Shoot-em-ups have always been a unique genre for me; I’ve played a few in the past, including arcade titles and Vampire Survivors. Aside from a few other games that have slipped my mind, it’s a blind spot for me. When I was given the chance to play Cotton Reboot High Tension!, I was interested to see if the game would spark any interest in the genre. After playing through it, I really enjoyed what it had to offer, but it did little to spark any real interest.
I went into Cotton Reboot High Tension! a lot more optimistic, as while I liked Reboot, there were a few things I wish they improved, and for the most part they did. Some of my biggest issues, such as stage variety, were greatly improved. Such as an even nicer art style and some more fantastic music, as well as having a longer story. While not the greatest, it’s decent enough to have kept me interested. Cotton is called back into action when a mysterious new foe is seemingly born from Willow Candy, with her being joined by a few new friends to stop this new foe.
Gameplay is nearly identical to Reboot with few exceptions; the crystal pickup system now has ability capsules that spawn in the stage, with crystals only leveling them up. It’s a big help, as now I’m less worried about accidentally shooting and losing an ability I wanted. Just like the first game, the fever bar remains but can now also trigger the new high tension mode. It changes the screen, adding a whole host of new visual effects that seemingly further increase the speed and damage output. While an interesting premise for a power-up, I didn’t really see much need for it, as it’s already similar enough to Fever but now makes the screen even more cluttered, and the visual effects, while interesting the first few times, quickly become an eyesore.
I also enjoyed how each playable character had their own unique shooting style that, for the most part, made them stand out. Although a few have their own unique extra abilities, such as homing stars, which made me wish all characters had their own. Stages this time around are a lot more detailed, with backgrounds and music once again being my favorite part of both games. There are also quite a few stage hazards throughout the game, which helped keep the flow of action a lot more fluid. Unlike in the previous game, where I rarely moved from my set position, I dodged a lot more often, and that led to boss fights feeling a lot more difficult.
I enjoyed Cotton Reboot High Tension!; it improved on some of the biggest issues I had with Cotton Reboot!, especially when it came to stage variety and the fever and ability mechanics. However, I wasn’t as impressed with some of its newer additions, particularly High Tension mode, which failed to keep me interested. While the more detailed stages and improved gameplay made for a better experience overall, the game is still just as short as its predecessor, and I found myself missing the option to play the original that made Cotton Reboot! feel like a more complete package.
There’s definitely something here for fans of shoot-em-ups to appreciate, especially with the fantastic music and more varied stages. For me, though, these improvements weren’t enough to make me want to pick the game back up after finishing it. I had a decent time with Cotton Reboot High Tension!, and while I prefer it over the first game, it ultimately didn’t change how I feel about the genre. Maybe another shoot-em-up will change my mind in the future, but for now, I’m shutting the lid on this candy jar.
Disclaimer: Clear River Games provided a Nintendo Switch copy of Cotton Reboot High Tension! for review purposes.
