Axelay sends one advanced fighter against an invading force, alternating between vertically scrolling scenes with a sweeping sense of depth and conventional side-view stages. Before a mission, you choose equipment for different weapon slots, so preparation becomes part of the action.
Taking a hit can disable your current weapon, making damage change your options before it ends the flight. New armaments expand the choices as the campaign progresses. The environments range from natural landscapes to dense machinery, with bosses that encourage you to study both their shape and their firing pattern. Its appeal is the combination of visual drama and a practical question that keeps returning: which weapon suits the space ahead?
