Back in 2006, developer G.rev released Under Defeat on the Dreamcast in Japan. Obviously this was well past the point where Dreamcast games were getting regular releases in North America, so the game stayed off shore at the time. I managed import the game and spent a lot of time with it. And now with this release, it's finally available for everyone.
The PS3 version is, as the name implies, a high-definition remake. The arcade mode is very similar to the Dreamcast version. There are a few minor changes here and there, so a purist may want to stick to the Dreamcast version, however it's close enough for most players. Also included is the New Order version that includes a modified play field suitable for widescreen displays. You can also choose to play with dual analog controls, optimized for modern controllers, or stick with the original arcade rotation scheme. So we get the best of both worlds: A reasonable approximation of the original game and controls, and a revamped version to take full advantage of modern setups.
Under Defeat is a shmup. You fly a helicopter, shoot stuff, grab powerups, and avoid bullets. The field of play is an overhead slightly angled view, similar to Raystorm.
The 'twist' to Under Defeat is that your helicoptor can rotate slightly to shoot at different angles. There are also two planes of play, with air targets and ground targets. Your helicoptor normally fires forward, however when a ground target comes into range your angle of fire changes to lock-on to them instead. Powerups consist of small pods that fire along side you, with missles, chainguns, etc. These are activated by pausing your fire to charge them up; thus you often have better firepower by not shooting all the time. Planning which powerups to use and when to activate them adds an additional layer of strategy, and is often more critical than it appears at first glance. This also lets you target multiple enemies at the same time, or concentrate fire on more sturdy enemies.
The level design is where Under Defeat truly shines. From assaulting enemy bases, to battling fleets of ships, to assisting allied tanks on the battlefield, everything is placed well and makes sense. Often when allies are on the screen, you can choose to attack enemies firing at you, or assist those allies against enemies that are targeting them so they can continue fighting. It's really slick design that helps the game feel more like a battlefield.
Boss fights are huge and intimidating, with multiple parts to destroy. This gives a lot of flexibility in how you want to approach them: You can concentrate fire and go straight for the kill, or pick them apart piece by piece.
Under Defeat is a difficult game. Don't let modern "bullet-hell" shmups fool you, more bullets does not always mean harder. I've gotten single credit clears on several modern and old arcade shmups, however this one gives me trouble from time to time. Still, the learning curve is very much worth it as each level just gets better than the last.
It's not every day a shmup gets a disc-based release on PS3, and this is one of the better ones on any console. With added features to take advantage of HD displays and modern controllers, and an original version for the arcade experinece, you really can't go wrong. And at the retail price, it's a steal compared to what the Dreamcast version goes for.
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John Andrelunas
Item arrived EXACTLY as described!
Reviewed in Canada on April 26, 2019
