Akai Katana is the latest arcade blaster straight from bullet hell maestros, Cave. The Japanese studio is notorious for its magical development formula that results in intense and gripping shooter experiences. As you imagine, the design of this game is rather abstract given its serious sources of inspirations - pulling from Japans industrial growth and World War II.
The result is a fictional world that is on the cusp of reconstruction, with its people discovering a new energy source known as Guiding Ore. As a powerful natural resource, this mineral could be used for other unusual purposes - one of which was the tempering of the Guiding Ore into a blade, or katana. Soldiers that wielded such a weapon were endowed with a unique psychic power.
Of course, when you give anyone this kind of power, it starts to destroy civilisations. The Emperor Basho took advantage of the fact that killing human beings with the Guiding Katana unlocked overwhelming strength, in order to expand his reign and wage war on neighbouring countries. A small squadron of rebels stands against him, fighting for peace.
With Caves trademark bullet hell action and screen-filling battleships and other crazy technologies that juxtapose the rather traditional setting of the game world, Akai Katana is set to be yet another classic for shootem up fans everywhere.