Blast Attack Reviews

JOHNNY THA GOAT

gaming

Life changing. It genuinely changed my life for the better

JOHNNY THA GOAT This game is legitimately good in many ways I'll write more when I get further through, but the mechanics are solid and its really enjoyable and well done. To the guys who made it, you are good at this, keep making games!

So Bullet Hells aren't my genre. In fact, this is my first one I've ever played. That being said, this game is very good. I was able to beat it without too much difficulty and most of that can be explained away as me being new to the genre. It is evident that this game was made by someone who understands video gaming. I was never bored nor did I feel under-prepared at any point in the game. Game-play developed over time as did enemy variety so there was never an opportunity for stagnation. There wasn't any bloat. The game was tight and focused. It feels like it knew what it was and what it needed to do and stuck to that. I really appreciate that. While it was a very short experience, I enjoyed my time playing it significantly more than some of the AAA games I've been playing recently. For some specific feedback: Pros: Checkpointing is generous and forgiving. You don't have to restart the whole level upon death (although maybe an idea for a future update as a kind of challenge mode thing). The art style is distinctive and has a kind of retro arcade vibe to it that gives it a sense of identity. This is a game I will be able to picture in my head when I think/talk about it. For the most part the enemies are variations on the player model/abilities (a few exceptions) so it becomes a game of knowledge and skill and makes the fighting seem fair. I never once felt like an enemy was unfair or too hard. There is a small amount of replay value here with the achievements rewarding par time however, it's a two edged sword, as I'll explain later. Cons: My only actual problem with the game is that for almost all the levels I would accidentally click through the end of level screen after beating the boss because my clicking from the battle was in the same spot where the "Next Level" button appears and I would have liked to see my time. So something that makes this problem less likely to happen would be nice. Replay value is minimal. There's no reason to return to the game after you've beaten it unless you want the achievements for par time. This isn't really so much a negative though more so than it is a springboard for future considerations. What I'd like to see: This game could really benefit from some kind of challenge system or hard mode. Things like no checkpoints, no hit mode, inverted controls, etc. I don't see the game as lacking because it doesn't have this though. I think that something like this could take this already great game and elevate it to further heights. I think the best part about how good this game is is the fact that it is a solo dev project. They did an amazing job delivering a compact, efficient game with no waste and consistent, engaging game-play. Their understanding of game design and player engagement is evident and I praise it highly. I would be very interested in seeing what a metroidvania from them would look like. In summary, very good game well worth its price tag. Definitely a must try if you're looking for a fun game and a break from the AAA mediocrity.