Lot of things to love here, so much to really dig teeth into. I completed it on Rookie and Experienced, 1cc for the former for as little as that means. No intent on gunning for the secret final boss on the higher difficulty but it looks like it'd tear me down and laugh at me so I'm good.
The jump from Resogun to here is so graceful, honestly awe-struck at housemarque's ability to increase scale and add on additional mechanics and layers to juggle. Spoilers, this is absolutely true for Returnal too on a level that cements them as an all-timer if not my favorite devhouse to look up to, but that's talk for later.
I'm not really in approval of my feelings on Robotron 2084 but it bears repeating, because this game manages to meet its design goals and exceed them. Effortlessly too, it's unreal the level of clarity and meticulous enemy design that feels geared around whichever special item you pick up. My weapon of choice was the bomb though, if only because it's such a nice shmup defense equivalent (but much weaker of course). But it doesn't really matter which one you go for! Each has such oozing versatility and power without feeling busted, but strong enough where losing a life alongside it hurts HARD. Except the sword though, that one sucks. Feels practically useless against bosses.
I don't do score but I'm in love with how much the game encourages your multipliers. They really have fine tuned what buttons to press to get you in the rhythm. My entire focus shifted to saving humans similar to resogun and the mechanic itself has a lovely "hit that ground floor hard and stay alive" feeling to every individual level. Didn't save everyone but it doesn't matter, the rush from getting all humans saved for just an individual section is ecstatic. Music helps set the mood there too, and while the aesthetic doesn't exactly grab me it's a perfect background to the cyber slaughter.
Above all else there's a nonstop tension, riveting feelings washing over you as you pour through the fiery battlefields. Practically gleeful through the whole way that after finishing once I had to keep going until the machine within was satisfied. Welcome bliss, see you some years later house.
The jump from Resogun to here is so graceful, honestly awe-struck at housemarque's ability to increase scale and add on additional mechanics and layers to juggle. Spoilers, this is absolutely true for Returnal too on a level that cements them as an all-timer if not my favorite devhouse to look up to, but that's talk for later.
I'm not really in approval of my feelings on Robotron 2084 but it bears repeating, because this game manages to meet its design goals and exceed them. Effortlessly too, it's unreal the level of clarity and meticulous enemy design that feels geared around whichever special item you pick up. My weapon of choice was the bomb though, if only because it's such a nice shmup defense equivalent (but much weaker of course). But it doesn't really matter which one you go for! Each has such oozing versatility and power without feeling busted, but strong enough where losing a life alongside it hurts HARD. Except the sword though, that one sucks. Feels practically useless against bosses.
I don't do score but I'm in love with how much the game encourages your multipliers. They really have fine tuned what buttons to press to get you in the rhythm. My entire focus shifted to saving humans similar to resogun and the mechanic itself has a lovely "hit that ground floor hard and stay alive" feeling to every individual level. Didn't save everyone but it doesn't matter, the rush from getting all humans saved for just an individual section is ecstatic. Music helps set the mood there too, and while the aesthetic doesn't exactly grab me it's a perfect background to the cyber slaughter.
Above all else there's a nonstop tension, riveting feelings washing over you as you pour through the fiery battlefields. Practically gleeful through the whole way that after finishing once I had to keep going until the machine within was satisfied. Welcome bliss, see you some years later house.