It is no surprise to me that the same developers of Power Shovel made this game, they both ooze a quantifiable amount of Japanese.

This is the second game I'm tackling from my Obscure Games List, and I would like to give a massive thanks to JaxMagnetic for recommending this because holy fucking shit.

Before I go more indepth, I'm just gonna come out and say it: This game is pure unfiltered kino. Everything about it just screams cool, and honestly I think the Fifth Generation graphics only amplify that feeling for me. I also suck balls at the game, but that didn't remotely hinder my enjoyment because it is just a complete blast to go through.

Story wise to this game, well there isn't much of one that the game tells you. Based on the opening cutscene what I can infer is that you are a part of a space military and you're combating an enemy military that likes to primarily fly around in sea creature inspired space vessels. To be honest, this is a type of game that doesn't really need to have a deep narrative, and honestly it helps it because piecing the puzzles in your head for all of the weird shit that happens is far more entertaining.

Gameplay wise this game is some of the most hype shit I've ever seen. You have your typical side-scrolling shmup for the base setup, but what lies within has so many layers it's like the hidden Shrek Badge on this website. As you defeat certain enemies, (which you'll noticed based on if they're a solid color of Red, Green, Blue, or Purple) they will drop orbs. The orbs upgrade your weaponry and defenses. For example, you start off with missiles. Over the course of the first level you'll start shooting two streams of missiles, and then three, before eventually upgrading to a laser beam. The gradual progression of strength is something I have always liked in games, and seeing you start from zero and then becoming a lord of death as you rain endless fire upon your enemies is peak satisfaction.

Then, to add even more nuance, you can use these things called Capture Balls, to take enemies and add them as side pieces to your vessel, giving you either more fire power, or protection. I don't know if this is just a staple of Darius or if it's just in this game, but this mechanic is just... so good. and it makes combat I already like even more engaging and experimental.

There's also Star Fox type level progression, where you choose the path of where you want to go next, which I think is pretty neat. It even comes in the individual stages where you'll be asked to pick a zone within the area that slightly changes how the level progresses from that point.

The music in this game is baller as fuck, please listen to it, I'm begging you.

The biggest draw in my personal opinion is Beginner Mode. It's a mode with infinite continues and allows you to get practice for Arcade Mode. I tried Arcade Mode first and got my ass squarely kicked because I haven't played many Sh'mups before this point, but I still had a great time. I'll probably beat Arcade Mode some day, but for now I'm satisfied with what I experienced.

If you haven't played G-Darius, please, please try it out. One of the best games I've ever played, and one of the most interesting. Now I think it's time I do some meditation.