Radiant Silvergun

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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

Reviews

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 92 reviews

story4 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Radiant Silvergun is a masterclass in game design, featuring a unique weapon system and a challenging yet rewarding gameplay experience that appeals to both newcomers and veterans of the genre.
The game boasts stunning visuals and an exceptional soundtrack, enhancing the overall experience and immersing players in its engaging story and dynamic boss fights.
The port offers various modes, including Story Mode and Arcade Mode, allowing players to enjoy the game in different ways while retaining the core mechanics that made the original a classic.

The port has several technical issues, including input lag, crashes on certain systems, and a fixed resolution of 720p, which some players find disappointing given the game's legacy.
Many users report that the port feels lazy, lacking additional features or polish that would enhance the experience, such as improved menus or extra content.
There are compatibility issues with AMD hardware, leading to performance problems for some players, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.

story
27 mentions
15 % positive mentions
74 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The story mode of the game features a surprisingly deep narrative complemented by hand-drawn anime cutscenes and a compelling soundtrack by Hitoshi Sakimoto, enhancing the overall experience for players. While it incorporates RPG mechanics such as persistent weapon levels and additional lives, some players feel the pacing and balance could be improved compared to the original Saturn version. Overall, the story mode is praised for its engaging plot and unique approach within the shooter genre, making it a standout feature for both newcomers and veterans alike.
- “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
14 mentions
21 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this title is widely praised for its innovative mechanics and balance, catering to both veteran and newcomer players. It features a responsive control system, a variety of weapons, and unique level designs, all complemented by an engaging story and impressive soundtrack. Reviewers note that the game successfully subverts traditional shooter norms by incorporating RPG elements and a compelling narrative, making it a standout entry in the genre.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “The theme of the game is all about time loops and such, with leitmotifs being used left and right for the gameplay.”
music
10 mentions
90 % positive mentions
10 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its stunning orchestral compositions by Hitoshi Sakimoto, contributing significantly to the overall experience and memorability. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, with many considering it one of the best in the genre, despite some tracks being short and looping frequently. Overall, the music enhances the game's iconic status and emotional depth, making it a key element of its appeal.
- “The soundtrack kicks ass, and I'd go as far as to say it's the best shmup ever made.”
- “Fantastic Hitoshi Sakimoto soundtrack and surprisingly poignant story for a shmup.”
- “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.”
graphics
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are a mix of nostalgia and modern enhancements, featuring optional updated HD visuals that maintain the charm of the original Saturn graphics. While the dynamic backgrounds and overall aesthetic are praised, players note limitations such as a locked resolution at 720p and occasional graphical glitches, particularly with certain effects. Overall, the visuals are considered good for their era, but many hope for a higher resolution update in the future.
- “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.”
- “Its 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'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.”
optimization
6 mentions
33 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with players noting that while it runs on older hardware, it still exhibits performance issues, particularly in the story mode where the inability to reset lives feels unfair. Comparisons to other ports reveal that it may perform slightly better than the Switch version but remains inferior to the Xbox Live Arcade version, with some players missing the intended slowdown that was characteristic of the original games. Overall, the optimization appears to be a significant concern for many users.
- “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 very 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
3 mentions
33 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates solid stability with smooth performance during gameplay; however, players have reported occasional graphical glitches, particularly at default settings and when using high-resolution modes with effects like bloom.
- “That being said, it runs great and plays great.”
- “I believe there are also some graphical glitches, at least with the default graphic settings. I'm pretty sure I saw weirdly colored explosions during a boss fight, for example.”
- “Hi-res mode with effects (bloom) causes some weird graphical glitches.”
atmosphere
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a grand and heroic tone that complements its storyline, which follows a doomed crew of endearing anime characters in their final battle against a god-like entity. Unlike typical upbeat techno or rock soundtracks found in many shmups, the music enhances the game's dramatic scope and narrative depth.
- “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.”
- “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.”
humor
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
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.
- “What it looks like at first: funny draw-your-own manga characters in a gorgeous 3D shmup.”
- “The humor is spot-on, with witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions that keep you laughing.”
- “I love the quirky jokes and puns sprinkled throughout the game; they add a delightful charm to the experience.”
replayability
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
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.”