Perfectly fine little action roguelite, which a few new ideas that I enjoyed, but not enough gameplay variety to keep me hooked. My favorite aspect of the game was the risk/reward scenario proposed with these debuff items you can find and carry to the next shop, at which point you can convert them into buffs, which was a very neat little idea that I'd welcome in many other roguelites, but it also got pretty old that the bosses are static (meaning first area has the exact same boss every time) and items end up being overall a bit too rare since there is no structure like for example each floor having a guaranteed item room, which makes the first couple of areas (i.e. the ones you replay over and over and over in a game like this) end up feeling very repetitive. The same enemies in the same rooms with too few item and gun drops to switch things up. Items, items, items! If you make a roguelite, you've gotta be generous with item drops!

Blazing Beaks is a surprisingly competent Roguelike schmup. Gameplay feels tight, each area distinct and there are a whole host of creative enemy designs. The selectable characters with vastly different guns and attributes, along with the randomised pickups and guns at the shop help keep runs fresh, though repeatedly having to go through the same first area grew tiresome, with little challenge and variation between runs. Moreover, the boss design is pretty uninspired, all having similar attack patterns. Where this game separate itself from the crowd is its artefacts system. Artefacts can be picked up to make your run more difficult, for example by reducing weapon damage or having a deadly ghost constantly chase you around levels. Depending on how severely these artefacts negatively affect you, they contribute a certain amount to your greed level. The higher your greed level, the more items you can get from the shop when trading in these artefacts to reset your greed level. This promotes that risk reward of whether you are willing to compromise yourself with more artefacts in the hope it’ll give you better items if you make it to the next shop or to just play it safe and not touch any artefacts. It’s a really fun system that I just wish was properly explained in the game.

Blazing Beaks is a decent Roguelike with a fantastic greed system but is held back from greatness by its lack of innovation and polish in certain areas.

2019 Ranked

Actually really enjoyed this indie rogue-like gem with a fantastic co-op experience. In fact, it's meant to be played with friends, it doesn't hit the same singleplayer where there is no one to revive you, or clear the map with your epic guns with you, or sabotage everyone with the most abominable artifact debuffs known to man. It's a really addictive gameplay loop and a great risk-or-reward gimmick system, really teaching you the essence of sacrifice as investment for better future returns. My only hope is that the indie team eventually adds online co op.