R-Type Final
Story. "Final" takes place after several long wars against the Bydo, the main antagonist in the "R-Type" series. The player's first mission is to investigate a mysterious enemy inside a crashed space colony, the remnants of a large battle codenamed Operation Last Dance, a previous attempt to wipe out the Bydo once and for all. This investigative theme is incorporated throughout the game as each level is considered 'research' on the Bydo and unlocks a gallery of in-universe artwork and additional playable ships. Levels are prefaced with hints of the R-Type universe in  the form of poetry. Eventually the player is tasked with finishing where Operation Last Dance left off, and their success with their task is determined by which route the player takes. The primary route sees the player confront the heart of the Bydo, sacrificing themselves and their ship to destroy it in a last stand. One of the alternate routes turns the player ship into a Bydo, and pits the player against their former allies. The final alternate route sees the player taken to the future to fight against an unrelenting wave of Bydo forces with no way to continue  once they die. Gameplay. "Final" provides 101 playable ships, including altered versions of ships appearing in previous "R-Type" games, together with many original ones. They are unlocked through a branching system accessed via the R Museum, which was originally featured in "R-Types". The PlayStation 2's internal clock is incorporated into each ship's development history (shown through a commemorative plaque) when certain in-game tasks are completed. For example, ships unlocked in 2008 will be seen in the game as having been rolled out in 2168. The level physicality and enemies change size and character depending on  the difficulty setting chosen by the player, providing different flight paths and playing experience for each level. Reception. "R-Type Final" received "generally favorable" reviews, according to a review aggregator website Metacritic. In a special edition of Edge magazine, listing their 100 top videogames of all-time, "R-Type Final" was the only horizontal shooter on the list.