So the confusingly named RayForce (or Gunlock,.. or Layer Section), is a real hidden gem and considered by man not only to be the best game in the 'Ray' series, but a real top-tier arcade shooter in it's own right! The game itself is quite groundbreaking as it redefines all what you knew of traditional shooting with an innovative Lock-On Laser as your secondary fire for use against ground-based enemies. While its functionality might remind of the Missile Lock-On of After Burner II and Galaxy Force II, it is the first time it was used on vertical scroll shooters, and Taito really exploited this new feature perfectly, relying on visual tricks to simulate random distancing from the player ship, and not only that, making the Lock-On Laser as the Score-maker factor of the game as it generates chains by destroying multiple locked on enemies. Also, you can make high score by focusing 3 Laser Locks on a 'strong' enemy and the remaining on weaker enemies to increase the score multiplier even further. Powering up your ship has a twist in this game: First, your regular shots can be powered up by picking red and yellow crystals; with 1 Yellow Crystal or 2 Red Crystals needed to increase your weapon 1 level. To increase the amount of Laser Locks you have to pick green Laser Panels. These ones are the essential item of the game, even more than the Power Up Crystals due to the mentioned high-scoring capabilities. The overall difficulty of this game has a curve that quickly escalates as you progress in this game. Once you've reach the Stage 3 Boss, the game will throw more and more bullet formations and patterns... and talking of bosses, the behavior of some of their attacks makes them unpredictable, like Odin's case in Stage 5. His purple 'Thunder Lasers' take random angles, greatly increasing its chances of hitting you. Another advantage for the enemy is your lack of a shield to protect your ship, just like in Metal Black, making RayForce an exercise of reflexes and tactical shooting. One gripe with the game however is the impact on the Laser Lock system and hence, the scoring mechanic in two-player mode. When you have two-players playing in simultaneously, the Laser Lock is limited to 4, disabling the Laser Lock upgrades and reducing the score making factor of the game drastically, rendering the score-multiplier feature almost useless and making the game a lot harder due to the lack of additional firepower... however, don't let that small gripe hold you back from experiencing one of the 90's arcades finest SHMUPS!