Psyvariar 3 review – Plays better than it looks

With the last entry in the series released more than two decades ago, you’d probably given up hope for a new Psyvariar game if you’re a fan. But here we are in 2026 with Psyvariar 3. And while that’s good news in itself, the fact that it’s rather good is surely the icing on the vertically-scrolling shooter shaped cake.

Like most shooters of its ilk, Psyvariar 3 has a story that serves as a backdrop to the action, but you’ll likely not care about it one jot. Gameplay is king here, and perhaps with that in mind, a generous selection of modes has been served up, giving plenty of ways for you to jump in and enjoy the action.

There’s a standard Arcade mode, of course, challenging you to make your way through seven stages. But alongside it are additional modes such as Caravan, where your aim is to achieve the highest score possible in two minutes of play; Endless, where you play as long as you can in a procedurally generated area with just one life; and even Mission, where you try to complete objectives and gain as many stars as you can. Needless to say, whether you’ve got five minutes to spare or an hour, Psyvariar 3 has a mode for you.

Whichever mode you jump into, there are seven playable characters to choose from, each with their own quirks. You’ll definitely want to try them all to see which you get on with the best. But the crux of the game remains the same regardless: scrolling ever upwards, you need to avoid a constant cavalcade of enemy projectiles while returning fire and shooting down as many enemies as you can.

What makes the gameplay of Psyvariar 3 and those before it somewhat unique, however, is that you’re rewarded for getting close to enemy projectiles and gaining Buzz. Gain enough Buzz and you’ll level up, enhancing your chosen character’s abilities. When playing in Arcade mode, gaining buzz also opens up additional difficulty options as you play. So, gain lots of Buzz and you can keep playing on Easy if you wish, or you can opt for more of a challenge to enhance your score.

While it’s perhaps not the most ambitious or inventive shooter around, there’s only really one thing about Psyvariar 3 that truly disappoints, and that’s the game’s visuals. While the backgrounds you fight across are quite nice-looking and detailed, character models and enemy ships are generally basic and bland. For some it won’t matter all that much, but a bit more visual splendour would have been welcome.

Still, if you’re after a new shooter to play, Psyvariar 3 is well worth considering, especially given its budget price. It’s got some nice options to tinker with too, such as visible hit boxes. It might not be the best-looking vertically scrolling shooter available, or the most complicated, but it’s very enjoyable nonetheless.