In a 2012 interview Cave devs explained that if SaiDaiOuJou was going to be their last game, it had to be a very straightforward experience. A game that's very simple and puts all of its focus around the good ol' dodging bullets, but with a contemporary approach. As a result, SDOJ is a pure bullet hell with 0 gimmick mechanics, but with all the over the top excess of the later Cave releases. The game can be way too much, and leaves very little window for casual plays. If you want to make a dent in it, you gotta sit down and commit to getting your ass kicked. There's very little in the way of strategy or understanding how to play it, you just need to dodge like your life depends on it. It's brutal. It's insane. It's non stop sensory overload. But at the same time it's oldschool as hell.

I'm still figuring out my feelings towards this game because, aside from the amazing OST and ultra futuristic presentation that pushes the limits on what can be readable in a 2D bullet hell, there's not a lot to say outside its intensity. I respect the back-to-basics approach, but it's easy to feel like there's nothing in the game you haven't seen from previous Cave offerings.

But what the hell. Even at its most derivative, Cave games can be a fucking blast, and this is no exception.

Let's pray to god we get a proper Steam port. I can't buy the wonky Xbox port from my European 360 and I'm not paying 4000+ bucks for the Exa version and system.