Also recently re-released by Nyu Media on Steam is ALLTYNEX Second. Another game in the ALLTYNEX series and another shoot-’em-up (shmup).
Unlike KAMUI, ALLTYNEX Second is slightly less 90’s looking though don’t go expecting super advanced graphics here. There are mini “cutscenes” in the game, mainly of your ship launching or zooming in to look at a boss. You can speed these up if you just want to get to the action sooner… though only with a keyboard. It seems they didn’t actually implement a way to do so on a controller. Ah well.
Like KAMUI though, ALLTYNEX is a shoot-’em-up title that will have you facing down waves upon waves of enemies in a 2D field. Again, they will appear on both the same layer as you and the one below you. Again, you have a lightning attack and a laser beam attack that will use your energy along with your regular shots. The lightning attack is more like a mini laser this time around though.
What’s different this time is that you can change between shooter and fighter mode. In shooter mode you will have access to your lightning (mini-laser) and beam attacks that take energy. In fighter mode, you can head face first into enemies and start beating them up with your laser beam swords that are around your ship. You have a special much like the beam, however instead it’s you charging into the enemy with both your swords to do damage. This form is pretty powerful though you are much more vulnerable to some attacks like this. So while it’s good to try and push down bosses fast, you’ll need to make sure you watch the color indicator on your shield.
While KAMUI featured unlimited lives, ALLTYNEX Second does not. It is definitely much more unforgiving in that way in comparison, even on Easy difficulty. You only have so many lives and credits to make it to the end, and if you run out of credits that’s it – game over. This adds another layer of difficulty, at least for me, that wasn’t present in KAMUI. Well, at least it forces you to try and get good at dodging shots and utilizing your weapons well!
So where KAMUI had a more retro look to it (and rightfully so), ALLTYNEX Second looks a bit more updated and is actually the harder one I feel. Still, it’s a pretty good game that will challenge you. Between the two, it’s definitely the one more suggested to those who are more used to shmup titles and not so much for newcomers. Basically, I’m going to be doing a lot more training with KAMUI to be able to get better at ALLTYNEX Second… And that’s not a bad thing either!
ALLTYNEX Second Review Score
4/5
It’d be great if a cutscene skip/speed up button was actually available on controller as well instead of just on keyboard. It’d be great if there was a way to get unlimited continues as well, at least on the lower difficulties!
I’d like to thank Nyu Media for providing me with a copy of ALLTYNEX Second for review.
ALLTYNEX Second is now available on Steam.
