Overview
Mentaris 2 delivers a hyper-kinetic side-scrolling shooter experience that prioritizes speed above all else. This Japanese-developed title offers classic shoot-'em-up thrills condensed into a single explosive level, featuring polished audiovisual presentation alongside breakneck pacing. However, the relentless velocity transforms what could be satisfying arcade action into a visually overwhelming trial, where menus obstruct combat visibility and collision frustrations mount. It's a game of extremes: technically competent yet mechanically exhausting, rewarding persistence but testing patience at every turn.
Everything moves really fast. Then just as you're getting the hang of the game, it's all over.
Zero
Lightning-Flash Gameplay
The core experience revolves around high-velocity aerial combat where players select between three traditional weapons—sword, spear, or bow—using keyboard commands. This streamlined arsenal provides distinct tactical options against enemy formations, though the game's defining characteristic becomes its overwhelming tempo. Environments whip past at disorienting speeds, enemy projectiles flood the screen in chaotic patterns, and adversaries materialize with minimal telegraphing. This relentless pacing creates a steep initial difficulty curve where survival depends more on reflexive memorization than tactical decision-making.
The player's character occupies significant screen real estate, forcing uncomfortably close engagements with enemies. This spatial design compounds the visibility issues, as collision becomes unavoidable between enemy units, bullet patterns, and the oversized avatar. The result is a combat loop where players frequently take damage through scenarios that feel less like fair challenges and more like spatial inevitabilities.
Presentation vs. Practicality
Visually and sonically, Mentaris 2 maintains the polished production values characteristic of Japanese shooters. Vibrant sprite work and energetic sound design create an authentic arcade atmosphere, with special effects that satisfyingly punctuate enemy eliminations. Unfortunately, this aesthetic competence clashes with functional shortcomings during actual gameplay. The most glaring issue emerges through intrusive menu systems that dominate the screen during critical moments. Health displays and interface elements obscure substantial portions of the battlefield, creating dangerous blind spots where threats emerge unseen.
The single-level structure further intensifies these frustrations. Just as players adapt to the velocity and begin appreciating the audiovisual craftsmanship, the experience concludes abruptly at the boss encounter. This truncated duration transforms what might have been an intense climax into a jarring full stop, leaving potential unfulfilled despite the technical polish.
The health and other menus take up nearly the whole screen so you can't see where anybody is.
Adam Box
Verdict
Hyperkinetic shooter overwhelmed by speed and clutter
