October 12, 2016
Ravegan

Blue Rider

While the core gameplay is at least somewhat solid, Blue Rider doesn’t have a lot of content or any particularly nifty features to help it stand out amongst its competitors. Unless you love Twin stick shooters and are really, really itching for a challenge, give this one a pass.

84%Game Brain Score

graphics, gameplay

story, optimization

89% User Score Based on 45 reviews

Critic Score 68%Based on 4 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $4.99

Buy NowGet on Steam$4.99

Buy NowGet on Xbox Games Store

About

"Blue Rider" is a shoot-em-up game with intense action and challenging boss battles. Players can explore 9 unique biomes and customize their arsenal to find their own strategy. The game features an original soundtrack and is easy to pick up, but hard to master with its explosive gameplay. Get ready to take on the role of a rebel in this thrilling adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 45 reviews

graphics11 positive mentions

optimization2 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a charming art style that enhances the overall experience.
Gameplay is addictive and challenging, with a variety of unique enemies and boss fights that keep players engaged.
It offers a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic arcade shooters, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.

The game lacks robust configuration options, including the inability to remap controls and adjust difficulty settings.
Players must restart from the beginning of a level upon dying, which can lead to frustration and repetitive gameplay.
There are performance issues such as framerate dips and occasional bugs that detract from the overall experience.

graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
65%
18%
18%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the colorful and distinctive art style that enhances immersion and gameplay. However, some players note issues such as framerate dips and a lack of configuration options, which detracts from the overall experience. While the visuals are generally considered appealing and well-executed, there is a consensus that further refinement could elevate the game's aesthetic to a higher standard.
- “This creative artwork style is stellar and impressed me immensely, soon capturing my imagination with ease.”
- “Stunningly beautiful worlds with a distinctive artwork design.”
- “Beautiful graphics and gameplay that takes you back to games of old, the way we wish they had looked but with new and improved AI and controls.”
- “This game needs work; the framerate keeps dipping, which is astonishing when you look at the mediocre graphics.”
- “The first is the lack of options on the menu screen, like more graphic options such as anti-aliasing, and some sound options would be great too.”
- “There was one facet of this title which I found to be lacking, however, and that was the very unsatisfying number of configuration options, which consisted of only 3 (resolution, graphics quality, mouse sensitivity).”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
13%
38%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it boring and mediocre, while others praise its solid mechanics, addictive challenge, and immersive experience. The game features engaging arcade-style action, impressive visuals, and strategic movement against enemy attacks, contributing to a generally positive reception overall.
- “Good little shoot'em up game, nice cartoony visuals and pretty solid gameplay.”
- “Because where it shines is in its fantastic sense of immersion, its inspiring artwork, its sense of discovery, as well as rock-solid gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is boring as well, no reason to waste time playing a mediocre game.”
- “Now onto the actual gameplay... I felt that it was overall quite solid because it's imperative that you continue to strategically move about in most sections where enemies are present, since their bullets keep aiming in your general direction.”
- “- a full 9 stages of gameplay plus bosses”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The story in "Blue Rider" is minimal, lacking a substantial backstory or introductory narrative, which leaves players wishing for more context and depth. While the game features a lone pilot battling waves of enemies, the overall narrative feels underdeveloped and could benefit from additional areas or elements to enhance the storytelling experience.
- “The story could benefit from a bit more background to enhance the overall experience.”
- “It would be great to see more areas added to expand the narrative.”
- “The game puts you in the driver's seat of a small spaceship on a mission to survive, facing wave after wave of increasingly challenging enemies.”
- “I wish there was a story to it, even if there was just a basic intro in the beginning.”
- “Missing a little backstory though.”
- “So maybe more areas to extend the story to.”
music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
60%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players enjoy the "blue rider" soundtrack and find the sound effects enjoyable, others express a desire for a more diverse selection, including metal and techno. Additionally, there are complaints about the lack of volume control for music and sound effects. Overall, the soundtrack is appreciated but could benefit from more variety.
- “With this title, however, there doesn't seem to be any way to affect the volume of either the music or sound effects.”
- “The music and the sound effects are really good, adding a lot of fun and challenge to the game.”
- “Nice graphics and soundtrack.”
- “With this title, however, there doesn't seem to be any way to adjust the volume of either the music or sound effects.”
- “The music feels repetitive and lacks variety, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- “I found the soundtrack to be uninspired and forgettable, which detracts from the overall experience.”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The game offers decent replayability through various achievements for players seeking mastery, rated 4/5 by some users. However, concerns about its longevity arise due to the limited number of stages, leading some to feel it may not justify its price point.
- “Going for the different achievements adds some good replay value if you're wanting to master the game.”
- “Replay value: 4/5”
- “Admittedly, I'm not sure if this game will have a whole lot of longevity or replayability, as it only has 9 relatively simple stages. At $13, it feels a bit overpriced; I would peg this as more of a $5-10 game.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized, as players report experiencing stuttering issues despite being able to run more visually demanding titles smoothly at 4K resolution, indicating that the performance problems are not related to the hardware.
- “I can easily play much nicer looking games than this with no problem at 4K, so this game shouldn't be stuttering at all.”
- “It's not PC performance related.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is perceived as lacking, with some players finding it unintentional and off-putting, particularly when game tips are delivered in a way that feels more comedic than helpful.