R-Type Tactics I • II Cosmos review: a shmup-strategy hybrid that actually works

R-Type Tactics I • II Cosmos brings the classic arcade shoot-em-up series to PC as a full-blown hex-grid strategy game — and against all odds, it holds its own in a genre already packed with heavy hitters like XCOM and Battletech.

The game rebuilds its PSP-era visuals from scratch, and the results are striking: neon energy particles, detailed cockpit interiors, organic enemies glistening in starlight, and complex shadows on background scenery. The tactical design pulls directly from R-Type's shmup DNA — Force units, the iconic glowing blobs that attach to your ships, now act as mobile enhancements that can detach, offer different shot types, or ram enemies back a full hex. Stages are built around shmup logic: tight corridors, giant bosses with specific weak points, destructible walls that open new routes, and at least one level where you have to lure enemies into a massive space cannon's line of fire without catching your own fleet in the blast. Ships carry fuel and ammo reserves, so running dry mid-mission is a genuine threat — not just a resource tax. Support craft handle mid-flight resupply and repairs, mobile transports offer a safe place to recover, and capturing strategically placed facilities gives damaged units somewhere to heal while the push continues.

The side-scrolling structure inherited from the arcade originals gives the tactics layer an unusual tension: you're always being pushed forward, toward the danger, even when you'd rather consolidate. Vertical movement is deliberately awkward, and facing direction matters in ways most strategy games never bother with — because shmup law says you face one way. Terrain punches above its weight even in space-set levels, shaping engagements in ways that feel distinct from the genre's usual open-map approach.

For PC strategy players already drowning in options, R-Type Tactics I • II Cosmos makes a surprisingly strong case for itself. The shmup heritage isn't a gimmick layered on top — it's baked into every system, giving the game a personality that XCOM clones rarely manage.