Polar Fire: Ikaruga Review

Ikaruga is nearly perfect.  Despite a reputation for controller-smashing difficulty, it is easily understood and immediately gratifying, snaring players with hypnotic action while subtly teaching its layered depths.  Every system, enemy placement and visual cue is carefully designed to work in concert, while anything that would distract from the core experience has been excised.  Treasure's confidence in the fundamental appeal of the shoot'em-up is clear from this commitment to minimalism, but created a wholly unique take by introducing a pervasive twist to the old formula.

The genius of the polarity system is in how thoroughly it permeates the game.  Excepting hard obstacles such as walls, every interactive object is considered black or white.  The player switches between the two colors at will, harmlessly absorbing incoming shots of the same polarity and dealing increased damage to enemies of the opposite.  This simple mechanic introduces a high-stakes risk-reward dynamic that forms the basis of Ikaruga.  Beginners maximize survival chances by focusing on their constant, partial invulnerability, then graduate to more exposed strategies to destroy foes faster, thus limiting future threats.  As players grow  comfortable, they notice other systems and start balancing quick removal against the opportunity to absorb more fire, thus charging special attacks and accumulating extra points.

Eating bullets and blowing things up are only the beginning.  Forgoing the byzantine scoring of most danmaku, Ikaruga features a basic but flexible system.  Eliminating three enemies of the same color in a row (a chain) yields a bonus that doubles in worth with each consecutive chain, plateauing after the eighth.  Consequently, unlike its predecessor Radiant Silvergun, players do not need to ignore foes to crack the leader boards, nor are they hopelessly out of contention for missing or breaking a combo.  Learning to take advantage of this is almost inevitable within a few hours, given the guided layout of early levels.  Once the patterns reveal themselves, pure survival feels woefully inadequate.  Clever enemy formations and seemingly inaccessible spawn locations offer chain-hunters much to puzzle over.  Formulating new strategies, then reevaluating them as new insight frequently strikes, becomes an addicting feedback loop.  Its depth is not limitless, but the game rewards time invested with inspiration and revelation.

The sublime gameplay is wrapped in an attractive, complementary package.  Undulating, mesmerizing bullet patterns are common in the genre, but Ikaruga's blue and red-tinged projectiles make for an appealing aesthetic.  The color scheme helps distinguish the polarities of each element, while the overall effect induces almost trance-like attention; this makes the experience of weaving through pixels-wide gaps all the more gripping.  Backgrounds are hazy and washed out, emphasizing the action but still providing a nice sense of depth during down moments.  Despite the intense fighting, the soundtrack is almost relaxed, establishing a mournful but determined mood and orienting the player in each stage.  The music fits the game's deliberate pace, subtly encouraging considered play and cautioning against hasty maneuvers.

Playing Ikaruga is akin to navigating two normal vertically scrolling shooters simultaneously.  Attending to only half of the action at any given time while unconsciously tracking the remainder, then swapping focus between them at a moment's notice, is key to doing well.  To aid these mental acrobatics, Treasure wisely strips away all unnecessary artifice, leaving a cohesive, accessible experience that effortlessly caters to any skill level.  Those willing to brave its infamous difficulty will find a masterpiece of design that gives new life to a tried-and-true genre.