I'm shocked that nobody else pointed out that this is exactly what I predicted it would be: TxK with minimal changes.
The player character and its animation are identical.
The shapes of the levels are identical.
The powerup order is identical.
The pop-up text, both tutorial and as you collect things, is identical.
The shot behavior, the jump behavior, the enemy behavior, all identical.
The only differences in this video:
The level names are different.
Some of the enemies and shots look different.
Many of the background effects are different. They seem like placeholders because they're a lot simpler than TxK's.
The TxK soundtrack is gone, replaced by the unmodified, untouched Tempest 2000 soundtrack. Maybe this is also a placeholder.
And last but not least...
...it feels a bit slower. This might just be this "early" version, or this particular video. I don't think Minter would nerf his own game so I'm going to give it the benefit of the doubt at this point. TxK's difficulty level was perfect so I hope it doesn't change.
So yeah, this is basically TxK. But as I previously said, this isn't a bad thing. TxK is fantastic and I'm glad those without a Vita or PSTV will finally get to play it. I do personally hope that the original soundtrack can stay, though. It's also fantastic.
I do not understand when the enemies are coming so close and you not getting caught..
In order to be caught by those enemies they have to completely overlap you. If they are entering your lane as you're firing, they die and you're unharmed. This doesn't mean you should be reckless though. Until you're fully powered up, there's a limit to how many shots you can have onscreen at once, and if you're at that limit, then you're not firing...
Oh really. When was the last version?
This is more for the person you replied to.
Tempest 2000 dates back to 1994. It was also released on PC and Saturn in 1996. A reinterpretation called Tempest X3 was developed for PS1 in 1996 as well, although that one was done without Jeff Minter's involvement.
The sequel to that game is Tempest 3000, which was developed and released in 2000 exclusively for Nuon.
Minter had not developed another Tempest-inspired game until TxK, which was released in 2014.
If you go to Llamasoft's Web site you will find that they have developed many games that are not Tempest or Tempest-inspired. Jeff Minter has indeed made more than one game. Space Giraffe is a case in point; it plays very differently from Tempest.
Playing Polybius in VR is easily one of the most transcendent and breathtaking gaming experiences I've ever had. Any word on this getting VR support?
Seeing as how TxK for VR was already finished (or nearly-finished) before it had to be cancelled...it is all but certain.
