IGDB / 1481

Gradius III

1989 70 / 100 Shooter

In the darkest reaches of infinite space, pure evil lies in wait ... The Dark Forces led by the god of destruction, Bacterian, prepare to launch a massive onslaught against the planet Gradius. Possessing unstoppable power, the Dark Forces threaten to plunge the Universe into total war and complete annihilation. Their invasion force smashes the Gradius defenses, and the surrounding planets soon fall like dominoes. Now Bacterian's evil grasp reaches for the heart of the resistance...planet Gradius itself... To counter the oncoming threat the United Gradius World Forces gather all their fighter craft. Half of them form a defensive net - the other half a strike team. But they are badly outnumbered and The Dark Forces easily tear through their thin frontline. No fighters survive the slaughter.... In a last gasp move, the United Gradius World Forces send out two fighters, previously considered too dangerous for combat missions: The InterDimensional VIC VIPER fighters. The Fighters take off for the heart of darkness to join the fray that will decide the fate of the Universe...

Use as reference game Games like Gradius III

World design Nicht eindeutig Game feelChallenging GameplayCombat-focused Game modeMultiplayer

Deep dive / Spielprofil

What it is about.

A structured look at the narrative, game feel, and traits that define this game.

Story & context

In the far end of the blackest reaches of space lies a galaxy built from layers upon layers of darkness. Bacterian, the mysterious god of destruction born from this unknown region, has once again emerged from his lair. In order to achieve his wicked goals, Bacterian deploys his Dark Force for one final attack. The Dark Force promptly envelops all of space in an energy field more powerful than any of us could have imagined as it carries out its rampage of destruction and carnage. The dark invasion picks off one planet after another surrounding Gradius, and now the home planet finds itself in mortal peril. To deal with this threat, the Gradius federal government orders its entire army to build a massive defense network as it launches an all-out attack, but against an army as unprecedented as the Dark Force, even this desperate defense is about to break. Now, once again, the super-dimensional fighter Vic Viper launches. It takes off toward the boundless darkness, entrusted with the very fate of the universe...

Game feelChallenging GameplayCombat-focused Game modeMultiplayer GenreShooter ThemeAction ThemeScience fiction

20 weitere Tags

Traitauto-saving Traitauto-scrolling levels Traitbonus stage Traitboss fight Traitcheckpoints Traitcollectibles Traitdeath Traitdynamic difficulty Traitexplosion Traithigh score Traitkonami code Traitplanet jumping Traitretroachievements Traitsequel Traitshoot 'em up Traitshoot the core Traitside-scrolling Traitspaceship Traitupgradeable vehicles Traitupgradeable weapons

Media / Screenshots