Review Vasara Collection

All I really want in life is the original Raiden on my Vita, but all PSN throws at me is Raiden V on PS4. Lacking that or my other fave shooter Ikaruga, here comes Vasara Collection to scratch my shmup itch.

In Tate Mode it offers a great dose of blasting fun across two games, but in regular mode the screen is too small and busy to do the games justice. Even with the pretty character art down the sides.

Note, the Vita version lacks the shiny new Timeless mode of the Steam/PS4 version and four-player mode, but that's not really a reason to pass on these smart shooters. On PlayStation TV, you do get two-player mode! Also note, the Strictly Limited physical release of 1,200 copies sold out in a minute, so PSN it is.

In Vasara, a pair of Visco shooters from the turn of the century, sci-fi tech meets fuedal Japanese history, with shogunates and lords shouting their curses as you race into battle. You can pick from a range of different pseudo-historical characters and their flying motorbike-type ships to ride, with modest speed and weapon power differentials. Then its into battle, hammering away at the enemy waves with the screen full of red gems for your melee power, power-ups for your weapons and endless streams of bullets to dodge.

The action starts out hectic and only gets madder as you go, but you can use those melee attacks and its ultimate form when the red Vasara gauge is full to repel bullets and powerful bombs to wipe out the enemy waves and the many, many boss ships. Vasara has branching paths and you'll need full concentration to slip through the massive barrages coming your way.

I love the core shooter part of the game, then though this probably a touch over my limit for bullet hell, or I'm getting worse as I get older. Also, the bikes seem a little large for the screen, but there's options to play on easy and add a bunch of continues in Free Play.

Hanging on in there until the Vasara gauge is often the only way to survive. I could do without the shouty interruptions too, but there's too much on my plate to worry about collecting the gold that falls from ground targets.

Such is the pace of the action, and as the screen fills with bullets and collectables, it does get overwhelming, especially when enemies drop huge flags when defeated. Also, when losing a life, your power-up tokens flock to the top of the screen and are a major risk to recover, usually coming down in a mix of gunfire.

When playing, I had little idea what the graphics actually looked like, as there's little time to focus. Watching some YouTube videos, the ground targets look a bit messy, with most of the love going on the pre-rendered 3D-like bosses, who are impressive beasts. The explosions look a little weedy, but on the Vita in the middle of the action, you really don't have time to notice and they look better and brighter on the OLED than these screenshots suggest.

With some impressive enemy designs, and a good blast of gaming history to enjoy, grab Vasara and lose yourself in the battle. It might not last too long, but there's plenty of carnage to enjoy.

Score: 7/10
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Price: £8.99 (PSN)
Developer/publisher: QuByte/Strictly Limited
File size 190MB
Progress:  Shot stuff, had fun!
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