[1] In the game, the player assumes the role of a fighter pilot controlling the Eliminate Scanner AD space craft to protect Earth against an alien invasion led by the returning Zoul Empire.

[4] It retains the same gameplay as its predecessor, as the player controls the ship through six increasingly difficult stages over a constantly scrolling background, populated with an assortment of alien enemy forces and obstacles, and the scenery never stops moving until a boss is reached, which must be fought in order to progress further.

[12] Rayxanber II became an "instant success" when it released in Japan according to Electronic Gaming Monthly,[17] but garnered mixed reception from critics, including French publications reviewing it as an import title.

In contrast to the critical response, public reception was positive; readers of PC Engine Fan voted to give the title a 22.21 out of 30 score, ranking at the number 155 spot in a poll, indicating a popular following.

[16] Kaneda Kun of Consoles + praised the graphics and audio for taking advantage of the CD-ROM format, as well as the playability and longevity, but noted its difficulty after the third stage despite the unlimited continues feature and panned the game's presentation.

[13] Reviewing for Player One, Olivier "Iggy" Scamps gave positive remarks to the introduction of various innovations into its gameplay, graphics, smooth scrolling, audio and longevity, regarding it as a fun shoot 'em up but noted its difficulty.

[3] Hardcore Gaming 101's John Sczepaniak found it to be an improvement over its predecessor but concurred with the other reviewers regarding its high difficulty nature, due to lack of balance and "broken" checkpoint system, recommending its follow-up instead.