Review
Release Date: 1998
Platform:
Sega SaturnDeveloper:
TreasurePublisher:
TreasureReviewed by
Brian J. Balsan on 4.14.2003
| Review Rating: 10/10 | User Rating: 8.25/10 |
With Treasure's Ikaruga arguably being the last worthy game to come out on the Sega Dreamcast, one can't help but get a distinct feeling of "Deja Vu All Over Again" as, in 1998, Treasure did a very similar thing on the Sega Saturn with Radiant Silvergun.
The year is 2520. Recent excavations found a mysterious diamond-like object and a strange ancient droid figure whom bears a striking resemblance to the creator-bot of the space cruiser "Tetra," which houses the Silvergun team. As scientists continue to monitor the unique discoveries, a flash of light emits from the diamond and it suddenly engulfs the entire planet, killing everyone. The only survivors are the Silvergun team still aboard the Tetra....
Thus sets up the story to arguably the "best shooter ever made." Radiant Silvergun boasts so many extras, bosses, and options that it's easy to see why it has received such a title.
Much how Treasure's own "Alien Soldier" pushed the limits of the Genesis Hardware, Silvergun, originally released on the Saturn-based S-TV Titan arcade hardware, ekes every bit of power out of the system to make a game that could easily surpass many of the Playstation's endeavors. Everything in the game runs at a smooth 30 frames per second, and bosses are made out of segmented polygons which, for the most part, will take up the top half of the screen. Everything here is fast and furious, as you're constantly being attacked by fighters big and small. But you will have an arsenal of guns in your inventory, all available to you from the start. You have your three primary weapons, and then, depending on which 2-button combos you press, an extra set of three weapons, and then a seventh short-ranged power weapon that doubles as a special attact if you absorb enough damage. Music can be summed up into one name: Hitoshi Sakimoto. If you've played Final Fantasy Tactics or Vagrant Story, you know what to expect.
But while the shooter itself is amazing in its own right (often-typical for a Treasure title), it's the extras that boosts the game to "legendary." One interesting aspect of Silvergun is its weapons levelling system, where your three primary guns can actually build levels and become more powerful. As innovative as this is, if you run out of quarters you'd have to start from the beginning at Level 1. Along with the original Arcade mode, the Saturn Silvergun comes with a "Saturn mode," which allows you to save if you lose all of your continues, so you can start from the beginning with your weapons at the level you died at. Also added in the Saturn mode are intro and ending anime movies, in-game character dialogue, and a new stage with an extra slew of bosses not found in the Arcade.
To round out the package is a nice assortment of options. Some, like difficulty and lives settings, are readily available, while others, like level select and game speed, are available only after either beating the game or logging in a considerable amount of playtime.
Treasure made sure that you had more than enough reasons to play Silvergun even after you've beaten it several times over. The mix of extra options, level gaining, and huge levels and bosses, make Radiant Silvergun a title worth owning.
Prepare to offer an arm and a leg at your favorite internet auction for this game, but trust me; it's worth every penny.
