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TRIGGERHEART EXELICA (DC)Publisher: Warashi. Developer: Warashi.
Released: February 2007 (Japan). Genre: Vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up. Other versions: PS2. Posted 25th April 2014. By Tom Clare © 2014 |
One of the last officially-licensed Dreamcast releases, Triggerheart Exelica was part of a seemingly inexhaustible line of shoot ‘em ups that would come to dominate the format in its twilight years. Capitalising on SEGA’s NAOMI arcade architecture with assured presentation and solid design, Warashi’s 2D blaster plays very much to type, but it’s one bullet-hell fans will likely appreciate.
As per the usual, grasping the story required research. Exotically-named Triggerheart sisters Crueltear and Exelica are humanity’s last hope against an unusually hot-headed legion of invading robots, led by the suspiciously humanoid-looking Faintear. As well as overcoming family disagreements, you’ll also be tasked with saving the world from certain annihilation. But let’s face it; you wouldn’t have it any other way.
The narrative is of tertiary relevance in a vertical-scrolling shoot ‘em up of course, but all the same, it’s nice that the developer opted for a separate Story mode, punctuated with brief dialogues at the beginning of each stage, and greater significance placed on the villainous Faintear. It’s worth keeping in mind though that there’s very little difference between Arcade and Story modes, especially if like me, you don’t speak Japanese.
As per the usual, grasping the story required research. Exotically-named Triggerheart sisters Crueltear and Exelica are humanity’s last hope against an unusually hot-headed legion of invading robots, led by the suspiciously humanoid-looking Faintear. As well as overcoming family disagreements, you’ll also be tasked with saving the world from certain annihilation. But let’s face it; you wouldn’t have it any other way.
The narrative is of tertiary relevance in a vertical-scrolling shoot ‘em up of course, but all the same, it’s nice that the developer opted for a separate Story mode, punctuated with brief dialogues at the beginning of each stage, and greater significance placed on the villainous Faintear. It’s worth keeping in mind though that there’s very little difference between Arcade and Story modes, especially if like me, you don’t speak Japanese.
Bullet colour clashes can occur when there's about a million of 'em
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Collect chunks of yellow for uber-points!
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Still, Triggerheart Exelica does what is says on the proverbial tin. Gameplay is fast, smooth and accessible, and the controls are responsive and sprightly. Enemies are of an acceptable design standard though wholly unoriginal. Even the commendably large bosses will seem familiar, though they do serve up a full, satisfying repertoire of bullet-spewing attacks. TE plays a good game, it’s just a shame it lacks a standout feature along the lines of Ikaruga’s light/dark fire or Psyvariar’s Buzz combos, something to elevate it to a level of excellence. Bright and attractive menus spearhead a nicely presented package. In-game, the bullet colour-splash looks pretty and the backdrops show some endeavour; the turbulent, mech-heavy final level is a highlight, though a few of the levels border on bland at times, and though TE gives the Dreamcast a bit of a workout, it’s not quite as sharp or as stylish as Treasure’s classic.
A modest repertoire of innovations halts the slide into tedium, at least in the short term. Holding ‘B’ allows the player to anchor an enemy vessel. Once successful, the player can use said craft as a battering ram, swing it round in vicious arks, or position it as a temporary shield. It’s a neat idea, though lacking the depth or imagination of the Darius’s anchor system, where the player uses enemy ships to bolster their own arsenal. One of the game’s less visible innovations is its Variable Boss Attack System, which adjusts the length and difficulty of boss battles depending on how proficiently you tackled the level that immediately preceded the encounter. This caught me out once or twice, with bosses occasionally having an additional phase if you’ve done especially well. Normal difficulty offers a really well-balanced challenge, providing many a heart-stopping moment yet rarely feeling cheap.
A modest repertoire of innovations halts the slide into tedium, at least in the short term. Holding ‘B’ allows the player to anchor an enemy vessel. Once successful, the player can use said craft as a battering ram, swing it round in vicious arks, or position it as a temporary shield. It’s a neat idea, though lacking the depth or imagination of the Darius’s anchor system, where the player uses enemy ships to bolster their own arsenal. One of the game’s less visible innovations is its Variable Boss Attack System, which adjusts the length and difficulty of boss battles depending on how proficiently you tackled the level that immediately preceded the encounter. This caught me out once or twice, with bosses occasionally having an additional phase if you’ve done especially well. Normal difficulty offers a really well-balanced challenge, providing many a heart-stopping moment yet rarely feeling cheap.
Still alive in there. Somewhere.
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Locking-on is a big help against bosses
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There are a few rough patches along the way. Exelica’s vivid white/purple fire is ill-advised as it clashes very badly with that of your enemies, meaning that your ability to pre-empt safe spots on the screen can sometimes be impeded. Despite sporting a pair of lead characters and an arcade lineage, TE doesn’t feature any multiplayer support – not a big deal, but it would have been nice. It’s also strange that Faintear is not an unlockable character; her presence within the game makes an appearance a shoe-in, but she’s not playable in the Dreamcast version. The five stages are a blast, but with very brief, bare-bones ending sequences and no unlockable content, it’s left to high-score chasing to get any prolonged play from this.
Triggerheart Exelica is a niche shooter that’s given an illusion of chic by its obscurity. Remove this veil and you’ll find an unremarkable but sturdy shoot ‘em up that plays well, but doesn’t offer enough content or new ideas to be considered noteworthy. For many, its pricey import status and tepid longevity will prove an obstacle, but in an era of hardcore-gamer collectibles and curios, it’s certain to find a happy home amongst shoot ‘em up fans.
Triggerheart Exelica is a niche shooter that’s given an illusion of chic by its obscurity. Remove this veil and you’ll find an unremarkable but sturdy shoot ‘em up that plays well, but doesn’t offer enough content or new ideas to be considered noteworthy. For many, its pricey import status and tepid longevity will prove an obstacle, but in an era of hardcore-gamer collectibles and curios, it’s certain to find a happy home amongst shoot ‘em up fans.
