Long ago, the Gradius V army destroyed an evil life form that was threatening the galaxy. But somehow some of the Bacterian cells survived, and a new army has appeared ready to take over the galaxy! The Gradius forces have developed a super spatial-temporal fighter (called the Vic Viper) which you must pilot in order to destroy all of the enemies.
The gameplay is an arcade style shooter and is very similar to the other games in the series. You need to guide the Vic Viper through a series of side scrolling screens and destroy the many enemies that appear (including several very large bosses). As you progress, additional weapons can be acquired by collecting power up capsules.
These capsules will advance your weapon selector, allowing you to equip the Vic Viper with different weapons such as speed up, missiles, double fire, lasers, multiples, and force fields. The game becomes increasingly difficult as you progress, with tougher enemies and more challenging levels. Short animated cut scenes will reveal the story of Gradius V , while allowing players to customize their experience by setting controls, difficulty level, and number of lives at the start.
Gradius V was released for the Playstation 2 on November 24, 2000. It is a part of the Arcade genre and provides an enjoyable gaming experience for fans of classic shooters.