Absolute Blue
- April 21, 2018
- Intermediaware
Get on SteamIn "Absolute Blue," a free 2D shoot'em-up from 2005, players pilot a space fighter, battling relentless alien hordes across 60 sectors. Upgrading your ship is crucial to surviving the onslaught, as you dodge bullets and fill the screen with your own. Immerse yourself in its 90s-style chrome visuals and pumping soundtrack for a nostalgic, action-packed experience. The developer is currently working on their most ambitious project, "Tiny Thor."
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a cool retro style reminiscent of classic shooters, with decent graphics and a good soundtrack.
- It offers a variety of power-ups and enemies, making gameplay more interesting as you progress through the levels.
- For fans of the genre, it can be a fun and challenging experience, especially on harder difficulty settings.
- The game lacks modern improvements such as higher resolution support and better controller compatibility, making it difficult to play on certain setups.
- Gameplay can feel slow and monotonous, with limited enemy variety and frustrating mechanics like random speed-ups that lead to instant deaths.
- The sound effects, particularly the main weapon, are harsh and grating, detracting from the overall experience.
- graphics8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising its pseudo-3D style and nostalgic charm reminiscent of 90s titles, while others criticize the photo-realistic visuals as lackluster and below par compared to hand-drawn alternatives. Technical issues, such as graphics errors at higher resolutions, further detract from the overall visual experience.
“With its pseudo-3D graphics and a rockin' soundtrack.”
“Awesome game! I love it—old school bullet hell twitch shooter, great music, good graphics, hard and challenging but not insane.”
“The mid-90's pre-rendered graphics have some charm, and the music is decent.”
“This is a rather lackluster shoot 'em up overall; the gameplay is pedestrian but passable, visuals have a photo-realistic look (from a below average camera) that has nowhere near the graphic appeal of more hand-drawn examples in the genre.”
“The mid-90's-ish pre-rendered graphics have some charm, and the music is decent, but the gameplay just bored me.”
“Graphics are suitable to ST or Amiga era 90s game, shaded chrome.”
- music5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the rockin' soundtrack and find it fitting for the gameplay, others criticize it as generic and forgettable, lacking memorable compositions. Overall, the music is described as decent but not standout, contributing to a varied reception among players.
“With its pseudo-3D graphics and a rockin' soundtrack.”
“Awesome game! I love it. It's an old-school bullet hell twitch shooter with great music, good graphics, and it's hard and challenging but not insane.”
“The mid-90's pre-rendered graphics have some charm, and the music is decent.”
“While the music doesn't fare as bad, it is generic in composition and nothing that you would recall five minutes after turning the game off, which will likely be sooner rather than later with so many other better options out there.”
“The mid-90's-ish pre-rendered graphics have some charm, and the music is decent, but the gameplay just bored me.”
“Music 2/10”
- story3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is seen as lacking depth, with some users suggesting the addition of checkpoints and a more casual progression to enhance the experience. While there is an attempt to provide a narrative, it is often compared unfavorably to other titles, feeling more like a rebranded version of existing games rather than an original story.
“Let me regale you with a story about this game and what it feels like.”
“Plus, it's just Gradius with a different name and a story, and not so much flying naked women attacking you.”
“The game lacks a compelling story progression, making it feel more casual and disconnected, as if it needs checkpoints to guide the player.”
“Let me regale you with a story about this game and how it feels.”
“It's essentially just Gradius with a different name and a story, but it doesn't offer much beyond that.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally considered lackluster and pedestrian, failing to engage players despite some charm in the mid-90s pre-rendered graphics and decent music. Overall, it lacks the graphic appeal and excitement found in more vibrant examples of the shoot 'em up genre.
“This is a rather lackluster shoot 'em up overall; the gameplay is pedestrian but passable. The visuals have a photo-realistic look (from a below-average camera) that has nowhere near the graphic appeal of more hand-drawn examples in the genre.”
“The mid-90's pre-rendered graphics have some charm, and the music is decent, but the gameplay just bored me.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with the game's mechanics, particularly how minor interactions, like touching walls, lead to explosive consequences, which detracts from their emotional engagement and enjoyment.
