Introduction

If you consider yourself a space shooter fan who grew up loving arcade games — especially from the 80s and 90s — then you’ve no doubt heard of the legendary R-Type series. Originally released in 1987, R-Type has spawned as many games as the bullets your little ship fires trying to survive against an overwhelming alien threat. As a longtime shmup and bullet hell fan who has played everything from the obscure Akai Katana to the legendary Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun — and yes, even the wonderfully bizarre Ai Cho Aniki — I know R-Type and its incredible legacy well. So when publisher ININ sent us a review copy for R-Type Dimensions III — thanks ININ! — I immediately stopped what I was doing and downloaded it. The big question now: is R-Type Dimensions III the triumphant return of a series I love, or should it have stayed safely tucked in the fond memories of my youth? Time to find out in our R-Type Dimensions III review for the PS5!

Gameplay

As a side-scrolling shmup, R-Type Dimensions III is very easy to explain. You take your ship, select your initial loadout type, and shoot everything that crosses your path. Simple as that. You can take on the mission solo or with a friend via local co-op, though single player remains the better way to experience R-Type Dimensions III — two players is still a little too chaotic for its own good.

What’s cool about R-Type Dimensions III is that you can play in two distinct visual modes. One is the updated HD visual style — which we’ll get to in a moment — and the other is a button press away from transporting you back to the NES and SNES era I remember so fondly. It’s not a necessary feature by any means, but as an aging gamer, it’s a genuinely warming touch — a reminder of simpler times when quarters were more precious than just about anything.

In every level, your goal is to survive to the end, collect power-ups — including extra ships that can cover fire in front of, behind, or alongside you — and then take down a boss that will absolutely wreck you if you aren’t prepared. R-Type Dimensions III is a test of quick movement and pattern recognition, and this is not a health-based game. No life bar. No multiple hits. Get struck once and you’re restarting the level. It’s challenging, but deeply rewarding for fans of the genre. Dodging a relentless volley of enemy fire or weaving around a boss that consumes the entire screen is controlled chaos — and I love every second of it. Fans of the shmup genre will too.

Graphics

Despite being rooted in an original game that launched decades ago, R-Type Dimensions III looks fantastic in both visual modes. The ship designs are sharp and cool, enemies are imposing and screen-filling — some of them a little odd in their design choices, mirroring certain imagery I’ll leave to your imagination — but all of them visually memorable. The new HD look is genuinely breathtaking, while the retro mode still holds up with a crisp, clean presentation that clearly benefited from care and attention. I found myself constantly toggling between modes just to see how a particular boss or area looked in each style — and it never got old. The intro sequence, where your pilot selects their equipment, is a particular highlight. Chef’s kiss.

Sound

R-Type Dimensions III‘s OST is genuinely one of the best in the genre. Great shmups and side-scrolling shooters need a soundtrack that locks you in and makes you want to crank your speakers or headphones to maximum — and R-Type Dimensions III delivers exactly that. This is one of those soundtracks I find myself listening to away from the game entirely, just because of how good it is. High praise for a high-octane score.

Overall Impression

Here’s where things get complicated — and I want you to take a guess at my score before you see it. Here’s the thing: I was lucky enough to play R-Type Dimensions III free thanks to a review copy. But if you want to play it, what do you think is a fair price for a game that originally dates back to the early 90s? Ten dollars? Maybe $20 given the visual overhaul? Not quite. R-Type Dimensions III costs $34.99 — and that is, frankly, beyond pricey. This isn’t a brand-new game. The updated visuals are a welcome touch, but the fact that you can strip them away with a single button press and return to the original look says everything about what’s actually under the hood. That price tag is going to hurt the score significantly — and I mean it.

Conclusion

Yeah — I know. R-Type Dimensions III is a great game — a legend among legends in the shmup genre, without question. But asking for nearly half the price of a modern full-price release for a game that originally launched on the SNES is simply indefensible. The visual overhaul is genuinely impressive, but it’s a coat of paint over a game that’s decades old — and one you can remove with a single button press. At $15.99, I’d recommend this without hesitation. At $34.99, my honest advice is to wait for a sale. The masterpiece underneath is absolutely worth experiencing — just not at this price.