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RayForce (released as Layer Section outside Asia) is an excellent vertical shooter that began a series that would spawn RayStorm and RayCrisis. The game is a 2D shooter with excellent scaling and animation effects, including the nice camera-panning action as you move your ship left and right. This PC version is a faithful conversion of the arcade blockbuster, with all the fun and graphical pizzazz intact. Your ship's main laser gun has six levels of power, and can 'lock on' up to eight targets at a time. The more lock-ons before firing away, the more points you will earn. There are seven levels of blasting mayhem, both in space and inside the Earth's atmosphere. SHMUP veterans may find this game a bit easier than average, thanks to generous bonuses and power-up ships that appear from time to time to repair your ship. All in all, though, RayForce looks good and plays great – a wonderful start to a fun series that gets much tougher later on. Reviewed by: Underdogs | 
RayForce (a.k.a. Layer Section) 
