Like Dreamer

A very, VERY fun shmup with a kind of goofy coat of paint that some may need to look past. Has cave-like stages and a bit of a cave-like boss first phase, and then the subsequent phases feel more touhou (in that they're usually a small target) Has a pretty forgiving death-bomb, hyper you get from collecting powerups and grazing shots, and bombs. Instant in and out of focus speed, and tons of fun ship configurations to tackle the game with. After clearing Mushi original normal, and gunvein Intense, the difficulty to play out of the box is Expert (3 of 3). If that sounds too hard, try the easier modes, they seem like very reasonable steps down. Once you beat* the game (the stages are all individually separate at first) you unlock Nightmare difficulty, and the arcade mode, which brings the game down to 5? stages you have to do in one go. I got to stage 4 on tour my first try on expert, and had a wonderful time. the levels, bosses, shot patterns, music and sound are all amazing, and the gameplay is ultra easy to parse. Very recommended, look past the exterior if it puts you off. it's a really fun shmup.

Like Dreamer, CosmoDreamer, AND Redneg. ALL three games have currently 100% positive reviews on Steam. That says A LOT about the quality of Sotonohito's games. It's fun even if you're a complete moron like me, who dies with three bombs on stock. I'm terrible at shmups, and even so, I'm having a blast with this game. Best experience I've ever had with a shmup. Get it RIGHT NOW. Don't wait for a sale.

My favorite game by dev Outside, Like Dreamer is a combination of Ketsui and Touhou sensibilities. Point blank scoring, bombing for score, and perfecting long boss fights. The art might not be everyone's cup-of-tea, but beneath is a well-crafted, wonderful game that every Shmup player should experience.