DARIUS BURST CHRONICLE SAVIOURS (STEAM/PS4/Vita)

[xxx1993]

The laser absolutely runs out of power when detached, it just recharges based on bullets or objects absorbed/destroyed keeping it active for longer. There are certain boss attacks that are too sparse to use it as a shield, or else it will be run dry for when you really need it.

It's pretty useless on the entirety of Twin Claw for example.

I've been wondering how to do that for a long time now. Anyway, I only have seven stages left. Then I'm done with this game. I managed to defeat Azure Nightmare, but I have a feeling I'm in for a real treat with Gigantic Bite...

You're using default ships or you bought something?

I only buy the ships if I have to. Other than that, I use the presets. I think I plan on using the preset ship for the final mission when I get there, because I saw Zaarock do that.

[Weak Boson]

Holly Dolly Dariusburst CS Ver.

I'm OK with this.

[Skykid]

Holly Dolly Dariusburst CS Ver.

Genuinely idiotic and a complete waste of time. That said it's still better than Freedom.

I *wish* that Taito hadn't opted to use Freedom in the trailer. I have no idea what they were thinking. Many of the comments on reviews and on Steam and other articles about the game have users actually commenting that the music is terrible before having bought the game - even citing it as a reason not to buy - primarily because of that track.

Considering how absolutely spectacular the OST is for this, with so many incredible themes (Azure Nightmare case in-point) it would have been far more sensible to use just about any other track on the trailer than that one. Really bad move commercially.

I only buy the ships if I have to. Other than that, I use the presets. I think I plan on using the preset ship for the final mission when I get there, because I saw Zaarock do that.

Yeah, I recommend the presets over anything else really, at least until you clear the mission once. If you want to grind a stage for points then it doesn't matter.

I only asked because you said you didn't understand how to utilise the burst cannon, and a lot of the stages before and after Azure Nightmare require an understand of a ship's specific weapon. I'm not sure how you did the Legend stages, for example, without knowing how to use the cannon because without detaching for certain areas and bosses you'd need to be an expert and dodge those patterns pretty much naked.

[Steelix100]

I just want to do a shoutout for CS mode: it's actually really nicely balanced.

Personally I disagree, I find that it suffers from schizophrenic difficulty. But I don't think it's really that bad.

Really, why? I tend to find the difficulty scales perfectly well. I totally recommend ignoring all the smaller substages and just go straight for the junctions.

For one, I noticed a pattern where almost every fixed equipment stage was much harder than all powerup drop stages. Maybe it's just my fault for doing all the substages, but the difficulty can vary pretty dramatically at times with different stages.

Generally speaking, the farther you go in the map, the harder it gets.

Yeah, that's how it is for me.

I still agree with this though. Just often times they randomly throw in super-hard/super-easy stages.

My only gripe is that getting lost on the chart can be a real headache. It would be better if it was slightly more linear.

Idk you can just like zoom out
I didn't find myself getting "lost" or anything, but I would still prefer a more linear map so that I can remember the stages better.

I don't mean literally lost, I mean it's easy to end up meandering into random areas that aren't very fruitful, have a base level repetition, and loads of dead ends.

o

Mastering the beam cannon is just a case of either knowing when to expend it for points or to bullet cancel in emergencies, otherwise double tap to detatch it and direct and fix it at certain angles for use as a shield or to incinerate enemy swarms. Legend and Next have different burst mechanics (but ultimately perform the same job). Next is best for learning IMO.

qft
Although I'd just say Next's Fixed Burst is just dramatically better than Legend's overall (that and the homing missiles is why I think Next is literally just a better Legend)

Holly Dolly Dariusburst CS Ver.

I'm OK with this.

... I''m not OK with this.

[xxx1993]

Holly Dolly Dariusburst CS Ver.

Genuinely idiotic and a complete waste of time. That said it's still better than Freedom.

I *wish* that Taito hadn't opted to use Freedom in the trailer. I have no idea what they were thinking. Many of the comments on reviews and on Steam and other articles about the game have users actually commenting that the music is terrible before having bought the game - even citing it as a reason not to buy - primarily because of that track.

Considering how absolutely spectacular the OST is for this, with so many incredible themes (Azure Nightmare case in-point) it would have been far more sensible to use just about any other track on the trailer than that one. Really bad move commercially.

I only buy the ships if I have to. Other than that, I use the presets. I think I plan on using the preset ship for the final mission when I get there, because I saw Zaarock do that.

Yeah, I recommend the presets over anything else really, at least until you clear the mission once. If you want to grind a stage for points then it doesn't matter.

I only asked because you said you didn't understand how to utilise the burst cannon, and a lot of the stages before and after Azure Nightmare require an understand of a ship's specific weapon. I'm not sure how you did the Legend stages, for example, without knowing how to use the cannon because without detaching for certain areas and bosses you'd need to be an expert and dodge those patterns pretty much naked.

Some of the presets tend to be bad, though. I had a hard time getting through Ukofu because of that.

[xxx1993]

What's the best ship in the game that I should grind for?

[Skykid]

Some of the presets tend to be bad, though. I had a hard time getting through Ukofu because of that.

I don't think any are bad. They're all tailored pretty much perfectly to provide a difficulty curve as you progress through CS mode. If you don't learn to use the preset for a certain stage you could be missing out on vital tutorial material, since it's usually a trial by fire in using your weaponry creatively, or lrn 2 dodge requirements thanks to limited shields.

[Sparrow]

*Sees that trophy requires Counter Burst*
Fine, it's time to move on to main starfighters with Burst laser. I wish it had Practice Mode so I can learn how to do Burst Counter without losing lives. I'm worried about all fighters with Burst laser tended to have low score rates...

I'm more of favoring old fashioned style: Raiden style with 1 inch Dodge. I think I'll handle Darius style of Burst lasers somehow.. I don't think the starfighters without Burst could survive against some certain bosses.

Total boss list is 47, right?

Iron, Knight, King, Mud, Hard, Thorn, Hyper, Disaster, Heavy, Assault, Trident, Flameberge, Prison, Claw, Mirage, Phantom, Dual Spin, Brightly, Glassy, Insane, Violent, Golden, Savage, Knives, Bullets, Edge, Ancient Barrage, Slash Shell, Hungry, Heavy, Brute, Helios, Flare, Flame, Force, Solid, Twin, Double, Massive, Blazes, Dreadful, G.T, V, B, Azure, Crimson and lastly Gigantic Bite.

That's alot of recolored versions...

[CptRansom]

While a practice mode would be nice, all the AC/EX routes are only three stages. If the boss is first or second, then it's fairly easy to practice.

CS and Chronicle also have stages that make practicing bosses easier, but you have to dig for them.

Counter timing takes some practice to get, and a lot of practice to master, but it's worth it for the visually appealing effects and the visceral satisfaction of blowing giant fish robots up with an enormous fuckoff yellow beams/explosions.

Also, the two highest scoring ships BY FAR are Assault and Gaiden. They both use countering. The two ships without counters--Origin and Second--are the two lowest-scoring.

[xxx1993]

Some of the presets tend to be bad, though. I had a hard time getting through Ukofu because of that.

I don't think any are bad. They're all tailored pretty much perfectly to provide a difficulty curve as you progress through CS mode. If you don't learn to use the preset for a certain stage you could be missing out on vital tutorial material, since it's usually a trial by fire in using your weaponry creatively, or lrn 2 dodge requirements thanks to limited shields.

All I wanna do is get this game done ASAP. I already made it up to Gigantic Bite, and he puts up quite a good challenge. Right now I'm grinding as much points as possible, so can you please tell me what's the best stage to grind points? It can't be a boss stage, it's too short. I want a stage that's short and easy. But what if I have to do the longer ones?

[trap15]

Why do you want to get it done so fast? Just play it as it's intended and enjoy it.

[Steelix100]

I think they mean mastering the detach and aim mechanism for certain ships - the beam can be positioned to basically be an impenetrable wall that blocks bullets (and things like meteor showers). You can basically hide behind it and be safe from anything that's not a solid object that it can't destroy, or a non-yellow laser.

See how Zaarock handles the start of GTV.

EDIT: Your beam never really runs out when it's detached (I'm not sure if it doesn't run out of power, or if it just gets a lot back for everything it touches), but it doesn't give the extra score multiplier that a normal burst beam does so it's not really suitable for scoring in most situations.

Nah, nah, nah, THIS is how you're SUPPOSED to fight G.T.V with the Fixed Burst.

(I'm just so happy to finally get that achievement)

[xxx1993]

Why do you want to get it done so fast? Just play it as it's intended and enjoy it.

Well, I'm already at the final boss. And now I wanna grind as much points as possible to beat it. I also made a deadline for myself, to beat this game before the end of the year. At the very least, can you please tell me what's the best stage that isn't a boss-only stage to grind in?

[Aleksei]

(I'm just so happy to finally get that achievement)

Nice, I guess I should start using ships other than Genesis because I can't beat GT yet.

[Skykid]

Why do you want to get it done so fast? Just play it as it's intended and enjoy it.

Well, I'm already at the final boss. And now I wanna grind as much points as possible to beat it.

So you're basically following Zaarock's fastest route to ending and spending currency on shields to cheese through everything. Amazing way to waste a game.

Arcade and EX modes are going to eat you for breakfast.

[Sparrow]

So that's why. Formula's Shooting range is too short but Laser beam can act as the defense wall so you can shoot closely to speed up damage. Lesson learned. I decided I will practice with this Formula. But I fail to remember which certain starfighter I used where I activated that Burst laser then entered into the range of the boss's Burst laser to counter hard... Because all starfighters appearance look almost same.

[Aleksei]

Hmm, the music changed in CS mode and Warning sign appeared over some levels. One mission was 18 stages! It was tons of fun though, the most non-stop wave after wave.

Anyway, has anyone else encountered these levels? Will it spread to other stages if not addressed? I noticed that after I cleared the 18 stage mission that the old level (which I still haven't completed) became available again; hope it stays this way. Is this the "end" of the game? If so, I don't want to complete it until the end.

Played CS mode all night, I'll read the responses when I wake up, goodnight. (-_-) zzz

[xxx1993]

Well, now that I beat the CS Mode, I'll do the AC Modes sometime later. I need a break.

[Shepardus]

Hmm, the music changed in CS mode and Warning sign appeared over some levels. One mission was 18 stages! It was tons of fun though, the most non-stop wave after wave.

Anyway, has anyone else encountered these levels? Will it spread to other stages if not addressed? I noticed that after I cleared the 18 stage mission that the old level (which I still haven't completed) became available again; hope it stays this way. Is this the "end" of the game? If so, I don't want to complete it until the end.

Played CS mode all night, I'll read the responses when I wake up, goodnight. (-_-) zzz

I remember that 18-zone mission, that one was fun. Warning missions appear when you reach certain areas in the map; they don't spread or anything like that. After you've cleared both the warning mission and the base mission you can switch between the two freely by pressing Tab (on PC) while hovering over the mission. I don't know the PS4 controls but there's a prompt telling you the button when it's available.

[Steelix100]

Hmm, the music changed in CS mode and Warning sign appeared over some levels. One mission was 18 stages! It was tons of fun though, the most non-stop wave after wave.

Anyway, has anyone else encountered these levels? Will it spread to other stages if not addressed? I noticed that after I cleared the 18 stage mission that the old level (which I still haven't completed) became available again; hope it stays this way. Is this the "end" of the game? If so, I don't want to complete it until the end.

Played CS mode all night, I'll read the responses when I wake up, goodnight. (-_-) zzz

Afaik I know that happens whenever you beat certain levels or certain levels' alternate routes. It'd be funny if it spreaded, but I've left some unchecked for weeks and they haven't moved. If you haven't noticed, you can actually access both levels at any time by pressing RB (or a button on the keyboard idk since I don't play with keyboard), but you need to beat BOTH levels first.

[ACSeraph]

Why do you want to get it done so fast? Just play it as it's intended and enjoy it.

Well, I'm already at the final boss. And now I wanna grind as much points as possible to beat it. I also made a deadline for myself, to beat this game before the end of the year. At the very least, can you please tell me what's the best stage that isn't a boss-only stage to grind in?

You didn't "beat" the game if you didn't use presets. Custom isn't much different from credit feeding.

[Skykid]

Well, now that I beat the CS Mode, I'll do the AC Modes sometime later. I need a break.

You didn't beat it, you just bought enough shields not to die in it.

I'll look forward to hearing how AC and EX are destroying you because there's no shop, no murukamo, and no way to coast through without using any skill.

[Domino]

I'll look forward to hearing how AC and EX are destroying you because there's no shop, no murukamo, and no way to coast through without using any skill.

Besides that there is some slight truth to what he is saying. I just feel CS mode is too RPG grindy. I remember why for the most part I stop playing RPGs. Then again I haven't played the game for almost three weeks. Might be $40 wasted on me but I still didn't regret buying it.

Is it me or the stages feel lifeless/stale compare to the other Darius games?

[Skykid]

I'll look forward to hearing how AC and EX are destroying you because there's no shop, no murukamo, and no way to coast through without using any skill.

Besides that there is some slight truth to what he is saying. I just feel CS mode is too RPG grindy.

You can approach it how you want to. You don't need to grind, it's pointless, you'll accrue points by just playing regularly and the presets are better than any other options because the challenge is balanced to teach you how to use various ships and weaponry. You do not need to play all the substages unless you're a completist or just bored. I would suggest hitting the junctures and looking at Zaarocks 29 juncture clear video if you want a more streamlined experience.

Personally I've come to the conclusion that CS is very good to keep dipping into. I usually try to play for an hour or so when I get the chance.

Is it me or the stages feel lifeless/stale compare to the other Darius games?

Stage design is certainly less detailed and varied than predecessors, but the game's personality comes from its music, bosses and mechanics. It's certainly the most cinematic Darius I've played.

[Despatche]

Is it me or the stages feel lifeless/stale compare to the other Darius games?

It's just you. The real problems with Dariusburst are things like the Fixed Burst being crazy overpowered, silver orbs, the stupid bullet cancelling, things like that.

[Steelix100]

Well, now that I beat the CS Mode, I'll do the AC Modes sometime later. I need a break.

You didn't beat it, you just bought enough shields not to die in it.

I'll look forward to hearing how AC and EX are destroying you because there's no shop, no murukamo, and no way to coast through without using any skill.

......

[mamboFoxtrot]

the Fixed Burst being crazy overpowered

It's fun to use but yeah, that thing's pretty nuts. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to have it be recharged by every bullet or enemy it destroys. Though, for a number of stages (namely anything with walls) and a few bosses I think Assault's Burst is a hell of a lot more useful.

Is it me or the stages feel lifeless/stale compare to the other Darius games?

The zako swimming like schools of fish and the synching with the background music are both pretty cool, but it is a bit monotonous in design at times. My Darius experience is limited to Gaiden and G-Darius, so I'm also used to these games having colorful backgrounds, and not just spacespacemeteorspace and sometimes the inside of a grey and beige machine base thing. Zone B seems like it's underwater, but even that stage has really desaturated colors.

It's certainly the most cinematic Darius I've played.

I'd say you're crazy for thinking this game's more cinematic than G-Darius or even Darius Gaiden, but then I think you said you've played this on an actual cab with dual-screen setup and rumbling seats etc, while I'm just squinting my eyes at a 17" laptop screen and wearing headphones, so that might have something to do with it...
Though, I do think G-Darius has not just better background eyecandy, but also better boss animations and intros.

[Shepardus]

Is it me or the stages feel lifeless/stale compare to the other Darius games?

Stage design is certainly less detailed and varied than predecessors, but the game's personality comes from its music, bosses and mechanics. It's certainly the most cinematic Darius I've played.

There's some interesting stuff going on with the "school of fish" formations the enemies do in the stages, but not enough to make them really stand out to me as great on their own. I don't find the gameplay in any Darius title's stages to be particularly noteworthy, though, and in Dariusburst you've at least got the burst mechanic to play around with during the stages, so I don't see this as a real loss. In my opinion the backgrounds are the biggest letdown in DBAC compared to previous Darius titles; they feel noticeably plainer to me than the backgrounds from, say, G.Darius, and all the boss backgrounds (except Mud Wheel and its variants?) are clouds in various colors, feeling somewhat disconnected from the stages preceding them. The game makes up for this, though, with its amazing music and how it flows from the stages to the bosses, and even between stages in some cases. Route ADH (ORV in EX mode) is the prime example of this - I don't think I'll ever tire of the way the music flows through the entirety of that route absolutely seamlessly and syncs with the enemies' (and presumably your) actions. Zone G, if I remember correctly, is another good example of this.

The music and the bossfights (and the aspect ratio...) really sell that "cinematic," larger-than-life feeling, which to me is the most important quality of Darius, from the original's triple-screen setup to G.Darius's screen-filling beam dueling. In DBAC they really seem to have focused on these (the music and bosses) to deliver that feeling since, after all, that's what Darius is best known for, and I think they succeeded at this. There are areas where I think it could be better, such as the backgrounds (which I've already mentioned) and the boss intros, which pale in comparison to previous titles (especially G.Darius) but overall I think it's great. This is, of course, talking about AC mode, Original and EX; in Chronicle and CS modes the music and gameplay aren't as meticulously choreographed, as you might expect from the modes' sheer number of stages. These modes rely more on the fun-ness gameplay mechanics; they're fun in their own right, but Original and EX are the true selling point of DBAC/DBCS.

Though, I do think G-Darius has not just better background eyecandy, but also better boss animations and intros.

I definitely agree with this, G.Darius stunningly handled the series' transition to 3D and it really shows in the bosses. I really love the sense of scale in that game's bosses, with how many of them don't even fit on the screen and have to shift around to use all their attacks (though this is also partially due to the fact that G.Darius only uses a single screen), and then you get to counter this with your own massive laser beams. It's a real shame that MAME has problems playing the music or else I'd probably spend a lot more time with that game. I've heard that the PC port does work on Windows 7 (dunno about Windows 8/10) with some setup, but either way a new port made for modern OSes and possibly even remastered graphics would be absolutely amazing.

[CptRansom]

I'm glad the backgrounds are mostly plain. I can focus better on blowing stuff up and trying (and failing miserably) to get higher scores.

You do not need to play all the substages unless you're a completist or just bored.

I'm going through all the substages with presets and it's PAINFUL, but every time I take one down I feel great. The substages are, IMO, much more difficult in general than the main stages in CS mode, but I'm also (still) not terribly far. Also, I believe you need to complete all of the substages to unlock the SUPER SECRET mission, right? Judging by Steam LBs, though, nobody seems to care about using presets for substages (or people are just really bad at them, I guess). Does anyone have an image of the whole CS mode map? I'd love to see how Not Far At All I Am in this. Ultimately hoping all this CS mode w/presets will make me better at AC when I finally get to it!

[Skykid]

▲ When I started CS I was doing everything methodically including substages, probably for around 25 stages or so. But I found it all a little too repetitive.

After looking at route options and sticking to junctures it changed a lot - I find Juncture stages offer more variety and smarter design ideas. I'm assuming that CS mode was fashioned as Junctures first and then substages were like filler - so comprise lesser design elements.

When I finish CS I may go back for all the substages and stuff I missed, and depending on patience I might toy with Assault, Gaiden and Murukamo to smash through them.