Reviews

R-Type Final 3 Evolved Review

R-Type Final 3 Evolved brings us once again a lot of action in the famous franchise, but will it be new enough? Will it be up to it? we will see that next.

R-Type Final 3 Evolved is a Shoot ’em up, with a fairly simple format. You control a ship and your goal in life is to destroy an empire.

I’m sorry to tell you that there isn’t much of a story, all I can promise you is that you can find some bits of lore in the ship descriptions and in a menu that can be accessed from the start of the game. Like a Soul borne title, it’s there if you look for it, but let’s be honest: these kinds of games don’t need a story, this game just needs action.

R-Type Final 3 Evolved is a Shoot ‘Em Up that places a greater emphasis on survival and puzzle solving compared to its bullet hell predecessors. You take control of a ship of your choice, you have three lives and you have a mysterious power that connects to your ship called “The Force” and your goal is to get rid of the Bydo parasite empire.

R-Type would be a pretty traditional Shoot ‘Em Up if it weren’t for “The Force”, which truly defines the entire series. You can pick up this item and place it on the front or back of your ship. It absorbs a few shots and can take out smaller enemies on impact.

You can also trigger “The Force” to make it act independently. Which version of “The Force” you get depends on which ship you choose, as each has different attributes.

As amazing as it sounds, the game revolves around this. Nothing demonstrates this more clearly than when you quickly defeat a boss or clear a difficult section thanks to its expert use.

Major additions to R-Type Final 3: Evolved include a set of new levels and competitive online multiplayer. This is where drivers compete for the best score on specially designed stages.

R-Type Final 3 Evolved’s path begins unusually in a tropical island setting, in contrast to the barren spaceships that other R-Type games typically introduce. This is followed by the staple of the series, which is taking on a giant ship, although this time it’s an aircraft carrier. After this opening, the game plunges further into standard series territory, until reaching the final two stages of the seven-stage race, where things are different again.

Although these later stages are thematically and visually different, they don’t offer much new in terms of mechanics. It’s quite apparent that the goal here was to show how impressive the game can look. For newcomers, this route can be interesting and challenging. However, those familiar with previous installments will note that, beyond its flashy new look, it offers nothing that hasn’t been done before.

Customization is the key in R-Type Final 3: Evolved. You can customize everything from the ships to the names of the stages. You can even change the title screen. On a visual level, it can be seen that the game has received an update with the Unreal 5 engine. This is clearly reflected in the story path of R-Type Final 3: Evolved.

Unfortunately, not all stages are the same. Some fainter textures start to become apparent despite the glossy finish, resulting in a drop in visual fidelity as you progress. Also, some of the effects can make visibility difficult, especially with special weapons. This has led to some needless deaths, at least in my personal experience.

The soundtrack is pretty good, especially in the new settings, with a lovely atmosphere in the more alien-looking areas.

In conclusion

R-Type Final 3: Evolved is a visually impressive game, although it has practically no story, its strength is its gameplay and visuals, in the second, sometimes it is not so faithful, since some settings look very impressive and others border on mediocre. But the game manages to keep us highly entertained while enjoying quite a bit.