It’s a little bit expensive, but it’s one of the best shoot ‘em up we’ve played in many years. It’s aimed at a very specific audience, but we think that audience will definitely enjoy it.

Natsuki Chronicles is one of the more enjoyable bullet-hell shooters I’ve played in quite some time. It nails the addictive nature of the classic arcade titles, and wraps it up in some gorgeous visuals and excellent level design. While these games are hard by nature, I did feel that Qute took it a tad too far here, with even the Easy setting proving to be rock solid. But those with time and patience on their hands will get no doubt have a great time here, and even if I suck at it, Natsuki Chronicles will be popping up on my playlist for sometime yet.

After a long wait of more than five years, we can finally enjoy the last exclusive to arrive at Xbox One, Natsuki Chronicles, a side-scrolling shoot em up that has managed to become one of the best titles of the genre we have enjoyed in recent years.

Just like Ginga Force and Eschatos, Natsuki Chronicles is a side-scrolling shmup true to the DNA of developer Qute. While it caters towards a wide audience ranging from newcomers to veterans of the genre, the balance between the story-heavy chronicle mode and the more traditional arcade mode isn’t great. There’s some great level design to enjoy here, but Natsuki Chronicles fails to exceed the developer’s previous titles.