R-Type Final 2 is on its way and it’s looking mighty funky

Upgrade. Evolve. Destroy.

It feels like we’ve been talking about it forever, but Granzella’s love letter to one of the most inspiring shmups of all-time is nearly cleared for take-off. Publisher NIS America has released a new gameplay trailer, ahead of R-Type Final 2‘s April 30 launch on PS4, PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch.

R-Type Final 2 is a celebration of Irem’s iconic interstellar arcade blaster – a re-imagined compendium of vessels, mechanics, bosses, and stages, (not to mention its arsenal of impressive weaponry), cherry-picked from the series’ storied history. As showcased in the video below, players will be able to choose from one of a selection of R-9 fighters, before blasting into battle with the Bydo Empire, upgrading and tweaking the ship en route into a devastating intergalactic fighter. Even the pilot will have customization options!

The new sequel will marry impressive contemporary visuals and effects to the classic R-Type gameplay that has proven such a hit with shmup fans over the decades, with adaptive difficulty keeping the challenge in each player’s respective sweet spot. Additional gameplay modes and online leaderboards will ensure the R-Type faithful will have plenty of reason to keep taking to the stars for another round of galactic mayhem. It’s looking pretty slick, that’s for sure, and I can’t wait to try it out.