 Comparisons were drawn to "old school" shooters like "R-Type" and "Gradius", but especially of "Pulstar", with its "tactical" gameplay and pre-rendered backgrounds and sprites.The game has been criticized for featuring very hard to distinguish enemy-bullets which are almost the same color as explosions/debris.Some reviewers have commended "Last Hope" as technically impressive for Neo Geo standards, while others focus criticism on gameplay issues.