Is Ikaruga worth it to buy?

[Neoprimal]

I absolutely love challenging games; I've seen several videos on the game and it looks really fun. (Especially that crazy final chapter boss :O)
Would it be worth it to buy?

[lisp06]

Ikaruga is a great shooting game . It is recommended sincerely.

[Neoprimal]

How difficult is the 'Hard' difficulty?

[The Grotesque Abomination]

it's pretty damn hard. on easy, nothing returns fire except a few shots every couple of minutes. on normal, the same polarity as your ship fires at you. on hard, everything fires at you. it's very well done to be accessible to all types of players, casual to hardcore.

[John4300]

The first two levels aren't too hard, but from level 3 and onwards the game gets pretty tough as nails. I'd recommend trying to get a 1 credit clear or maybe limit it to 3 if it feels too tough. The game isn't too long if you just feed it credits.
If you like tough shooters, I'd also recommend Crimzon Clover on Steam. Another great, yet hard shooter.

[Vergil]

Best shoot'em up game ever been made!