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TREASURE / Feb 18, 2014 / Action, Indie
4 playing now
CompareShoot! Dodge! and... Get Hit!? "Ikaruga" is a vertical shoot 'em up that features an unique polarity-switching gameplay. Switch the ship's polarity and "get hit and absorb" enemy bullets! Achieve High Score with the chain bonus!
| Part | Your PC | MinimumNot sure | RecommendedNot sure |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Not set | Intel Core2 Duo / Athron64 X2 Can't tell | Intel or AMD multicore processor recently 5 years Can't tell |
| GPU | Not set | DirectX 9.0c support (256 MB VRAM) Can't tell | NVIDIA or AMD in recently 5 years Can't tell |
| RAM | Not set | 1 GB RAM Can't tell | 2 GB RAM Can't tell |
• Added 'APPENDIX' menu. Gallery and SoundTracks mode. • Change title screen pictures to HD • Chapter 1: Fixed slowdown of the scene after the chapter title. (Change far objects to billboard, and speed up) • Fixed minor bugs アップデートしました（ビルド ID 354142） • おまけメニュー（APPENDIX）追加。ギャラリー、サウンドモード。 • タイトル画面を高解像度化、調整 • Chapter 1 雲海上のシーンの高速化 • 他、バグ修正など
Open on SteamVery Positive
95% positive, 1,325 reviews
Developed by legendary game makers Treasure Software (Radiant Silvergun, Gunstar Heroes) Ikaruga is widely revered as a masterpiece of the shoot-'em-up genre. It is far from your average "bullet hell" where evasion and shooting is your only option, Ikaruga introduces a mechanic that changes everything: the polarity shift. At the press of a button, your ship instantly toggles between black and white. Matching your...
12 found this helpful, 2026-09-12
Diving more into the world of shmups, it would only be reasonable I play Ikaruga. Is highly regarded as the shmup game and after playing it, I can perfectly see why. I don't think Ikaruga excels at fancy or even particularly challenging bullet patterns, or having incredibly unique characters to play as. Instead it's unique polarity system and how the game squeezes every bit out of it is what makes it so special....
1 found this helpful, 2026-09-15
Found out about this game back in 2014 because of a coworker at the time said this was the hardest game he ever played, and he was not exaggerating, reminds me of those korean mmos where you have to try several time to beat a boss but once you do the feeling of actually accomplishing that is amazing
0 found this helpful, 2026-09-09
good
0 found this helpful, 2026-09-20
i need to ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ CHAIN
0 found this helpful, 2026-09-24
Classic game I remember playing for the first time on Gamecube, difficulty pushes into obscene, brain melting realms of madness. One of the great shmups. But seriously, I mean it, difficulty beyond reason.
4 found this helpful, 2026-08-21
Ikaruga is, what I believe to be, the best shoot em up game of all time. The polarity system is unique and the difficulty rewarding, but where the game really shines is when you get into scoring. Trying to look for every possible chain just to make that number go up is an experience like no other, and it's only then when you will understand the sheer depth of how precisely designed this game really is. A 10/10...
5 found this helpful, 2026-08-11
Highly Recommended. 9/10* One of the best shoot em ups, hard as f, incredible good looking graphics, good art design, cool music, and precise controls. Great swap mechanic, one color does damage, the other does not. The game is really short, but mastering will take time, goes really cheap on sale, has achievements and steam cards, its a must.
3 found this helpful, 2026-07-05
Masterclass in game design. Not a single mechanic in Ikaruga feels out of place or lacking, and I don't think there is anything that could be added to improve it even further either without making it feel bloated - it's quite literally a perfect videogame. You can switch colors to avoid enemy projectiles of the same color and power up by absorbing them instead, while doing more damage to the enemy ships of the...
4 found this helpful, 2026-06-28
Amazing game, takes some getting used to but if you stick with it beating it becomes a very immersive experience. There's also playing for score but for us mere mortals beating the bosses before they fly off is where it's at. Highly recommended! Don't forget to charge and use your missiles, I don't think I could beat the bosses without them.
0 found this helpful, 2026-07-07