Well known importer and RPG aficionado, Atlus, has brought another game to the US from overseas, but this time it's not an RPG. While the genre may be different, Atlus' eye for quality certainly has not diminished. Sky Gunner a shooter fan's dream, and it's chock full of personality and presentation.
Sky Gunner, from preview screenshots, looked like it was going to be an anime-styled take on Panzer Dragoon. While I have no problem with an alternate perspective on an outstanding game, I was pleased to find out that Sky Gunner was not actually on rails but free roaming. The basis for the game is simple, shoot 'em up. A shooting game in its own right is enough to win over some people, but layers of story telling, special weapons, special techniques, and a rating system should be enough to convince most any gamer.
The visuals are delightful. There are numerous cut scenes laid out in a comic, storyboard type of way. Excellent art is involved at every turn. The design of the ships and environments is quite unique, and it is all very well modeled. You'll find tons of animation on each and every craft flying in the sky, but this comes at a cost. There are moments in the game where Sky Gunner will REALLY chug. I mean almost to a stand still. While comfort is just a special option away (you can win a "no slow down" mode at a loss of frame rate), it still makes some of the early going a little more difficult.
The audio performs just as well as the rest of the game. I found the character voices engaging, and they all fit with the mood and presentation perfectly. The voice acting isn't just used for cutscenes either. They are also integral to combat situation. The music is catchy, and sound effects are all there in full force.
Like I said, the foundation of the game is to shoot down all the enemies, the heart of any great shooter, but there are a few twists. First, you have free roaming movement in the sky, 360 degrees. It's basically what would happen if you took Panzer Dragoon off the rails. The control under this environment is excellent, and you are even given two different control methods to choose from in case one is uncomfortable. Next, you are often flying with wingmen. Whichever of the three characters you choose from the beginning, the other two will be there to help you out (and to compete against!). Finally, in addition to standard machine gun fire, you have special weapons that allow multiple lock-ons and work much like the aforementioned Panzer Dragoon.
Not only is there a story there to move you along, but the competition is where it's really at. At the end of each mission, you are presented with detailed statistics on what you shot down and how much of each special weapon was used. It's your job to compile a high enough score to beat your comrades. To do this takes much more than just completing each stage, and therein lies the challenge and replayability. Combos can be racked up by destroying more than one enemy at a time, but to do this you have to waste precious special attack ammo. Fittingly, each enemy gives in return some amount of a specific ammo back. This is one of the biggest keys to high scores, using your special weapons at appropriate times on appropriate enemies so that you don't end up with a low supply (therefore deducting points) at the end of the stage.
I love that more thought was put into this shooting engine than just "take down all the enemies". The scoring system really outlasts the story mode as far as replayability goes, and the key to it all is it's fun over and over again. Sky Gunner is really easy to just pick up and play, and you won't feel obligated to play for extended periods of time to enjoy it. A small case of the jaggies and some really bad bouts with slowdown smudge an otherwise pristine experience. Sky Gunner should really only be avoided by the most adamant anti-shooter type gamers.
