Raystorm HD brings the magic of Taito's 1996 classic to modern consoles with crisp visuals and a handful of new content.
As many games of the Shoot 'em up genre do, Raystorm depicts a futuristic setting in which Earth has come under threat from an invasion carried forth by forces from beyond the Sol system. At some point during the early years of the 22nd century, mankind realized the dream of space travel, and formed the Star Federation, a powerful military and political alliance between the nations of Earth. The Federation spread its roots throughout numerous galaxies, until it had successfully colonized innumerable planets. One hundred years after the founding of the Federation, the colonies banded together to form the Secilia Alliance with hopes of breaking the Federation's iron grip around their homes. The Alliance drove the Federation's forces back to their homeland – Earth. In an effort to deal a fatal blow to the heart of Secilia's military, Federation scientists reverse engineer captured Secilean craft and develop the R-Gray fighters, highly advanced ships possessing immense firepower and unparalleled manuverability. A small number of Federation aces commandeer these fighters with the goal of launching an attack on Alliance's seat of power, the Juda Satellite Colony. It should be noted that most of the backstory has little relevance to the actual game, as plot development is mostly limited to a series of still images providing minimal information on the events of the war.
What distinguishes Raystorm from many other Shoot 'em ups is the availability of a second attack used to destroy enemies in the background. Enemies level with the player can be dealt with using the basic Shot attack, which launches fast-moving, unguided projectiles directly in front of the player. The Laser attack operates differently in that it requires the player to drag an aiming sight over a target to lock-on before firing a homing projectile capable of hitting its mark regardless of the target's location (provided it hasn't left the screen of course).
Initially the player will have access to a pair of different ships, each possessing different Shot and Laser attacks. By meeting certain requirements during play, it's possible to unlock variants of these ships, as well as additional modes of play, including a 'Stage Select' mode and the '13 Ships' mode, in which the player is provided with thirteen lives with which to clear the game.
Raystorm HD's most noticeable improvements can be found in its graphics; which seems only fitting, taking into account how impressive they were at the time of Raystorm's first release. Environments have a clean, crisp look to them and the Bosses are visually stunning, particularly with regards to the final Boss with its numerous sections that extend well into the background, truly capturing the scale of the gargantuan beast.
Raystorm HD is a well-crafted Shoot 'em up that still has what it takes to hold its own against more recent Shoot 'em ups. Although it lacks online multiplayer support and isn't the most complex game around, it does deliver a satisfying, arcade experience. Those who played the original Raystorm are likely to be able to appreciate the graphical overhaul the game has received. For those who didn't, Raystorm HD is the perfect opportunity to play one of Taito's best-loved classics.