Natsuki Chronicles

In the end, Natsuki Chronicles is a solid shoot-'em-up. The action provides a nice balance between hardcore and novice-friendly gameplay, while the various tweakable options are welcome for players of all skill levels. Despite a lack of modes, there is some replayability thanks to an online leaderboard system and various difficulty levels and items to unlock; it gives players a reason to return despite the lackluster story. If you're a shoot-'em-up fan, Natsuki Chronicles is well worth checking out.

In spite of the game’s assists, I wouldn’t recommend it for someone new to the genre. It will simply be too difficult and frustrating for anyone who doesn’t come into the game with some shmup skills on their resume. Shmup veterans will have a better go of things, but will find themselves challenged for the reasons that I’ve outlined. I wouldn’t call Natsuki Chronicles a “must play” for fans of the genre, but some will find the visuals and ship customization an interesting change of pace and will enjoy checking the game out.

A visually extremely unsophisticated horizontal shooter that shines mechanically: The amount of weapon systems as well as the ballistic trajectory feature make this an insiders’ tip.