Developer: Matt Roszak
Steam Release: Dec 2015
Hours Played: 13.3
Similar To: Danmaku Unlimited 2 / Icarus-X: Tides of Fire / QP Shooting - Dangerous / Wish Project
Rating: 5/5 Parsnips
Bullet Heaven 2 is an extremely well-crafted 2D shooter that is done so well it might just be the greatest bullet-hell game ever created. It is a Japanese-inspired vertical-scroller that's jam-packed full of quirky creatures from a bizarre fantasy world. The player, enemy and missile movement is silky-smooth and the satisfaction gained from destroying enemies is immense. This is thanks largely to the crisp graphics, the comical animations of the enemies and the great variety of sound that oozes from the game as you pick them off. It is a level-based high-scoring game that challenges you to charge through 2 or 3 minute levels while gaining your highest score. What sets this one apart, in addition to its fantastic gameplay, is the innovative and user-friendly customization options that you tweak before diving into each run.
This is not just about the normal, hard and heavenly difficulty settings but about which player you choose to play as, which primary and secondary weapon you equip them with and which cheats and handicaps you wish to apply; all of which get gradually unlocked as you play. And although it may sound a bit overwhelming at first, it is a very well-implemented system that scales or balances your score accordingly. For example if you choose to include a number of cheats to your game like taking less damage or extra firepower, your score will take a hit percentage-wise. Similarly, if you choose to have handicaps, your score will be boosted a certain percentage to reflect the spike in difficulty. Rest assured, it is done in a very fair way where taking risks gains the correct reward in the form of a better score.
Bullet Heaven 2 features a full spectrum of enemies reminding me of the roster of Pokemon creatures from the 1990s. In the early stages many resemble bugs, wildlife and plants to fit the forest environment you start with but then vary wildly as you unlock different locations. The graphics are crystal clear and the animations are silky smooth in a way that makes the whole game thoroughly enjoyable and fun to play. Sounds emanating from destroyed creatures are particularly interesting. Each level has ten waves, and enemies join the screen in a variety of configurations and patterns with that mark of class and distinction. There is some digging around required at the menu-screens prior to playing, to set parameters, but this becomes swift and automatic as you become more familiar with it. The game is totally solid and stable.
Bullet Heaven 2 shines in this area as well. You'll begin with just two available default players (Matt and NoLegs). Then, as you complete levels you'll get awarded cash which you can then use to unlock and buy more players - with their own distinctive style. In addition you can purchase: weapons, costumes, cheats and handicaps which all go to help increase or (in the case of handicaps) reduce your score. It is up to you, through trial and error, to experiment with these features and to find the happy-medium which will lead to you recording your best score. BH2 boasts a solid online leaderboard for each level that shows your best score along with your world rank in each. Needless to say, those who brave the heavenly setting with the additional challenge of handicaps will more than likely record the higher scores.
Thankfully, unlike a lot of bullet-hell titles, BH2 has a refreshingly uncomplicated score-system. Normal, Hard and Heavenly settings actually make a difference to your score like they should and the cheat and handicap system is so clearly explained that anyone with basic maths skills can pick it up. True, it's a tad elaborate but it's easy to digest and very intuitive once you know your way around. Another cool feature the game has is the slow-down button (or trigger on the Xbox controller) that literally allows you to slow down when in a tight spot so you can really focus on ensuring those hundreds of missiles avoid contact with that all-important hit-box. Finally, with its vast customization settings, this really is the ideal bullet-hell game to introduce beginners to the genre. The only minor criticism I have are those intrusive dialogue boxes.
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