Ghost Blade HD

Ghost Blade HD is a score-based bullet-hell shoot ’em up in which you pilot a fighter through five stages, destroying enemies and pursuing a corrupted AI. It draws on 1990s shooting games while using modern graphics and effects. The game has three difficulty levels, and local co-op for two players.

Story

Ten thousand years ago, an artificial intelligence named Shira was created to protect the residents of Mars. Over time, Shira became corrupted and began attacking the Martian colonies. The Earth Defense Force fleet fought its way to Evil Shira and destroyed it with powerful lasers, but a hidden backup escaped into space and took over an abandoned station at the edge of the solar system.

When the EDF detects the escape, it sends you, one of its bravest pilots, to destroy Evil Shira before it can complete a new attack force and threaten the universe.

Ships and stages

You can choose from three player battleships, each with a different gun type. Across five stages, you face large boss enemies. Instant respawns let you return to the action without cutscenes.

Scoring and combat

Earn points by destroying enemies and collecting Stage Star items. Destroying enemies and crates increases your Combo Multiplier, which raises the points you earn. Focus shot helps you navigate tight spaces and avoid stray bullets; using it also earns extra bombs. Your score is affected by how many enemies you defeat, how often you die or use bombs, and how many bombs you have left.

Game modes

Practice Mode lets you train, while Score Attack Mode focuses on high scores. Easy, Normal and Hard provide three difficulty levels; Easy mode has auto-bomb enabled for beginners. The game also includes online leaderboards and 37 achievements.

Key features

• 1080p HD graphics, running at 60 FPS
• Local co-op for two players
• TATE, TATE inverted and portrait screen options
• Optional softslow and a setting to reduce background brightness
• Soundtrack composed by Rafael Dyll