A shmup tends to live or die on its aesthetic and music. Both here (other than the characters <3) were largely a miss for me, sorry! I would think that would be a death sentence right there. Not so! At least, I certainly enjoyed myself the whole time while playing it. That has a lot to do with its main mechanic being extensively interesting and fun to utilize, the graze-to-bomb that's actually required. And the bosses genuinely test that well, giving me a nice smile on my face to get over each challenge by being at constant Risk.
Unfortunately the biggest disappointment is that it, for lack of a better word, feels underbaked. The levels themselves are quite a bit too easy for me, and this genre usually breaks my teeth in. Besides never really getting close to dying in the 'run-up' to a boss, they themselves don't afford much other than scorerunning by grazing as soon as possible. Having full health by said boss is almost guaranteed too because the game is sooo generous there. And what really sunk my heart is that you have to A rank/Not Die To The Boss on each level to get the True Final Boss and hit the ending. 1ccs are a fun definitely understandable staple, but when the run-up isn't dangerous... what's even the point? You pretty much lose nothing but time when the 'onslaught' to the final monster is paltry. And while it's nice that the game saves your A-rank so you don't REALLY have to 1cc, doing such contradicts the meta reasoning for including it in the first place...
So it's fine! I liked it enough that I hope to see more from Newt :3
Unfortunately the biggest disappointment is that it, for lack of a better word, feels underbaked. The levels themselves are quite a bit too easy for me, and this genre usually breaks my teeth in. Besides never really getting close to dying in the 'run-up' to a boss, they themselves don't afford much other than scorerunning by grazing as soon as possible. Having full health by said boss is almost guaranteed too because the game is sooo generous there. And what really sunk my heart is that you have to A rank/Not Die To The Boss on each level to get the True Final Boss and hit the ending. 1ccs are a fun definitely understandable staple, but when the run-up isn't dangerous... what's even the point? You pretty much lose nothing but time when the 'onslaught' to the final monster is paltry. And while it's nice that the game saves your A-rank so you don't REALLY have to 1cc, doing such contradicts the meta reasoning for including it in the first place...
So it's fine! I liked it enough that I hope to see more from Newt :3