Blast Em!
- January 22, 2014
- Xiotex Studios Ltd
- 9h median play time
Get on Steam"Blast Em!" is a fast-paced, action-packed shooting game where players navigate through levels while battling against hordes of enemies. Players can choose from a variety of weapons and power-ups as they try to survive and progress through each stage. With its retro-style graphics and challenging gameplay, "Blast Em!" offers a nostalgic and engaging experience for fans of classic shoot 'em ups.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game is simple and addictive, making it a good time killer for short gaming sessions.
- The music and sound effects are enjoyable, adding to the overall experience.
- It offers a challenge with achievements that can keep players engaged for a while.
- The game suffers from a lack of depth and variety, making it repetitive and boring after a short time.
- Mouse-only controls are clunky and can lead to frustrating gameplay, especially in a shooter.
- There are significant bugs, including random deaths and broken achievements, which detract from the overall experience.
- gameplay32 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its simplicity and reliance on mouse movement for control, leading to a repetitive and mundane experience. While some appreciate the addictive nature and retro feel, others find the mechanics basic and the scoring system unsatisfying, with complaints about bugs and cluttered screens detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the game offers a straightforward but flawed gameplay experience that may appeal to some but falls short for others.
“As for the gameplay, it is simple enough to understand and get used to.”
“The addicting and challenging gameplay grows on you after you develop a strategy and come into your own play-style.”
“Is an easy to get into, hard to master kind of game - its simple mechanics make it super easy to pick up, but the more you play, the more you learn that there's some mad skill needed to get to the end zone... if there is one.”
“Mouse movement controls your ship and you cannot control firing at all; the screen becomes clustered very shortly into runs. The gameplay itself is mundane, and the difficulty curve is considerably off.”
“Combined with a clunky interface and minimalist gameplay, there were no shining elements that really make this game stand out, or even meet the par of similar games in this genre.”
“Lame scoring system, repetitive gameplay, and that infamous bug that sometimes makes you game over even though nothing hits you at all... there are far better shooters out there on Steam, go for those instead.”
- music31 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its enjoyable and engaging soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience, while others find it repetitive and annoying. Many agree that the music is a standout feature, often overshadowing the game's simplistic mechanics and graphics. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated by some, it can become grating over time for others.
“The main key of the game lies in the music.”
“In fact, I often find myself starting the game just to be able to listen to its great soundtrack.”
“Love the music, the gameplay is rather addictive.”
“Music is unbearable, art assets are non-existent, and the core 'auto-shooting, mouse-moves-ship, dodge-forever' game loop is phenomenally awful.”
“The music in the game is terrible, the graphics simple and there is only mouse control - but what the hell I paid less than a quid for it.”
“For the most part, the music is bloody awful.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally criticized as basic and generic, with many reviewers noting that they lack polish and fail to impress, even at maximum settings. While some appreciate the retro aesthetic, others find the visuals unappealing and repetitive, contributing to an overall lack of engagement. The audio is also described as forgettable, further detracting from the experience.
“Great graphics and sound for a simple shmup; I would love to see the developer release a DLC for the soundtrack on Steam.”
“Combined with the overall graphics style, especially in the background, it makes me wonder where this actually originates from.”
“The graphics aren't too bad, but I can't stay alive long enough to see much.”
“The graphics aren't exactly next gen and the background makes you seasick if you stare at it too long.”
“The visuals are extremely generic pixel art, the audio is utterly forgettable, and the controls feel stiff and unrefined.”
“At first glance this game doesn't amount to much, the graphics are terrible even at the highest setting.”
- story10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The reviews consistently highlight a lack of story in the game, with many users noting that it is a generic shoot'em up with no narrative depth or progression. While the Steam store page hints at a premise involving defending the universe from evil alien robots, players find that there is no actual storytelling or engaging content to support this concept. Overall, the game is criticized for its absence of a meaningful story or endgame.
“There is no story (not that this genre is known for its storytelling), no upgrade path, and extremely little variation in design from one minute to the next.”
“There's no end game, no story, no other mode to play, no nothing.”
“The Steam store page mentions something about defending the universe from evil alien robots, but there is nothing resembling a story once you start the game.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unnecessary, particularly noting that the final 25% of achievements require excessive effort and are plagued by frustrating bugs. Many feel there is little motivation to engage in this grind, as the rewards seem minimal and primarily revolve around achievement hunting.
“Unnecessary tedious grind achievements are included for those who wish to torment themselves.”
“The last 25% of achievements are extremely long and grindy, and will repeatedly pit you against the random death bug if you try to aim for them.”
“There is no motivation whatsoever, except maybe getting achievements for grinding up score.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is notably poor, with frequent stuttering and subpar performance on medium or higher settings at 1920x1080, even on hardware that exceeds the listed system requirements. This issue is attributed to potentially inadequate coding practices, as highlighted in multiple user reviews.
“Performance on medium or higher settings at 1920x1080 is very poor, and stuttering is frequent even on respectable hardware that exceeds the system requirements listed on the store page. This is likely due to bad or lazy coding, as mentioned in other reviews and observed in the game's source code.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is perceived as lacking depth and engagement, with some users feeling it resembles a half-hearted effort rather than a fully realized experience. This has led to a sense of disappointment among players who expected a more compelling emotional journey.
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews suggest that the game's humor falls short compared to other flash games, lacking both fun and complexity.
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game offers limited replayability due to its minimal variety, featuring only three power-ups and four enemy types, which may not provide enough incentive for players to return after completing it.
“Little replay value; there are only 3 power-ups and 4 enemies.”
“The game lacks variety, making it hard to find reasons to replay.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's not much incentive to go back.”
