Battle Crust
- February 25, 2016
- Picorinne Soft
Get on Steam"Battle Crust" is a retro-style 2D shooting game with bullet hell elements. Players control a mech as they battle through levels filled with enemies and intense bullet patterns. The game features multiple characters, stages, and a boss rush mode, providing a challenging and engaging experience for fans of the shoot 'em up genre.
Reviews
- The game features tight and responsive controls, making it enjoyable for both newcomers and seasoned players.
- The soundtrack is excellent, with nostalgic tunes that enhance the overall experience and keep players engaged.
- Battle Crust successfully captures the essence of classic 80s and 90s vertically scrolling shmups, providing a balanced level of challenge without overwhelming players.
- The gameplay can feel basic and somewhat bare-bones, lacking additional features like online leaderboards or a practice mode.
- Some players may find the weapon variety underwhelming, with certain weapons feeling weak even after upgrades.
- The game lacks configuration options, such as speed adjustments for the ship, which can lead to frustrating moments during gameplay.
- music15 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its catchy chip-tune style and nostalgic feel, effectively complementing the vibrant pixel art and gameplay mechanics. Composed by renowned VGM artist Hyakutaro Tsukumo, the soundtrack features a blend of old-school FM synthesis and rock influences, enhancing the overall experience. Many players express a desire for a soundtrack release, highlighting its quality and contribution to the game's charm.
“The soundtrack in Battle Crust is also one of my new favorites.”
“It has lovely designed sprites and great old school shoot ’em up music.”
“Overall, I think the sound and music for the game are spot on and go great with the aesthetics.”
“Instead of employing his usual over-the-top modular synth rocking that defines lots of his works, he opted to compose the soundtrack with old school FM synthesis to match the classic theme of the game.”
“Despite the retro, chiptune sound, the music still has a lot of the rock and roll grooves and melodic, bombastic highs common in Tsukumo's style.”
“On the whole, it is very well done, and a soundtrack release is the only thing I'd like to see from this down the road, because I think it deserves one.”
- gameplay9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by tight and responsive controls, vibrant visuals, and a blend of basic yet enjoyable mechanics that pay homage to classic shooters from the 80s and 90s. While it offers a fair challenge without overwhelming players with bullet hell elements, some reviewers note that it feels somewhat basic and lacks depth beyond its core mechanics. Overall, it serves as a solid entry point for newcomers to the shoot 'em up genre.
“Good music, pretty sharp pixels and vibrant colors, tight game mechanics, and challenging but fair.”
“The controls are tight and responsive, and the basic mechanics are enjoyable.”
“It's not a danmaku/bullet hell, but it is a very enjoyable ode to an earlier time with some well balanced difficulty, simple to grasp mechanics and some extra depth for those who look/want it.”
“The gameplay is basic overall and definitely on the slower side of things when it comes to shoot 'em up games.”
“The game beyond the basic gameplay is slightly bare bones though.”
“"Battle Crust", like it says in the description, adheres to the 80's/90's style 'traditional' shooter design in aesthetic and gameplay, which are less commonly seen nowadays compared to the more modern 'bullet hell' design of shooters.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are reminiscent of 80s and 90s pixel art, appealing particularly to players with nostalgia for that era. While some may find the visuals dated compared to modern shooters, they complement the traditional gameplay style effectively, creating a cohesive aesthetic experience alongside the well-received music and sound design.
“That era represented my gaming prime, so I have a special appreciation for the graphical presentation.”
“This would also be a good shooter for an entry-level player who does not want to feel instantly overwhelmed by the bullet barrage design of many modern examples of the genre, as long as you don't mind the visuals from a bygone era.”
“I don't know what's better, the pixel graphics or the music.”
“"Battle Crust", as it says in the description, adheres to the 80's/90's style 'traditional' shooter design in aesthetic and gameplay, which are less commonly seen nowadays compared to the more modern 'bullet hell' design of shooters.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the grinding aspect of the game, noting that having to replay earlier levels to practice more challenging sections can become tedious. They suggest that a level select or practice mode, similar to that in other games, would enhance the experience by allowing for targeted skill improvement without unnecessary repetition.
“It would have been nice to have a level select type of practice or score mode, which is present in Infinitos Gaiden, because as you master early parts of the game and come up against more difficult later levels, it can begin to feel tedious playing through the initial levels to get to the part you are learning.”
“The grinding in this game feels excessive and often detracts from the overall enjoyment. It becomes a chore rather than a challenge.”
“I found myself spending hours grinding for resources, which quickly turned into a monotonous task rather than an engaging gameplay experience.”
