Illvelo イルベロ - ALL + TLB - 8.572.073.480pts

Now that I'm back into the wackiest and coolest shmup ever, it's time to play the main mode more seriously and improve the scores if possible! To my surprise, just a few days of play were necessary to get a first PB in years. Even if jumping from 8.4 to 8.5bil is not a massive leap or anything, I feel like I'm understanding the game a liiiiittle bit more than before and my consistency with these relatively higher scores is better.
Unlike Chaos Field which has clear rules and mostly discrete fights (though meta count is still big), Illvelo is insanity with butterfly effects all over the place. I am still not fully sure how enemy waves are precisely picked when starting a stage or leaving a bonus stage, how much the level ups (or score??) influence it and how much advancing/destroying waves impact it, not to mention the skips involved with bonus stage entrances. But all of this is important to nail as knowing what waves I will encounter and getting ones that are quick to destroy for level-ups is key for good scoring.
I feel like I'm understanding the good waves in stage 1 a bit more, even though I can't tell for sure how to precisely get the waves I want. Good waves are extra experience levels that can grant scoring benefits for the rest of the run. I'm still not bothering with the captain enemy kills for extra exp in the blue key bonus stage because that sounds painful to do...but dunno how much I'm leaving on the table. I know you don't need it for 9bil though.
Later stages are still a bit more confusing and the ideal strat is quite blurry. I am trying to destroy waves entirely before getting inside a bonus stages as full wave kills grant extra exp and can spawn the next wave. But juggling weapon levels, the two simultaneous types of waves (small, big enemies), ground enemies, and the bonus stage entrances is so wild. But hey that's why this game rules.
Stage 5 is also another point of interest for me here as I was able to speedkill midbosses and get the final cook head midboss with some time to spare. I think I'm getting more comfortable with the kill timings and I can more consistently get those extra midbosses in runs so it's nice. I still wonder if it's possible to get one more like in Easy/Still, but it really doesn't seem like you get enough time here...
I'll have to study and practice more to get closer and closer to 9bil! Good thing the hardest thing in this game is to stop playing lmao. ~25 min runs with intense pacing, great music and game feel that goes BRRRRRR, what more to ask?
Played on Dolphin (MSC2), recorded with OBS Studio
#shmup #STG

[@JuanRoosterbeard]

#pewpew

[@Nemera]

Game has an awesome aesthetic/theme. Great job on the run!

[@M_Knight_Jul]

Thank you! Yeah the visuals are crazy and very cool, so much personality in them 🤌

[@kaishmuper]

Great run!

[@M_Knight_Jul]

Thanks!