SOL CRESTA

As a [i]PlatinumGames[/i] and [i]Terra Cresta[/i] fan, this is confusingly disappointing, and hugely overpriced to boot. The graphics are ruined by the lack of a video mode that doesn't make them look like a shimmering mess of pixels, and the gameplay is a bit too gimmicky. The music by chiptune maestro Yuzo Koshiro is great though, so there's that.

If you like 2d rail shooters then you will love this game. It has tons if interesting mechanics, that make it a different experience such as the stacking system, and the separation supers. The heart of the game lies in how you master switching up how to stack your ships appropriately which is very fun. Would recommend

I claim that this game try (and delivers) something really new : pretty uncommon, especially among the STG genre. I'm talking about the bullet time (combined with the ship formations and split/dock function). Sol Cresta is without hesitation the shoot'em up with the most complex mecanics in existence, but it works surprisingly well. The more complex mecanics are mandatory only for high level plays, so this game is really not reserved for veteran only. In fac at beginner level you can play it in various ways (you can use only charge shots, or rely on base ships + command list shots, making formations or split/dock unused). Just avoid "Dramatic mode DLC" at all cost, it is lame as f**k. Otherwise, this is the kind of game that growth in you the more you play it, with an extensive service life. Competitive player? Try to beat my personal best in each stage of Score Attack and Caravan Stage modes, if you dare! (Wing Galiber II, wich is a DLC ship, strongly recommanded for theses modes!) It will make my day!

I played the demo twice and wanted the full experience. I enjoyed SOL CRESTA. I played the very easy mode, brought down my blood pressure, and enjoyed the game. The negative will be that almost all of the stages seemed very similar, and to me was very disappointing. Overall if you're looking for a shmup that has a classic feel with many different options including varying skill levels, Sol Cresta is decent enough to pick up when it's below 10 bucks. Sol Cresta didn't wow me, but it gave me what I was looking for and that was to just veg out playing a shmup piloting a ship. 7/10 Full controller support.

I never played any of the older Cresta games, but as a newcomer to the series, I found it to be a solid SHMUP with some flaws. It takes a solid hour or two to get used to the gameplay around your ship components, but once it clicks, there is a quite a bit of depth to it. The game also comes with multiple difficulties and overall felt fairly balanced to me. Some of the bosses look more intimidating than they actually are. I will say that I found the UI hard to read and easy to drown in the rest of the visuals. Especially in hectic situations I found myself more looking around the HUD instead of the action. I also found some of the backgrounds really hard to read - objects that I figured were part of the background turned out to be obstacles. In general I found it at times hard to differentiate between obstacles, enemies and items. There's just a lot going on and I think the devs could have done a better job differentiating these elements. It's obvious that the game was made with a lot of love for its genre and mechanics, but I wish the developer would have put more work into making sure the visual side support it equally.

Give it an hour or two for the mechanics to click. Won't be as fun on your first run, but once you understand the formations and shot switching, it's a good time. Worth it on sale for sure.

It's pretty good.

I hate to give a thumb's down to such an exceptional game, but it just isn't my style. Feels more like a fighting game than a shmup, which can be great for some, but it did not kick with me. It does so many thinks right -- such as great gameplay, superb soundtrack, and it is one of the most innovative shumps I have ever played -- but it lacks the elegance and simplicity of a classic shmup. For me, I guess it was simply too complex.

Awesome SHMUP classic reborn. Love this game. 5+/5

Sol Cresta is based on an underrated shooter classic with a great mix of modern elements and a new soundtrack on classic Nichibutsu hardware. It's also got a new lower price.