Two-dimensional shooters tend to be predictable affairs only truly appreciated by the hardcore fans who love the sight of their television screen covered with bullets. Deathsmiles is a solid shooter with some fun sights to see, but it's a niche game made for a small audience. If you count yourself among the ranks of 2D shooter fans, you'll enjoy this outing. The real problem, though, is that Deathsmiles would seem to make more sense as a cheap Xbox Live Arcade game than the $50 retail game it is.
Deathsmiles is a gothic horror shooter with Lolita characters. So instead of shooting spaceships you'll be blasting demons and monsters with cute anime girls in Victorian clothing. Don't enjoy the girls too much, though -- they're all under 18. There are some very cool end bosses to battle including a giant face tethered to the ground, a Poltergeist-style haunted tree, and an enormous bull that would dwarf Paul Bunyan's sidekick. The game supports two players locally and online, which is a nice touch.