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Layer Section II (aka Raystorm, sequel to American game called Galactic Attack) Review by P. Shen Before I start, let me say I love shooters, especially Layer Section I

Graphics: 9/10

They're polygonal! They're 3-D! They're sometimes even neat-o effects like (I think) transparencies (or something that mimics it very nicely)! It's all very beautiful, even in low-res. Expect some slowdown, but slowdown isn't a problem for me anymore (I can deal with it). About the same amount of slowdown as was in the PSX version (okay, a little more, but so what?).

Music: 6/10

This is unfortunate. Good music makes up a lot of a shooter, cuz it sets up the mood for the level. The original game had some pretty nice tunes that was soft (for a shooter) but at the same time distinctive. The sequel, however, tries to mimic some of the original’s music, but this time it's an arrangement mess. The music isn't that good, but in the end it is passable. I remembered that I didn't appreciate the music that much on the PSX version, and I was hoping they could remix it or arrange it, but unfortunately whatever the recording editors did, it didn't help.

Sound: 6/10

The original had pretty strong and clear sounds. 2, however, is a lot more muffled and unclear. Explosions no longer have the great "BOOM" effect that they did in the previous game. This condition is a little better on the PSX version, due to the unfortunate bad sound chip the Saturn has.

Is it as insane (in a good way) as the original? Yes and no. The original was insanely hard, but it was still fair and could be completed if you were a shooter master. The sequel has (ta da!) an option to set the difficulty for each level. But even on a hardest level setting for each level, the game never gets to the same difficulty (or intensity) as the hardest setting on Layer Section I. It's still crazy at times, but to a somewhat lesser extent than the first. I remember it took me a while to complete Layer Section I, but with II I completed it (on normal and default options) on my second try. Or maybe it’s just me.

Overall: I have to give it 7.5/10, but for me personally, 6/10

It's a good shooter, honestly, it is! But both the PSX and Saturn versions have one big problem (aside from the music and sound), it's no where near as good as the predecessor! I mean, a game like Thunder Force V may not have been as good as let's say TFIV, but it was still damn good and could hold it's own ground. Okay, a few more complaints, and I'll talk about why this shooter is good. LSII just doesn't give you the same adrenaline rush as the first one did. Sure, there are neat angular fly-by's of huge spaceships, and sure, we attack bosses from all sides, since it's in a more "3-D" environment now. But I'm looking for more relentless bosses, more relentless enemies. LSII still is LSI, it has tons of enemies and hard bosses, but they just seem "tame".

All right, the goodies. Well, as you know, it's polygonal now, so expect a lot of neat-o effects like the ones you saw in TFV. There are two new ships you can use, in addition to your original ship. The first one is exactly like the original except that you can use a special charged homing laser barrage (more or less like the super bombs found in Raiden and many other shooters). The second new ship is a super version that has a mega laser for a regular shot (it's a constant stream laser, you don't have short periods of not shooting) and can hold up to 16 homing laser shots. Plus it has that special charged barrage. Another neat thing is that you can set your ship on auto fire, which automatically fires your homing missile if you send your crosshairs over a selectable target. Now the game also has some FMV cut sequences, and it can't hurt to add these in. There are 8 stages in this game, and many of them (including some bosses) are very similar to LSI--pretty nostalgic (which is good)!!

Now, again, this game is a good shooter, it really is!! If you liked what you saw on the PSX, then this is what you're getting for the Saturn. If you want a polygonal shooter, perhaps consider the other polygonal shooter out on the Saturn, ThunderForce V. For me, being a LS fan, this game kinda let me down, since the first one was a masterpiece of a shooter. But I certainly don't regret buying the game. Just know that although this game is a good shooter, there are better ones out there.