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Like a Pokemon that hit itself in confusion, my mind was a bit of a mess as I started playing R-Type Final 3 Evolved.

See, the game’s opening sequence starts out exactly just like R-Type Final 2. I even got a pop-up saying I can load in my PS4 save file for the game and my starting ships were just like the previous game.

“Wait, did I download the correct version of the game?” I thought.

But then when I started playing, the initial stages were different.

I’m like, “Oh, it’s different after all.”

But then the previous stages from R-Type Final 2 popped up, too. It was like being gaslighted.

It wasn’t until I looked up the game that I realized it was essentially an expansion of R-Type Final 2. Honestly, they should have just named it R-Type Final 2 Evolved.

And therein lies my issue with R-Type Final 3 Evolved.

Thanks to the “3” in the title, I was expecting it to be an all new sequel from R-Type Final 2. Don’t get me wrong, the game is a pretty solid “shmup” shooter. But I honestly felt a bit misled by the title.

It also changes the value proposition for R-Type Final 3. Because whether or not you should get this game essentially depends on whether you’ve got R-Type Final 2 and all its DLC or not.

In fact, I will go ahead and recommend just reading my R-Type Final 2 review from last year about my thoughts on the game and its mechanics as this is essentially the same game.

For this article, I will focus instead on the differences between R-Type Final 3 and R-Type Final 2, as well as whether you should get the game or not.

As opposed to a direct sequel, R-Type Final 3 Evolved is more of an expansion of R-Type Final 2.

You basically get all 13 stages from R-Type Final 2 plus seven new stages for good measure to bump up the stage count to 20. In addition, you also get R-Type Final 2’s more than 100 ships.

Further proving that this is basically an enhanced version of R-Type Final 2 for the PS5 is the fact that you can transfer over your save file from the PS4 version of the previous game. This includes any DLC that you might have purchased for R-Type Final 2, which is good.

R-Type Final 3 Evolved throws in new features such as the “R Room” as well as an online interactive space called “R Park” where you can play minigames. The R Park, by the way, also acts like an online lobby to meet up and compete with other players for the game’s competition mode.

Another addition to R-Type Final 3 Evolved is the ability to view the opening sequence in VR if you have the necessary peripheral.

If you haven’t bought R-Type Final 2 yet and have a PlayStation 5 — it’s exclusive to the PS5 at launch — then the answer is yes.

R-Type Final 3 is the definitive version of both games and has more content so getting this version is a no-brainer if you’re a fan of the series.

The answer, however, gets more complicated if you already own R-Type Final 2.

Yes, it would be nice to have the new stages. But having to pay $49.99 just for seven new stages is a bit steep.

It would have been nice if they gave folks who already own R-Type Final 2 the option to purchase those new stages for, like half the price.

It’s a bit of a shame as R-Type Final 3 Evolved is a pretty fun game, especially if you like old-school shooters like Gradius or Raiden. I’d basically score it an 8 out of 10 for folks who haven’t played R-Type Final 2. If you have the previous game, though, this is more like a 6 out of 10, particularly in terms of value. As such, my final score will split that difference.

R-Type Final 3 Evolved is a solid take on the classic, side-scrolling shmup formula popularized by games such as Gradius and the old R-Type games. Admittedly, the naming is a bit confusing as this is essentially an expanded version of R-Type Final 2 as opposed to a new sequel. This makes it great for folks who don’t own the previous game but a bit of a pricey proposition for players who already paid for R-Type Final 2. It would have been nice to give such players the option to just get the seven new stages via DLC instead of having to re-buy a whole new version of the game again.