to that claim of old? Is it really that good? As it turns out, the answer will likely depend on how much you enjoy old-school shooters. If you weren't the kind of person to fall madly in love with Ikaruga, Gradius or R-Type


What makes Radaiant Silvergun different is also what makes it superb. Rather than the usual reliance on a constant stream of bullets, ships here are given a wealth of offensive options from the very beginning. Seven main weapons are available with each one designed for specific uses. There are a group of lock-on type weapons and some handy rearward firing alternatives. My personal favourite is the sword weapon, which clears a circle of much-needed space around your ship if done correctly.

The game has rather dated visuals despite being upgraded for this new release. Back on the Saturn the original polygon assets were imposed over 2D backgrounds and were impressive in their day, but today, even the work gone into the revamp has been a disappointment and largely inconsistent. The music and sound are also rather archaic, with the Story Mode voices in particular bringing players close to the Mute All field on the options screen. Radiant Silvergun, happily, doesn't need the flashy glitz and glamour of AAA titles like Gears of War 3 or the sound mastering of Child of Eden. What it lacks in polish it makes up for in pure unadulterated gameplay craziness. The screen is constantly changing. Bullets come from all directions while enemies and bosses of all types and sizes pop in and out of view faster than most human beings can handle. Even being a veteran of other УBullet HellФ games can offer no respite as this game dishes out punishment unlike any other.

With its high difficulty level, Radiant Silvergun manages to pack plenty of hours of gameplay into a small collection of levels. There are six lenghty stages, arranged in a non-chronological way for the story, filling in gaps as it goes. This form of narrative makes an entertaining diversion through the game but is a long way from literature. The levels are packed full of great ideas that spin the shooting genre on its head in more ways than one. After a few initial tries at getting through the first bunch of levels, every player is guaranteed to want to press on and persevere. The rewards are there if you invest and despite the occasional moment of baffled dismay, it is possible to fire through levels without losing a single life if you get practiced.