From giant mechanised crabs and hulking sea turtles to formidable stingrays, swordfish and golden lobsters, each battle is positively majestic. Cinematic and grandiose, the hypnotic flow of its stages and the dynamism of your weaponry is only upstaged by its set-piece bosses. Much like Chronicle mode, in which you liberate star systems by felling trials under varying conditions, CS branches out over a 200 stage map with missions ranging from straightforward assaults to defence and time attack scenarios.ĬS's shop system allows you to spend points earned in stages on unlocking new ships, upgrades and power-ups, with pragmatic spending required for mammoth boss-rushes and ultimately Gigantic Bite - a new CS-only boss confirmed as the toughest in Darius history.However you choose to play, whether all or in part, alone or in a group, DBCS is a product of exceptional grace. Dim the lights and the only thing you'll be short of are a few warning lights and a rumbling seat - although fighting mega-boss Great Thing usually takes care of the latter, if you catch my drift (or yours, as the case may be).New CS mode is a nice addition if you prefer a gourmet platter of challenges, and is the only option optimised for a normal 16:9 display. For true justice, there's even an option to replicate the arcade display by linking two monitors together. This mode displays in a native 32:9 aspect ratio and is subsequently letterboxed, meaning anything smaller than a 13' display may be an eyestrain (and playing on the Vita, the text is almost indecipherable.) Maintaining the correct aspect ratio over an unsanctimonious crop is a necessity, and the sense of scale works beautifully on the right setup. The Arcade option features 24 stages across Original and EX (expert) maps, where you're tasked with clearing three stages of your choice, optionally altering your route after each boss encounter as desired. An effectively initiated laser duel.The game's format is the same as ever: you steer a small but deadly spacecraft through horizontal scrolling stages filled with enemies, obstacles and a generous helping of power-ups, before facing off against one of the Belser army's chief guardians. This is a necessity for Chronicle mode, which was never intended to be beaten in its entirety by a single player. The four-player option that made the arcade so special is maintained both locally and online, allowing you to join aptly named 'cabs' and take up the mantle with a band of co-heroes. Unquestionably the ultimate version of the game, the package doesn't just feature everything from the arcade's original and EX releases, including Chronicle mode's head-spinning 3000 stage variations, but comes with an all-new CS mode to boot. Yet here it is.Dariusburst: Chronicle Saviours (notably using the latter noun's correct British English spelling) is now available on Steam and PS4 as a digital download and in physical format for the PS Vita. After an EX revision in 2011 and a host of content updates via Taito Japan's online Netsys operation, it's been been four years of shoot-em-up diehards swearing the game would never make it to home console.
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