Comparison

RayForce vs Phoenix 2

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

RayForce

Experience a classic 2D arcade shooter on your mobile device. Choose between faithful arcade recreation or optimized touch controls, with multiple shooting methods and display options. Compete globally for high scores and achievements.

Highlights
  • Remix Mode with flick controls
  • Arcade Mode faithful recreation
  • Auto and Manual shooting methods
  • MFi Bluetooth controller support
  • Game Center rankings and achievements
  • Zoom and Original display types
  • 8 difficulty modes
Read full description

TAITO is famous for arcade shooting games, and the RAY trilogy is one of the most beloved series! Ever since the 1993 release of the trilogy's first installment, RAYFORCE, fans have been thrilled by the game's cinematic visuals and gorgeous layered raster scrolling graphics. RAYFORCE became a 2D shooting instant classic, and now it's available for iPhone and iPad! *Two Game Modes: Remix Mode and Arcade Mode! The Remix Mode provides a new, iPhone-optimized experience with simple flick-style controls. For the hardcore, Arcade Mode is a faithful touchscreen recreation of the original arcade game. *Two Shooting Methods: Auto and Manual! Auto Mode provides automatic, button-free firing for both the standard weapon and lock on laser, allowing players to take on this challenging game with a single finger. Manual Mode adds weapon controls (a toggle for the standard shot and a fire button for the lock on laser), providing a more arcade-like play experience. *Support MFi Bluetooth controllers!! Key configuration is also possible! *Game Center Compatibility! Individual rankings have been prepared for each ships and for each game mode. Let's compete with high-score players from all over the world! Get Achievement fulfilling various conditions in game! Aim for Achievement Complete!! *Two Display Types: Zoom and Original! The Zoom display enlarges the play area, filling the entire iPhone screen with dynamic visuals. For the purist, the Original display mode delivers a pixel-perfect rendition of the arcade game's screen. *Difficulty Modes Added! A total of 8 difficulty modes are now available, ranging from Very Easy to Very Hard. *RAYFORCE's gorgeous graphics and striking raster scrolling, perfectly recreated! RAYFORCE owes much of its unique look to the arcade technology of the time, and no expense has been spared replicating those visuals for the iPhone edition of the game. *RAYFORCE's enchanting soundtrack is back! One of the highlights of the original RAYFORCE experience was its sound design, perfectly replicated here under the supervision of TAITO's ZUNTATA sound team. *Added a arranged BGM by SHOHEI TSUCHIYA(ZUNTATA) on Area1! Using Option setting,you can choose Original BGM or Arranged BGM!! **Nortification** This app is intended for the iPhone 4 or newer, running iOS version 4.2 or newer. **A Request from TAITO** If you have any question, please contact our customer support address: appsupport@taito.co.jp

About

Phoenix 2

Blast through waves of alien invaders in this classic arcade space shooter. Collect and upgrade over 100 unique ships, complete exciting missions, and compete on global leaderboards. Enjoy short game sessions or an action-packed campaign with stunning graphics.

Highlights
  • Over 100 unique ships
  • Ship collection and upgrades
  • Action-packed campaign
  • Special abilities
  • Daily missions
  • Global leaderboards
  • Cross-platform play
Features
Read full description

Save the galaxy in this classic arcade shooter that everyone can enjoy! Blast wave after wave of menacing invaders in exciting missions to achieve glorious victory. Start playing Phoenix 2 right now with all these great features. * Blast invaders with over 100 unique ships. * Build your own ship collection and upgrade your favorites. * Experience an action packed campaign with 30 exciting story missions. * Discover special abilities like Mega Laser, Missile Swarm and Personal Shield. * Short game sessions: Launch whenever you have a minute to play. * Complete daily missions of different skill levels, from casual to bullet hell. * Get the high score on global leaderboards and show you are the best of the best. * Engage with an active community to help each other and discuss ship tactics. * New missions are generated every day. * Stunning and smooth 120FPS graphics powered by our custom game engine. * Create a group for your friends and play your own unique missions. * Cross-platform saving and cross-platform play. Phoenix 2 is developed by a passionate indie studio in The Netherlands and delivers the handcrafted experience of a retro space shoot’em up with modern gameplay. Phoenix 2 is your new daily visit to the arcade! Internet connection required to play.

Screenshots

RayForce4 screens
Phoenix 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Phoenix 2 at Free against RayForce's $6.99. Phoenix 2 also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (26K vs 10). RayForce's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Phoenix 2 is free to download; RayForce costs $6.99 up front. Phoenix 2 sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. RayForce asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Phoenix 2 holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phoenix 2 has 26K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of RayForce's written reviews are positive against 73% of Phoenix 2's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RayForce ships an update every 3 months, Phoenix 2 every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
RayForce versus Phoenix 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRayForcePhoenix 2
Price$6.99Free — better
Rating4.1 (10 ratings)4.7 (26K ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.3% of reviews73.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1026K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB295 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTAITO CorporationFiri Games

Customer experience

RayForce

All ratings10 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews75 reviews
Positive57.3%
Neutral18.7%
Negative24.0%

Phoenix 2

All ratings25,832 ratings
Positive93.7%
Neutral3.5%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews1,560 reviews
Positive73.3%
Neutral8.6%
Negative18.1%

Bugs and requests

RayForce

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Phoenix 2

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Warp gate charge time bug
  • Occasional crashes
  • Incompatible with older devices

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add haptic feedback
  • Implement an endless mode
  • Allow players to customize ships
  • Add a level creator
  • Provide an offline mode
Show 2 more
  • Improve ship ability descriptions
  • Add a replay feature

In-app purchases

None

RayForce

No in-app purchases

11 purchases

Phoenix 2

One-time11
  • 800 Credits$0.99
  • 5000 Credits$4.99
  • Special Offer$4.99
Show 8 more
  • VIP$4.99
  • 12000 Credits$9.99
  • Special Offer$9.99
  • 25000 Credits$19.99
  • Special Offer$19.99
  • 65000 Credits$49.99
  • Special Offer$49.99
  • 140K Credits$99.99

Questions

Is RayForce free?
RayForce costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Phoenix 2 free?
Phoenix 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RayForce or Phoenix 2?
Phoenix 2 is rated higher. RayForce averages 4.1 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Phoenix 2 averages 4.7 from 26K ratings.
Do RayForce or Phoenix 2 have ads?
Phoenix 2 shows ads; RayForce does not.
Which is updated more often, RayForce or Phoenix 2?
RayForce ships an update every 3 months, and Phoenix 2 every 3 weeks. Most recently, RayForce was updated on October 24, 2026 and Phoenix 2 on October 25, 2026.

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