Review - " EMERGENCY! HUGE UNIDENTIFIED ENTITY IS APPROACHING ! "

If that sounds familiar (Darius anyone?) that's perfectly normal because Psychic Storm gets some inspiration from many classic shooters.

I don't want to be over enthusiastic here but Psychic Storm even feels somehow close to the quintessence of vertical shooting extravaganza on PCE, namely Sapphire!

By now, you probably think this review must really be off because this game obviously has never really been considered as a cult or a classic by the PCE community. Moreover, it is dirt cheap! Let me tell you though, it is extremely well done.

Before getting into the description of why this shooter is so great, let's just get an important thing out of the way: Psychic Storm is a relaxing shmup. If you thought the words relaxing and shmup could never be in the same sentence, you need to play this game!

Forget about assiduous pattern memorization, frustratingly hard spots (where you re-spawn infinite times to try to get through them) or impossible bosses. Hell, forget about losing a life if you get hit too!

Here, you'll blaze through one beautiful level after the next, destroying everything that comes across your path. The generous life-bar will ensure you'll be able to absorb many hits and you'll even have time for some sight-seeing while you'll experiment the various ships and their specific weapons. You'll also enjoy the great cut-scenes enriched by exquisite Engrish creations (check the text to the left for ultimate proof!) typical of the early 1990s shooters.

Graphically, both the backgrounds and the sprites are beautifully drawn while bosses are nicely characterized. The scrolling is silky smooth and wonderfully accompanies the perfectly balanced pace of the action.

The music is definitely inspired, and supports the ongoing bullet-fiesta perfectly and the CD format is used to great effect to do it justice.

The weapon system is unique and at the same time compelling. When your health bar reaches a critical level, your space-ship will morph into a creature (depending on the ship you choose) which could be a butterfly, a scorpion or some other creature. When in this mode, your firepower and your size are greatly increased although for a limited amount of time (which can be extended by picking up certain icons).

After each level, the game let's you switch space-ship which is certainly an interesting feature since some ships are equipped with weapons that better suit certain levels.

To conclude, if you don't mind easy shooters, Psychic Storm is definitely one game that you should not miss. It is executed with artistry and plays like a marvel. A true gem from a glorious past, a gem that you should always keep in your collection if only to relax for a little hour after a busy day at work.

On a side note, it's curious that on the instruction manual the developer of the game is written as being "Alpha System" while on the CD itself, the company's name is spelled "Alfa System" :)

Bottom line: a true little forgotten gem, beautiful and addicitive...8,5/10

In pure Gradius tradition, the last boss is a huge harmless brain with no defence whatsoever. That's right, just shoot!

 

Integral intro text " The human race received the maximum crisis in 0092 of the space calendar. The colonial planet cut off the communication one after another and the battleship of the space army was sunk by an unidentified enemy. The enemy with ecosystem completely unknown to the human race. The mysterious creatures named as “THE THING” began to gnaw at human race's civilizations. The attack other heavenly bodies one after another and unite and absort all life bodies of the star. Their purpose is to gnaw and absorb and proliferate. The space army can do nothing to do but retreating. Invasion by “THE THING” started to the solar system before long. However the innovative weapon which cling to the last hope of the human race was completed. This super-weapon was designed and manufactured based on the data on “THE THING” and their cells. The development code is 94-gm2 “STORM BRINGER”. This is the super-creature weapon which controls the strong vitality and fearful destruction power of “THE THING” by man's spiritual strength. Fighter…which the more experienced is the combat the more strong it becomes. That s the “STORM BRINGER”. Of cource the pilot who manipulates “STORM BRINGER” should have the forged body and spiritual strength. Four pilots were chosen after a lot of aptitude tests. Fight over the long run has just started by “STORM BRINGER” manipulated by four pilots. What wait for them? "   Integral ending text " The Report The maritial lieutenant of the space army Alexander.F.Linn The operation ended. The planet itself was one of the huge “THE THING”'s. She has been reporducing innumerable “THE THING”'s over hundreds of million years. We attacked planet's brain center and destroyed this completely. She lost her control and ruined herself together with her innumerable children. We finally won. We are going back to the earth. Pray now nothing else. May long rest be given given to us. And wishing that she is the only “one” mother of “THE THING”. Concluded."