Astrodogs

About

Astrodogs is a single player arcade shooter game. It was developed by Dynamic Media Triad and was released on April 8, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Astrodogs is a fast-paced arcade action game featuring a cast of space dogs that have to save the galaxy of WOOFER, a company that controls everything. Also run by dogs.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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77%

Audience ScoreBased on 52 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Astrodogs is a charming homage to Star Fox, featuring cute dog characters, vibrant visuals, and a fun soundtrack that captures the essence of on-rails shooters.
The game introduces unique mechanics like the Instinct mode and special weapons, providing a fresh take on the genre while maintaining a nostalgic feel.
Players have reported that the game is enjoyable and replayable, with a variety of unlockables and boss battles that add to the overall experience.

Many players have criticized the controls, particularly with mouse and keyboard setups, describing them as sluggish and unresponsive, which detracts from the gameplay experience.
The game suffers from a lack of polish, with issues such as busy visuals making it hard to see enemies and projectiles, as well as a crude options menu with limited settings.
Some players found the difficulty to be unbalanced, with no checkpoints before bosses and a lack of accessibility options, making it frustrating for those who struggle with the game's mechanics.

gameplay
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
57%
14%
The gameplay of Astrodogs is characterized by its engaging mechanics, such as time-slowing and free aim, which contribute to a fun and fast-paced experience reminiscent of classic on-rails shooters. While the game features a charming art style and enjoyable music, some players feel it lacks polish, particularly in its options menu and overall balance, suggesting that further refinement could enhance the experience. Despite its challenges, many find the gameplay rewarding and recommend it for fans of the genre, noting its replayability and depth.
- “Astrodogs is a short, charismatic game about dogs in space, with a colorful art style, arcade-like gameplay, and great music.”
- “Very fun fast-paced on-rails shooter inspired by games like Starfox and Galaxy Force, it pulls through with its really nice environments and charming character art style, it does a lot of its own in the gameplay and visuals to give it its own identity, definitely recommended if you're a fan of the genre!”
- “The most exciting aspect of this game is the gameplay itself.”
- “It's close, and I'd like to see a sequel with more refined mechanics, but this just barely gets a thumbs down.”
- “The game has fantastic visual design, music, and writing, but there's no options menu and gameplay-wise it feels like it needs more time in the oven.”
- “Challenge is great but, not when it seems to come at the expense of gameplay.”
graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
40%
20%
The graphics of Astrodogs are characterized by a colorful and charming art style that draws inspiration from retro titles like Star Fox 64, creating a visually appealing experience. However, some players find it challenging to distinguish enemies against the vibrant backgrounds, particularly on smaller screens, and note a lack of accessibility options for those with visual impairments. Overall, the game's unique aesthetics and engaging environments contribute positively to its identity as a fun, fast-paced rail shooter.
- “Astrodogs is a short, charismatic game about dogs in space, with a colorful art style, arcade-like gameplay, and great music.”
- “Really incredible art style and fun game mechanics.”
- “Most levels have a cool aesthetic that is very vaporwave at times and also reminiscent of older Nintendo 64 or Sega Dreamcast games, which is something I love.”
- “The visuals are okay, but it's a bit hard to see enemies against the background, especially if you're playing on a smaller screen (like the Steam Deck).”
- “- No accessibility options; it's hard for my eyes to pick things out as the visuals are nice but a mess for my bad eyes.”
- “[*] The options menu is very crude, with no remapping controls or fine-tuning graphics settings, audio options completely non-existent, and impossible to open up options during gameplay.”
music
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
77%
8%
15%
The music in Astrodogs is widely praised for its catchy and addictive quality, perfectly complementing the game's colorful art style and charming characters. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience, contributing to the game's fun and engaging atmosphere. Many express a desire to access the music outside of the game, indicating its strong appeal.
- “Astrodogs is a short, charismatic game about dogs in space, with a colorful art style, arcade-like gameplay, and great music.”
- “The characters are funny and lovable from the get-go and, as always, the soundtrack is just addictive.”
- “Short and sweet but plenty replayable, the aesthetic and music is top notch and at the heart it really captures what's most important about space railshooters: fun characters.”
- “I wish the music could be found on YouTube or something; please, I would love to hear it outside the game!”
- “The game revolves around 8 or so small stages with unique aesthetics, designs, music, enemies, and bosses.”
story
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
The story of "Astro Dogs" features a charismatic cast of characters with a lighthearted tone, though some players felt it took time to fully appreciate the narrative. The lack of downtime for reading or voice acting may hinder understanding, but the option to replay missions adds a layer of engagement to the experience.
- “I might have understood the story a bit more if I was able to either have some downtime to read or have voice acting coming through.”
- “It might have taken a few missions to come to that realization, but it is still where I ended up.”
- “Regarding its story, Astro Dogs has a charismatic set of characters that don't take themselves too seriously.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers significant replayability due to its engaging characters, enjoyable mechanics, and high-quality aesthetics and music. However, players feel that the addition of a map selection and online leaderboard could further enhance the replay value. Overall, it is a short yet deeply rewarding experience that encourages multiple playthroughs.
- “This game has a lot of replayability.”
- “Short and sweet but plenty replayable; the aesthetic and music are top-notch, and at its heart, it really captures what's most important about space rail shooters: fun characters.”
- “A map selection and an online leaderboard would help immensely with replayability.”
- “Short to beat with plenty of mechanical depth for replayability.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its lovable and funny characters, complemented by an addictive soundtrack. Players find the quirky premise, such as a "funny little dog shooty game," adds to the overall comedic charm.
- “The characters are funny and lovable from the get-go, and, as always, the soundtrack is just addictive.”
- “What is this funny little dog shooty game?”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users report issues with stability, particularly highlighting buggy menus when using the controller, which can hinder the overall gameplay experience.
- “The menus are incredibly buggy when using the controller.”
- “Navigating through the menus with the controller is a frustrating experience due to constant bugs.”
- “I encountered numerous bugs in the menus while trying to use the controller.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be heartwarming and uplifting, combining elements of challenge with a charming and endearing presentation.
- “The game evokes a deep sense of nostalgia and warmth, making every moment feel meaningful.”
- “I was genuinely moved by the characters' stories; their struggles and triumphs resonated with me on a personal level.”
- “The emotional depth of the narrative left me in tears, showcasing the power of storytelling in games.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that the game's optimization struggles to match the high standards set by classic titles like Star Fox 64, suggesting that even the developers themselves have difficulty replicating their peak performance.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is characterized as relaxed and enjoyable, enhanced by a great soundtrack that contributes to the overall experience.
- “The atmosphere is incredibly chill, enhanced by the great music.”