Logically, multitudes of micro and macro fandoms dedicated to videogames or specific sagas as well as genres have emerged within the gamer fandom. This is how we have fans of the soulslikeof the final-fantasyof retrogamingof the roguelike. One of the most vocal current fandoms and why not, willing in promoting their fanaticism, is that of the shoot ’em up. In gamer jargon, the “shmups”, at a cult level, have managed to obsess those who enjoy them.
As an opinion, I suspect that the fanaticism and fascination has a lot to do with the extremely high levels of difficulty of the exponents of the genre, as often happens with the followers of the Souls saga.
The SHMUPS
The shmups they are a genre that has seamlessly traversed four decades of gaming. From the most classic space invaderseither Galaga (the acquaintances “fixed shooters”), even the most modern and crazy “Ikaruga”, “Nuclear Throne” (of the capos of Vlambeer) or the saga eXceed (“bullet hell”). In those four decades he experienced transformations that were never defining, but rather optional or inclusive. Among them, the shmup which was horizontal scrolling. shoot em right (?). The most knowledgeable will remember the famous title based on the anime of “Macross” or the most popular degree. Note that I remain -with a few exceptions- within the margin of the little ships because the title to be reviewed, the multiplatform indie Remote Life it is one with quite vintage references.
the developer Next Game Level (not to be confused with the famous Next Level Gamesdeveloper of multiple Nintendo exclusives), is managed by the Italian dev Mario Malagrino who, as reported in interviewswanted to create something unique and not easy to compare with other exponents of the genre.
Without trying to be unnecessarily harsh, I wouldn’t initially say that he succeeded.
Remote Life
The argument of Remote Life it is not entirely new. On board a ship (of three available) we must go through 16 levels of alien worlds destroying the threats that are presented to us in order to save our world.
The aesthetic refers a bit to the first Alien movie and the giant’s designs H. R. Giger, with huge monsters that are part of a scene full of bugs and obstacles that will make each level a torture to go through. Any contact with bullets, bugs or mobile platforms is deadly and at times the space to move is microscopic and measured with a ruler.
Specifically, fans not so much of the shmups but from its difficulty they should rather appreciate it.
On a visual level, we are offered three types of look, HD, 8-bit and 16-bit, which provide a nice uniqueness. However, the title has some glitches Quite annoying considering the reflexes you have to have in this kind of video game. They are not abundant, which is a quality, but they are enough to ragequite Following. Added to that are some notorious FPS drops when many moving elements accumulate on the screen.
In general, to be a video game developed by a single person, it can be determined that it is quite elaborated aesthetically. The levels are very elaborate, although the monotony of darkness and the techno soundtrack that quite stuns the senses can be somewhat exhausting.
Difficulty
The three difficulty levels and adaptive AI help make for a somewhat less nerve-wracking experience for laymen of the genre. He would say that the “abandonment” happens more for the extra playful.
The shmups they are naturally difficult titles that a very specific type of person enjoys. They require a very high level of reflexes and mental speed that not all of us have and that is why they must be video games developed with fairness and mathematical efficiency. Otherwise, an “unnatural” complexity is added and that does not come from the bowels of the game itself, but from the conflicts in the development process that of course arise from the minimum of the team in charge. With this I do not mean in any way to point out that Malagrino’s one-man army does not deserve applause. Just the reflection of what might have been Remote Life to have a study with more people.