Developer: Rockin' Android
Genre: Shoot 'em up, Bullet Hell
System: PS3, PC
Gundemonium was the first game in a trilogy of shmups, the next two being GundeadliGne and Hitogata Happa. These games were originally developed by Japanese developers Plantine Dispositif. They were then localized by Rockin' Android for overseas play and released on Playstation Network and Steam. I've never played the original Japanese version but from what I hear Recollection is vastly superior.
Gundemonium is a Bullet Hell game, which is, for those unfamiliar with the term, a shoot 'em up with a shit load of bullets flying at you at all times. They require much skill, practice, memorization, etc. and are very hard to master.
The gameplay is fast and hectic. The screen is often cluttered with bullets and you'll have to draw your attention away from shooting enemies and focus on simply maneuvering the screen without getting hit.
There's numerous characters you can choose to play as, each with different weapons, abilities, specials, and speed levels. So if one character fails to fit your play style you can choose from some of the others available. You can also create your own character loadout, with your desired attacks and whatnot.
You have your basic attack, which can vary from a laser to a pistol depending on your character. Then you have a mana move which you can only use if your mana bar is full (which you fill by killing enemies), which is stronger than your basic attack. Then you have a bomb which is a limited powerful attack.
The game is very challenging. Luckily though, there are numerous difficulty levels to choose from. I've only managed to beat the game on Novice (the lowest difficulty) and even then I had some difficulties towards the end. Novice mode should be pretty accessible to just about anyone though will still be challenging. Anyone who wants to master the game can try and conquer the higher difficulties. You can also raise the amount of hitpoints you start out with in the settings.
The game itself is short. There's only a few stages and each can be completed in a couple of minutes once you get the hang of it. But fear not, there is plenty of play time in here. You won't beat the game on your first try, even on Novice. It just won't happen. You'll have to play it numerous times, perhaps even a dozen or more times, if you hope to complete it. Since you'll be replaying a lot of the levels it's good that the levels are short as is the game.
Plus, with all the difficulty levels, all the characters, and even a few other modes to play, you'll get plenty of hours out of this game if you so choose.
The game does have a very anime style to it but it also has beautiful old-school sprites that just look great. The music is good too.
Some of the enemies are pretty cool but the enemies do lack variety. Especially the bosses. The bosses can be challenging but they're not really unique in design or in function. They all look dull and none of them require anything other than shooting to defeat. This I wouldn't mind if it were only for the mini-bosses, but there should have been some more done with the main bosses.
Gundemonium Recollection is $3.99 on Steam and I think $4.99 on PSN. It's worth the play.
Gameplay - 4.5
Story - 2.0
Originality - 3.0
Fun Factor - 4.5
Sound & Music - 4.0
Personal Bias - 4.0
Final Score - 3.66 out of 5
Recommended for: Bullet Hell fans
Purchase: PC - Steam - PSN
