History VideoGame / RefleX

This game originally started out as a relatively short {{freeware game|s}} by Ysuer titled ''Reflection'' that was released for Windows in 1998. At one point, Ysuer joined SITER SKAIN and began working on a remake of the game under the project name "''Reflection X''". Unfortunately, due to problems that rose during its development, it took ''ten'' years for the game to finally see the light of day in 2008. On June 6, 2013, Nyu Media brought ''[=RefleX=]'' overseas alongside ''VideoGame/{{Kamui}}'' and ''[[VideoGame/AlltynexSecond ALLTYNEX Second]]'', releasing them on Nyu Media, Rice Digital, [=GamersGate=], and UsefulNotes/{{DESURA}}, and later to Steam on March 27, 2014. The original soundtrack can be purchased for digital download or listened to on SITER SKAIN's Bandcamp website [[http://siterskain.bandcamp.com/album/reflex-original-soundtrack here]].

* CosmeticAward: Beating the game without continuing nets you a secret theme, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vq_437VSrM A Choice with No Alternative]]", which is a remix of the Stage 1 theme from ''Reflection'', the prototype game for ''[=RefleX=]''.

* DifficultySpike: Area 7, [[spoiler:after the Phoenix transforms. Sure, you get an unlimited-use shield, but you're reduced to a OneHitPointWonder with no extra lives for the rest of the game. Shut off your shield during a screen-filling attack or fail to hit one of the missiles, and you're screwed]].

** [[UpToEleven And then there's]] [[ThePhoenix Phoenix]][[spoiler:/[[EleventhHourSuperpower ZODIAC Ophiuchus...]]]]

[[JustForFun/IThoughtThatWas Not to be confused with]] the Music/DuranDuran song "The Reflex", or the Quake-like FirstPersonShooter of the same name.

* WaveMotionGun: The [=ZODIACs=] are armed with these and sometimes the laser blasts [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill cover the]] [[BulletHell entire screen]].

* WaveMotionGun: The [=ZODIACs=] are armed with these and sometimes the laser blasts [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill cover the]] [[CrazyAwesome entire screen]].

* BlackAndGrayMorality: [[spoiler: The conflict between ZODIAC Ophiuchus and its [[CainAndAbel siblings]] falls under this trope. The ZODIACS are [[AIIsACrapshoot omnicidal war machines]] that [[TurnedAgainstTheirMasters turn against their creators]] and seek to destroy anything that is not one of them. Meanwhile, Ophiuchus is programmed to battle its peers and does a HeroicSuicide to prevent its core from being abused by wrong hands, but it is not programmed to protect innocent lives, as Ophiuchus' [[TheUnfettered ruthless pursuit]] of destroying its peers [[DestructiveSavior leaves horrific collateral damage and mass loss of life]], resulting with the surviving humans seeing Ophiuchus as [[HeWhoFightsMonsters another foe to destroy]] rather than a guardian.]]

* TheUnfettered: [[spoiler:ZODIAC Ophiuchus.]]

* WasOnceAMan: The Raiwat.

'''''[=RefleX=]''''' is a 2D BulletHell ShootEmUp developed by SITER SKAIN and is the second chapter of ''VideoGame/TheTaleOfAlltynex'' trilogy. The gameplay plays mostly like a regular shooter but with a few twists. Instead of being the regular OneHitPointWonder, your ship, the Phoenix Mk-II, can take a boatload of hits, and you have a shield that can reflect certain bullets right back at the enemies. This is offset by the fact that you have no extra lives, no bombs and no way of restoring durability once it's gone.

* BlackAndGrayMorality: [[spoiler: The conflict between ZODIAC Ophiuchus and its [[CainAndAbel siblings]] falls under this trope. The ZODIACS are [[AIIsACrapshoot omnicidal war machines]] that [[TurnedAgainstTheirMaster turn against their creators]] and seek to destroy anything that is not one of them. Meanwhile, Ophiuchus is programmed to battle its peers and does a HeroicSuicide to prevent its core from being abused by wrong hands, but it is not programmed to protect innocent lives, as Ophiuchus' [[TheUnfettered ruthless pursuit]] of destroying its peers [[DestructiveSavior leaves horrific collateral damage and mass loss of life]], resulting with the surviving humans seeing Ophiuchus as [[HeWhoFightsMonsters another foe to destroy]] rather than a guardian.]]

** Area 7. [[spoiler:ZODIAC Virgo unleashes unholy BulletHell on the Phoenix, killing the pilot and triggering the Phoenix's transformation into the ZODIAC Ophiuchus and its prime directive of eliminating all other ZODIAC units at any cost.]]

** Area 8. [[spoiler:ZODIAC Virgo unleashes unholy BulletHell on the Phoenix, killing the pilot and triggering the Phoenix's transformation into the ZODIAC Ophiuchus and its prime directive of eliminating all other ZODIAC units at any cost.]]

* WhamEpisode: Area 4. After Cancer is defeated, [[spoiler:ZODIAC Virgo makes its entrance and finishes the boss off, heralding the invasion of the Raiwat army and a [[EnemyMine truce]] between the GUA and Valkyness to stop the even bigger threat.]]

* WhamEpisode: Area 4. After Cancer is defeated, [[spoiler:ZODIAC Virgo makes its entrance and finishes the boss off, heralding the invasion of the Raiwat army.]]

* PettingZooPeople: [[spoiler:The Raiwat were once human, but eventually evolved into this to adapt to their harsh environment.]]

** To be fair though, they never really had a chance. Enropi squad would have tore the fleet apart, assuming that [[spoiler:ZODIAC Virgo didn't wipe them out with Cancer]]

** I'd argue against [[spoiler:Cancer]] in favor of [[spoiler:Virgo]] here. By the time the first happened you'd already opened up three cans of whoop ass against [[spoiler:Cancer]] so it's not that much of a surprise that [[spoiler:ZODIAC Virgo wiped it out in one shot.]] In the other case, [[spoiler: Virgo]] had been partially repaired after its fight with you but [[spoiler:ZODIAC Virgo still rammed its way through.]]

** Sure managing shield regen is a bit difficult, but the shield is far superior to the one in Kamui and Alltynex Second. It's a bad comparison to make considering how radically different each game plays, but I'd call Reflex the easiest in the series.

[[IThoughtThatWas Not to be confused with]] the Music/DuranDuran song "The Reflex", or the Quake-like FirstPersonShooter of the same name.

This game originally started out as a relatively short {{freeware game|s}} by Ysuer titled ''Reflection'' that was released for Windows in 1998. At one point, Ysuer joined SITER SKAIN and began working on a remake of the game under the project name "''Reflection X''". Unfortunately, due to problems that rose during its development, it took ''ten'' years for the game to finally see the light of day in 2008. On June 6, 2013, Nyu Media brought ''[=RefleX=]'' overseas alongside ''VideoGame/{{Kamui}}'' and ''[[VideoGame/AlltynexSecond ALLTYNEX Second]]'', releasing them on Nyu Media, Rice Digital, [=GamersGate=], and {{DESURA}}, and later to Steam on March 27, 2014. The original soundtrack can be purchased for digital download or listened to on SITER SKAIN's Bandcamp website [[http://siterskain.bandcamp.com/album/reflex-original-soundtrack here]].

* DiscOneFinalBoss: Cancer. You defeat it, and [[spoiler:a then-unknown ship belonging to a third party (ZODIAC Virgo) flies in and finishes it off, [[KnightOfCerebus setting the tone for the rest of the game]].]]
* DiscOneFinalDungeon: Area 3, where you fight the Global Unified Army's orbital fleet. This is the last wave of resistance you meet from them en masse.