Radiant Silvergun

About

In Radiant Silvergun, play as the last survivors of the human race in a shooting game with strategic combat. Battle enemies in six stages across various terrains, and level up your weapons for more firepower. Chain attacks together and destroy enemies in a specific order for hidden bonuses and high scores.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 185 reviews

story8 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Radiant Silvergun is a masterpiece of the shmup genre, known for its innovative gameplay mechanics and deep scoring system that encourages strategic play.
The port allows players to experience the game in English with the original Saturn graphics, making it accessible to a wider audience.
The game features a compelling story mode that allows players to keep their weapon levels between runs, making it more forgiving for newcomers.

The port has been criticized for being lazy, with bland menus and a lack of additional content or polish compared to the original.
Input lag and performance issues, particularly for AMD users, have been reported, detracting from the overall experience.
The resolution is locked at 720p with no options for higher resolutions or proper fullscreen support, which feels like a missed opportunity for a classic title.

story
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
79%
6%
The story mode of the game is praised for its depth and engaging narrative, featuring hand-drawn anime cutscenes and a compelling soundtrack by Hitoshi Sakimoto, which enhances the overall atmosphere. Players appreciate the RPG-like mechanics, such as persistent weapon levels and the ability to accrue lives over time, making it accessible for newcomers while still offering challenges. However, some critiques mention pacing issues compared to the original version and a desire for more options to reset progress, indicating a need for balance in the gameplay experience.
- “Fantastic Hitoshi Sakimoto soundtrack and surprisingly poignant story for a shmup.”
- “Speaking of the story, RSG has a surprisingly deep one for a shmup, accompanied by hand-drawn anime cutscenes done by Studio Gonzo.”
- “This landmark entry in the shooter genre made its mark on the world not by excelling but subverting typical shooter norms by including things like RPG mechanics and an extensive, well thought out story with excellent animated cut scenes and voice work.”
- “I'm sad to report, the pacing for the story mode is a bit of a mess relative to the Saturn original.”
- “The storyline's alright as you follow your doomed crew of lovable cutesy anime stereotypes in their last stand against, essentially, god, having escaped an earlier apocalypse, and there's a great, heroic atmosphere to proceedings.”
- “If you play the story mode, your save file will continuously accrue experience points for your weapons earned from previous playthroughs which, over time, allow most bosses to be shredded with little resistance.”
gameplay
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
79%
11%
The gameplay is praised for its balance between accessibility for newcomers and depth for veterans, featuring a progression system, responsive controls, and a variety of weapons. Players can engage in both arcade and story modes, each offering unique experiences and surprises, while the incorporation of RPG mechanics and a compelling narrative enhances the overall experience. The game is noted for its innovative mechanics and iconic elements, setting a high standard in the shooter genre that remains influential.
- “Gameplay is balanced for veteran and newcomer shmup players alike thanks to its progression system.”
- “Easy to understand but hard to master scoring mechanics, arcade mode where you choose a path and story mode where you go through every path with additional surprises on top, compelling story with cutscenes and dialogues (for a game of this genre), amazing soundtrack, etc.”
- “The gameplay is responsive with no discernible input lag.”
- “This landmark entry in the shooter genre made its mark on the world not by excelling but subverting typical shooter norms by including things like RPG mechanics and an extensive, well thought out story with excellent animated cut scenes and voice work.”
- “If you're not familiar with the gameplay, you have seven vastly different weapons always available to you and it's your job to know what to use and when.”
- “There's much more to describe about the gameplay, such as the use of the radiant sword, the massive bosses, and the unique level mechanics, but going into all that will already make this long review even longer.”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The graphics in this port are a mix of nostalgia and modern enhancements, featuring optional redrawn visuals and dynamic backgrounds that capture the essence of the original game. However, the resolution is locked at 720p, leading to missed opportunities for higher fidelity, and some users have reported graphical glitches, particularly in high-res modes. Overall, while the updated HD graphics are appreciated, there is a desire for further improvements and patches to address these issues.
- “The visuals are gorgeous for the era during which this game came out, especially the very dynamic backgrounds that really bring life to the levels.”
- “Enhanced and redrawn graphics, which are fully optional, with various levels of detail that can be adjusted to the player's taste.”
- “It's been a smooth experience so far and the updated HD graphics look good; however, I do wish they implemented higher resolutions. Hopefully, that will come in a patch.”
- “From my understanding, the resolution is locked at 720p, so it's a missed opportunity to bring this game to a higher graphical fidelity.”
- “I believe there are also some graphical glitches, at least with the default graphic settings (pretty sure I saw weirdly-colored explosions at some boss, for example).”
- “Hi-res mode with effects (bloom) causes some weird graphical glitches.”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
89%
11%
The music in the game, composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, is widely praised for its stunning orchestral pieces and memorable melodies that enhance the overall experience. While some tracks are noted to be short and loop frequently, the soundtrack is considered a masterpiece that complements the game's poignant story and engaging gameplay. Overall, the music is a standout feature that contributes significantly to the game's iconic status in the shmup genre.
- “The OST is also a masterpiece; most of it gets stuck in my head in a good way.”
- “The music consists of stunning orchestral pieces, composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto, who was also responsible for many well-known RPG soundtracks, such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story.”
- “Everything about this game is iconic, from the bosses to the soundtrack and gameplay mechanics.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
58%
25%
The game's optimization has been criticized for its performance issues, particularly when compared to previous versions like the Xbox Live Arcade. While it may run slightly better than the Switch port, it still suffers from a lack of slowdown that was integral to the original gameplay experience. Additionally, the inability to reset the lives counter in story mode has been noted as an unfair aspect for players seeking a balanced challenge.
- “Performance seems decent, but as far as I can tell, some of the gripes with the 360 port remain (lack of slowdown).”
- “On paper, this sounds like a straight-up bonus, but the retro classics were often made with slowdown in mind since they were all running on single systems with consistent performance.”
- “Considering it will run on a six-year-old mobile processor and originally ran on a board with a couple of pedestrian 30MHz CPUs, this is an exceptionally poor showing performance-wise.”
- “It's clearly an optimization issue.”
- “May feel slightly better than the Switch port (had some stuttering last time I played it), but still inferior to the Xbox Live Arcade version in my opinion.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, the game demonstrates solid stability with smooth performance during gameplay. However, players have reported occasional graphical glitches, particularly with default settings and high-resolution modes that include effects like bloom.
- “That being said, it runs great and plays great.”
- “I believe there's also some graphical glitches, at least with the default graphic settings (pretty sure I saw weirdly-colored explosions at some boss, for example).”
- “Hi-res mode with effects (bloom) causes some weird graphical glitches.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a grand and heroic tone that complements its storyline, which follows a doomed crew of cutesy anime characters in a dramatic last stand against a god-like entity. This departure from the typical upbeat techno or rock music found in many shmups enhances the overall experience, aligning well with the game's narrative themes.
- “It's not the usual upbeat techno/rock fare of many other shmups, but its grand scope fits the atmosphere of the game's story very well.”
- “The storyline's alright as you follow your doomed crew of lovable cutesy anime stereotypes in their last stand against, essentially, god, having escaped an earlier apocalypse, and there's a great, heroic atmosphere to proceedings.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight the game's strong replayability, attributing it to its engaging music, compelling story, and impressive art direction, which contribute to its lasting appeal and status as a favorite in the arcade shooter genre.
- “Everything ranging from its music, story, brilliant art direction, and replayability made it not just my favorite arcade shooter game when I first played it on 360 all those years ago, but one of my favorite games of all time.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its playful and whimsical approach, allowing players to create their own manga characters, which adds a lighthearted and entertaining element to the otherwise intense 3D shoot 'em up gameplay. This unique blend of creativity and action contributes to a fun and engaging experience.
- “What it looks like at first: funny draw your own manga characters in a gorgeous 3D shmup.”