I just finished getting all of the achievements in Like Dreamer! (warning: semi-NSFW art)
It's been years since I've put any real amount of time into a STG, but I'm glad I did! The stage designs and boss patterns were super interesting, the earlier difficulty settings are accessible for beginners and do a great job of easing you into the harder modes, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to get into the genre.
If I had to point out an issue with the game it would be that it felt a little too forgiving at times, with its its lack of enemy collision, its frequent bombs and extends, and its long bomb-after-getting-hit window that often let me bomb on reaction to seeing myself get hit. But it's really not a big deal, and I'd rather play a shmup with mechanics that are too forgiving instead of not forgiving enough.
Like Dreamer is one of my favorite new games of 2022, along with Sylvie Lime and Lys and Ruka's Magical Bag. People keep saying good things about Gunvein too, so that's next on my list. It's a good time to play 2D action games!
