R-Type Final 3 Evolved from NIS America has just landed on PlayStation 5. Are you ready for it? Find out more in our R-Type Final 3 Evolved review!
R-Type Final 3 Evolved from NIS America has just landed on PlayStation 5. It brings us a revamped take on R-Type Final 2, which released on PlayStation 4 in 2021. This is an interesting one, because while the game’s name on PlayStation 5 is certainly R-Type Final 3 Evolved, and its icon shows up as R-Type Final 3 Evolved on the main menu, its name and icon show up as R-Type Final 2 if you check the game within your collection? Weird, right? What we’re getting is the main game along with all DLC stages from Stage Pass 1, which you’ll have to add to your collection as a separate pair of clicks – at no extra cost, of course!
This is the definitive version of what is known as R-Type Final 2 on PlayStation 4. On top of the DLC stages from Stage Pass 1, we’re also getting a boost to the game’s look and performance thanks to the jump from Unreal Engine 4 – which was used for R-Type Final 2 – to the mighty Unreal Engine 5. We now have access to the definitive version of this shoot ‘em up experience, since this release includes seven stages personally designed by Kazuma Kujo – who has worked on a ton of R-Type releases as well as plenty of other games, such as Disaster Report 4 – which are exclusive to R-Type Final 3 Evolved on PlayStation 5.
In R-Type Final 3 Evolved, humanity has developed many weapons during the invasion of the evil Bydo. These include the Force, a weapon created thanks to the harvested Bydo. The Wave Cannon, a weapon of destructive power that can be installed in small-sized crafts. Missiles that make the most of the pros of each craft. As well as the Bit, which was built as an artificial Force to aid crafts with an offensive defense. The goal of your current mission is to compile the military history of the war between humanity and the Bydo to pass down the know-how for anti-Bydo weapon development – hence why you’ll be taking on missions from the series’ past.
You’ll use the left analog stick or the D-Pad to control your ship. It has four different speeds for movement, which you can increase or decrease with the L1 and L2 buttons. The Square button fires your weapon, while pressing the Circle or R2 buttons uses a rapid-fire feature. Pressing and holding down the Square button will allow you to charge up energy to unleash a powerful Wave Cannon blast. The longer you charge it up, the more powerful the Wave Cannon blast will be. You must avoid enemies and their attacks at all cost, because a single hit will bring you down.
By destroying POW Armor you will reveal one of the different power-ups that R-Type Final 3 Evolved has to offer. Collecting a Laser Crystal will make a Force appear, which can be combined with your ship. Laser Crystals can grow in strength, improving the Force through three different stages. The Force can absorb enemy shots and can deal damage to any enemy that touches it. Pressing the X button will detach the Force, which will allow it to attack independently. You can also attach the Force to the back of your ship as needed to protect your rear.
By colling the Force with enemies and absorbing their shots, you will start to build up the Dose Gauge at the bottom left corner of the screen. This will add to your overall score. Once the Dose Gauge is full, you will trigger a Dose Break. When this happens, the damage dealt by the Force and your overall score will rapidly increase. Pressing the Triangle button while in Dose Break will trigger your special weapon which will deal considerable damage to everything on the screen while also removing any enemy shots.
Each type of Laser Crystal will fire a unique weapon based on its color – that would be red, blue, or yellow. Be sure to test out each weapon so that you can find the one that best complements your playing style. You can also collect up to two missile power-ups to fire up missiles from your vehicle. The missile can either be an airborne missile, or one that is sent towards the surface. Collect Bits to add them to your ship so that you can protect it.
The R Museum is where you’ll be able to develop new crafts, as well as review 3D models of one. New craft development options will unlock as you progress further in the game. Each craft has different development requirements, which you can check at the R Museum. You’ll require special resources to be able to develop some crafts – resources such as solonium, etherium, and bydogen. These resources can be secured by completing missions. You can boost the resources obtained during a mission thanks to the helmet and suit equipped your pilot. Equipment can be purchased at the shop.
To use any newly obtained craft, you must first register it at the hangar. Choose the craft that you aim to register and press the Square button to reveal the hangar’s sortie list. Choose a slot and select the craft to register. You can register up to a total of 12 ships at the Hangar. If you reach the limit, you must first delete an existing entry before you can register a new craft. What craft types can you develop? There’s the R-Type Fighter, the TP/TW-Type, the TL-Type, the OF-Type, the Bydo-Type, and the Ultimate Interchangeable Fighter.
The classic one we all know and love is the R-Type Fighter, with many variants derived from the original R-9A model – a.k.a., ARROW-HEAD. They usually apply a red laser for concentrated fire forward or back when a Force is attached to the rear. The TP/TW-Type were initially developed as transporters, which is why many of these crafts are spherical and look a bit… different. The TL-Type can transform between a humanoid and a fighter form, allowing it to fire a bunch of missiles when it finds itself in a pinch.
The OF-Type is also known as the Orbital Strike Unit, which has access to a special bit known as a Pod, allowing it to deal considerable damage while remaining protect, all while trading off having a Wave Cannon that is not as powerful as that for other crafts. The Bydo-Type is a new type of craft that has been created based on the organisms that threaten humanity. They have a peculiar shape and a strange set of weaponry, making them a more advanced craft to command. The last one is the Ultimate Interchangeable Fighter, a special ship that can equip weapon combinations from the rest of the crafts, which is why developing it requires many resources.
The exterior and armaments of any craft registered at the Hangar can be customized as you see fit. Change the body color to switch around the color of the ship. Change the canopy color to switch out the color for the cockpit. There are some color restrictions for some craft that you’ll run into. There is also the option of attaching up to 12 decals to decorate the body of the craft. Change the type of bit and missile for the craft, so that you can find the right combination to get the job done.
By visiting the Competition menu, you can take on Competitive Stages where you can battle against other pilots around the world in real-time. There are some restrictions for these levels to consider, such as not being able to activate Special Weapons, or continue after your ship is destroyed. The level will continue until everyone is defeated or someone manages to clear it. There’s the option of either joining someone else’s session, or creating your own. You can even play alone with the same settings as those for a Competitive Stage so that you can get some practice and improve your skills.
There’s plenty to do in this one if you want to get a new Platinum trophy. The list is long, and you can get trophies for completing a level with a craft with a decal, for clearing each of the different missions on offer, for using a Special Weapon, fully upgrading your armaments and filling up the Dose Gauge, developing a craft, defeating 10,000 Bydo, collecting 500 items from defeated Pow Armor, or obtaining more than 60 pilot suits. And each set of stages will also have from 4 to 6 trophies for you to work on adding to your collection, so there’s an extra incentive for getting all of the DLC sets. That means there are 80 trophies to earn if you get the main game and all DLC sets!
R-Type Final 3 Evolved is the best-looking and most packed entry yet in the long-running and beloved shoot ‘em series. The original R-Type is a game on which I spent many quarters back in the day at the arcade, and the whole franchise is to this day one of my favorites. R-Type Final 3 Evolved is available on PlayStation 5 with a $49.99, and it includes the main game along with Stage Pass Volume 1 at no extra cost. Stage Pass Volume 2 and Stage Pass Volume 3 are each available at a $19.99 price. Volume 2 will give you DLC sets 4, 5, and 6, while Volume 3 is for DLC sets 7, 8, and 9. Buying the volumes will save you a buck when compared to buying the each set separately.
Disclaimer
This R-Type Final 3 Evolved review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by NIS America.
