Comparison

RayForce vs Sky Force Reloaded

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

Sky Force Reloaded

Experience an intense scrolling shooter with explosive action, diverse aircraft, and challenging missions. Master beautiful stages, battle colossal bosses, and customize your plane with hundreds of upgrades. Rescue operatives and collect bonus cards for deeper gameplay.

Highlights
  • 15 beautiful and immersive stages
  • Enormous and intimidating bosses
  • Unlock new difficulty modes
  • Rescue missing operatives
  • Assemble 9 different aircrafts
  • Hunt down 30 bonus cards
  • Hundreds of weapon and equipment upgrades
Features
Read full description

The shoot ‘em up you were looking for! New entry in the series will keep you entertained with all the things you’ve came to love in scrolling shooters. Meaty explosions, incinerating lasers, collosal bosses and diverse aircrafts to pilot. “Sky Force Reloaded” is not your average scrolling shooter. It will draw you in with its beautiful environments and intense effects. It will keep you with its superb gameplay mechanics, progression system and in-game collectibles. It will leave you wishing for more, once it’s over. Fortunately, there’s a lot to do before that happens. * Master 15 beautiful and immersive stages with challenging missions to complete. * Battle enormous and intimidating bosses, laugh when they explode and cry when you explode. * Unlock new difficulty modes, all the way from Normal to Nightmare. * Put yourself in danger to rescue missing operatives from the battlefield. * Assemble and test 9 different aircrafts. Pick your favorite, with its unique features and play style. * Hunt down 30 elusive bonus cards to add even more depth to the gameplay. Some of them will grant permanent benefits, while others will boost your abilities only temporarily. * Install hundreds of upgrades to your weapons, shields and other equipment. Turn your plane into a flying tank. * Complete in-game objectives to unlock 8 assisting technicians. Choose one of them to help you with their special skill. * Spot the wrecks of your fallen friends and get rewards for picking them up. * Appreciate highly polished gameplay and well balanced difficulty curve, whether you consider yourself a casual gamer or a die-hard shmup fanatic. * Enjoy professional voiceover and incredible electronic soundtrack. Welcome to your new favorite shoot ‘em up. Welcome to Sky Force Reloaded!

Screenshots

RayForce4 screens
Sky Force Reloaded4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Sky Force Reloaded at Free against RayForce's $6.99. Sky Force Reloaded also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (11K vs 10). RayForce's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) 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

Sky Force Reloaded is free to download; RayForce costs $6.99 up front. Sky Force Reloaded sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. RayForce asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sky Force Reloaded holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sky Force Reloaded has 11K 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 75% of Sky Force Reloaded's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RayForce ships an update every 3 months, Sky Force Reloaded monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
RayForce versus Sky Force Reloaded: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRayForceSky Force Reloaded
Price$6.99Free — better
Rating4.1 (10 ratings)4.8 (11K ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.3% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1011K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB687 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperTAITO CorporationInfinite Dreams

Customer experience

RayForce

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

Sky Force Reloaded

All ratings11,427 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral2.1%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews527 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral8.0%
Negative17.1%

Bugs and requests

RayForce

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Sky Force Reloaded

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Occasional crashes
  • Inconsistent performance on some devices
  • Syncing issues with saved progress

Requested features

5 requests
  • More level variety
  • Ability to customize controls
  • Landscape mode support
  • Expanded upgrade system
  • Multiplayer or co-op modes

In-app purchases

None

RayForce

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

Sky Force Reloaded

One-time5
  • Precious Cargo$1.99
  • SX2 - Star Doubler$3.99
  • Ads Removal$3.99
Show 2 more
  • Plane Generator$3.99
  • Starter Pack$9.99

Questions

Is RayForce free?
RayForce costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sky Force Reloaded free?
Sky Force Reloaded is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RayForce or Sky Force Reloaded?
Sky Force Reloaded is rated higher. RayForce averages 4.1 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Sky Force Reloaded averages 4.8 from 11K ratings.
Do RayForce or Sky Force Reloaded have ads?
Sky Force Reloaded shows ads; RayForce does not.
Which is updated more often, RayForce or Sky Force Reloaded?
RayForce ships an update every 3 months, and Sky Force Reloaded monthly. Most recently, RayForce was updated on October 24, 2026 and Sky Force Reloaded on October 25, 2026.

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