RayStorm

Taito

Industry	Video game development and publishing
Founded	1953
Headquarters	Tokyo , Japan
Key people	Yukio Abe (producer/director), Tatsuo Nakamura (director), Tamayo Kawamoto (composer), Munehiro Nakanishi (sound effects creator)
Products	RayStorm, RayForce, RayCrisis
Parent	Square Enix (since 2005)

is a 1996 arcade title developed and published by Taito that features vertical scrolling shooter gameplay. It was adapted for various home platforms, including PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and Xbox 360. Players assume control of the starship R-Gray with the objective of defeating the Secilia Federation before it poses a threat to Earth.

Belonging to Taito's "Ray" series alongside RayForce and its prequel RayCrisis, RayStorm sets itself apart by utilizing polygonal ship models rather than traditional sprites. The storyline, briefly introduced within the game and elaborated upon in the manual and the "Extra Mode" of home editions, operates independently from the "Con-Human" narrative found in the other entries. While the PlayStation edition was lauded in North America for its impressive visuals and effects, it faced critiques for its relatively straightforward gameplay. The Sega Saturn version, released exclusively in Japan, was retitled Layer Section II to maintain consistency with its predecessor’s Saturn branding.

Gameplay

RayStorm is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up where players navigate through multiple stages controlling one of two initial spacecraft; a hidden third ship becomes available in console ports.

The primary armament consists of a vulcan-style laser weapon complemented by missiles that automatically lock onto several targets simultaneously, enabling players to accumulate combo multipliers for higher scoring potential. Each ship is equipped with two distinctive special abilities: the Special Attack, which activates upon filling a lock-on gauge and unleashes a powerful screen-clearing assault accompanied by brief invulnerability, and the Hyper Laser Assault, a unique attack per ship that concentrates all lock-ons on a single enemy target.

Home console versions feature an "Arcade Mode" that replicates the original arcade experience and an "Extra Mode" offering enhanced graphics, increased enemy counts, altered boss behaviors, elevated difficulty levels, and an alternative ending. In Extra Mode, continuing allows players to retain their score from the first stage onward. Successfully completing either mode unlocks a "stage select" function for individual levels except the final one; finishing both modes grants access to the "13 Players" mode.

The "13 Players" challenge tasks gamers with completing the entire game using thirteen different ships drawn from five categories, including manual and automatic control variants of R-Gray 1 and R-Gray 2 models plus an R-Gray 0 prototype. Clearing this mode on Extra Mode reveals an additional epilogue. The high-definition remake, RayStorm HD, includes all three R-Gray ships along with the R-Gear—a fourth craft equipped with homing missiles.

Development

The core development team featured producer/director Yukio Abe, director Tatsuo Nakamura, composer Tamayo Kawamoto, and sound effects creator Munehiro Nakanishi—all of whom had contributed to RayForce. Kawamoto and Nakanishi were part of Taito’s internal music group Zuntata, active since 1987. The soundtrack, containing both original compositions and arrangements, was released on October 11, 1996. Development took place on Taito's FX-1 arcade hardware platform.

At the August 1996 Tokyo Game Show, the PlayStation version was prominently displayed on a large screen, distinguishing itself among Taito’s lineup.

Release

RayStorm debuted on PlayStation in Japan in January 1997. By March, multiple companies expressed interest in bringing it to North America, though none were publicly identified at that time. Working Designs secured North American publishing rights after negotiations with Taito in April; previously unable to license RayForce due to Acclaim's exclusive Western Hemisphere rights, they swiftly acquired RayStorm. This release marked Working Designs' inaugural PlayStation title and introduced their "SPAZ" label dedicated to shooter games—a label that concluded with the follow-up RayCrisis. The company altered its approach toward PlayStation publishing following Sony’s evolving support for RPG titles. A playable demo was included as part of an "Interactive CD Sampler" distributed with American PlayStation consoles at launch.

RayStorm has been featured in collections such as Taito Memories Volume 2 (Taito Memories Gekan), Taito Legends 2 for PlayStation 2, the combined G-Darius+Raystorm Pack, and Simple 1500 Series Vol. 75: The Double Shooting, which also contains RayCrisis.

Following Square Enix's acquisition of Taito in 2005, RayStorm was made available on Japan’s PlayStation Network starting June 25, 2008, bundled with five other Taito titles as downloadable content for PlayStation 3 and PSP. The digitally released RayStorm HD arrived in Japan for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2010; its Xbox 360 edition was also launched in North America and Europe.

Reception

In September 1996, Game Machine identified RayStorm as one of the leading arcade titles in Japan.

GameSpot lauded the game as "the finest shooter currently available on the PlayStation," emphasizing its striking lighting effects, explosive visuals, and dual soundtracks composed by Zuntata, although they noted that some tracks lacked a sense of urgency. They also pointed out that compared to its predecessor RayForce, RayStorm presented a lower difficulty level and reduced dependence on the primary weapon.

Dan Hsu from Electronic Gaming Monthly expressed concerns over the limited arsenal and the lack of motivation to utilize anything beyond the lock-on attack, summarizing that while it "looks impressive," it ultimately leaves players wanting additional depth. His fellow reviewers Crispin Boyer and Sushi-X praised the title's visuals and musical score. Conversely, Scarry Larry from GamePro acknowledged the game's advanced graphics but regarded the gameplay as somewhat outdated and found the soundtrack underwhelming.

IGN remarked on its similarities to Xevious 3D/G+, describing the experience as somewhat brief but commending its visual presentation, audio, and dependable gameplay mechanics. Similarly, Next Generation highlighted the resemblance to Xevious 3D/G+ yet underscored RayStorm's strong anime aesthetics and mech boss encounters, which would appeal to enthusiasts of the genre. They concurred that the graphics were a standout feature and concluded it was a well-crafted modern shooter.

Electronic Gaming Monthly honored RayStorm as a runner-up for their "Shooter of the Year" award, placing it just behind Star Fox 64.

See also

• RayForce
• RayCrisis

External links

• RayStorm at the Killer List of Videogames