Some shoot ’em ups want to overwhelm players with colour and spectacle. R-Type has always preferred fear. Huge biomechanical monstrosities. Tight corridors full of projectiles. Bosses that look like nightmares assembled from spare spaceship parts.
For decades, the series has built a reputation as one of gaming’s toughest and most recognisable side-scrolling shooters – and now it returns once again with R-Type Dimensions III.
Available now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC for £29.99, the latest release from ININ Games and KK3 modernises the classic arcade formula with rebuilt visuals, upgraded effects and new gameplay features while keeping the brutal Bydo invasion firmly intact.
At A Glance
- Game: R-Type Dimensions III
- Developer: KK3
- Publisher: ININ Games
- Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Genre: Shoot ‘Em Up
- Price: £29.99
The Bydo Are Back. Again.
R-Type Dimensions III remains wonderfully ridiculous.
Humanity once created the horrifying Bydo Empire as a weapon. Unsurprisingly, that decision went badly. Now the biomechanical monstrosities continue invading reality itself, corrupting everything they touch and threatening civilisation all over again.
To stop them, players take control of the R-90 Ragnarok fighter and blast directly into enemy territory through warped dimensions packed with hostile ships, screen-filling bosses and enough bullets to make your thumbs sweat.
Business as usual for R-Type, really.
Rebuilt For Modern Hardware
R-Type Dimensions III revisits the classic formula with fully reconstructed 3D visuals, enhanced animations and more detailed environments while preserving the gameplay style that made the original arcade titles legendary.
The game also introduces local co-op play, new scoring and survival mechanics, customisable controls, and some quality-of-life settings. There are alternate 3D camera modes too, including a wonderfully named crazy option.
We’re hoping this latest iteration is as good as R-Type Final 2 (4/5 review score), as well as having the draw of 1987’s original R-Type.
Old-School Difficulty Still Intact
Thankfully, this does not sound like a watered-down revival trying to soften the edges of the franchise.
R-Type has always thrived on precision, pattern recognition and repeated failure followed by tiny improvements. Every stage becomes a memorisation exercise where survival depends on learning enemy positions, projectile timing and exactly when things are about to become unfair.
The shoot ’em up genre may no longer dominate arcades the way it once did, but R-Type still carries serious weight among retro gaming fans. Dimensions III looks determined to celebrate that legacy properly, modernising the presentation without losing the tension, strange enemy design and brutal challenge that helped define the series in the first place.
Just do not expect the Bydo Empire to show much mercy.
You will find R-Type Dimensions III on the usual storefronts for Xbox (Xbox Store), PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC.
