Masters's Raiden V: Director’s Cut review

I played Raiden V on Xbox One (after snagging it for $7 on a super sale) and, while I ran into all of the issues you noted (the chatter from squad mates felt particularly useless and distracting), I quite enjoyed the experience overall. I've not played a lot of the past games in the series, and I was looking for a fairly straightforward vertical shooter, so maybe those two reasons explain why it worked somewhat better for me than it did you, a franchise veteran. I also prefer vertical shooters to the horizontal ones you favor, so that was probably another part of the equation. Thinking back, I also liked Silpheed on PS2 and I seem to recall you not thinking much of it. Either way, I really wish the genre weren't all but dead. It's so rare that someone spends the time to produce something truly new and with high production values, which to me is how these games always work best. Give me spectacle!

Well, Jason, I'm glad you liked it so much (would you have, had it cost you $40?). I didn't hate it -- I think I made that clear -- but it was just okay for me. And I'm not sure if playing all of the games in the series has anything to do with my general lack of enthusiasm for R5 (it might), but it goes without saying that I'm enthusiastic about the fact that it exists.

Never fully played a Raiden game, but "It's Raiden" sounds about right from my distant experience with the series. Every time I see screenshots or videos, everything blurs between games for me. I also couldn't help tilt my head when I read this series supposedly started the "bullet hell" genre, which I have a hard time believing considering the first game's 1990 release date.

But I know seeing and playing are completely different experiences, which is why I got a PS4 copy of Raiden V when it came out a few weeks back, but I haven't touched it yet. I just wanted to support a new shmup release in this day and age, especially since physical releases are pretty rare now. The only other physical English release of a PS4 shmup I got recently was for Caladius Blaze, which was only a Limited Run Games release. Shoot, Battle Garegga finally got a US digital release on the PSN store a few weeks back... though, I was honestly surprised by the $35 tag it carries. For a digital release, that's a hard one to swallow. Edit: oh yeah, I got Sine Mora Ex on the PS4 back in August, too; don't get it if your TV doesn't have an on/off option for overscan, as the game doesn't have screen adjustment options... Supposedly other THQ Nordic PS4 releases too, considering my copy of This is the Police has the same issue...

I'll give Raiden V a shot, and I actually plan on going through the whole series (already have III and IV on Steam, and just recently acquired The Raiden Project) as I never had a chance to do so in the past. Dunno if I'll review them all, though. It'll be interesting playing them all and returning to this review to see how much our views align or diverge.

Pick, who said this game started the bullet hell subgenre??

The back of my PS4 copy outright says "The Original Bullet-Hell is Back." I was trying my best not to roll my eyes in the back of my head when I first saw that.

I've not played all the Raiden games myself, but what I've played I've enjoyed. But wasn't blown away by. I've always considered them a decent but unspectacular series; always worth playing but lacking that killer entry to make it a real classic.

I'll pick up V at some point because I'm weak when it comes to buying games, and it's the kind of release I'd like to support, but Marc's review does describe what have become my thoughts on the series. Good review.

Raiden is one of those series I've actually not played much of, other than a couple quarters in the arcade for one of the older ones. I do have a port or two for one 16-bit system or another, so I might have to try it out some day, but it's never been a top priority. I guess it's always had more of a military shmup look and I've preferred the pure outer space sci-fi for my backdrop.

Although, upon looking at the screens, this seems more sci-fi than military, so they might have changed directions from what I remember from when I was a kid.

Thanks Gary. It's always tough playing an old school game that isn't quite awesome, because every old-timer reviewer wants to show love to classic genres. That said, you can't just do so because you want to... and it gets tiresome writing the same disclaimer about how it pains you to write negatively about something you would love to love...