Chasing Metal Shooter Vengeance with Release of Valfaris: Mecha Therion - Hardcore Gamer

hardcoregamer.com:

The fortress of Valfaris disappeared from the stars, and when it came back it was overrun with corruption.  Therion journeyed back to his home to cleanse it and learn why everything went so horribly wrong, but discovered his father, Lord Vroll, as the source of Valfaris’ ruin.  Justice for the citadel’s people was delayed due to Lord Vroll’s escape, but a determined Therion chased after and is ready to renew the attack.  This time, however, instead of a full heavy metal run and gun shooter it’s a side-scrolling blaster from the pilot seat of a giant mech.

For a direct sequel, Valfaris: Mecha Therion changes up the gameplay while leaving just about everything else intact.  Same brutal universe, same stone-faced Therion, same crunchy-guitar metal making up the all-new tunes of the soundtrack.  The actual game aspect, though, is now an auto-scrolling horizontal shooter in low-poly 3D, packed with enemies and set-pieces as Therion flies his mech through enemy swarms.  The main gun shoots a steady stream of tormented souls, but when its energy gauge dips the souls get smaller and weaker.  The gauge refills slowly by itself while slashing things with the sword fills it up much more quickly, and seeing as the sword also cancels bullets you’ll be using it constantly.  The energy gauge also feeds a powerful area attack, and a different gauge fuels the invincible dash skill.

As Therion kills his enemies their blood gets syphoned into a threat meter, and the higher it goes the tougher enemies get.  Checkpoints along the way, however, let you spend this on permanent weapon upgrades, which show up regularly as the levels progress.  The initial rapid-fire gun can be replaced with a slow but powerful shotgun-like weapon early on, for