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Earthion

Earthion is a dream of future past, a late-career gem from Yuzo Koshiro, and a sharp-edged shooter that keeps you coming back.
Earthion Game Cover
93%Game Brain Score
music, gameplay
replayability, story
97% User Score Based on 290 reviews
Critic Score 87%Based on 7 reviews

Platforms

Xbox Series X|SPCXbox OneXboxSteam DeckWindows
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Earthion Game Cover

About

Earthion is a single player shooter game. It was developed by Ancient Corporation and was released on July 31, 2025. It received positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Earthion is a single-player side-scrolling shooter that delivers classic 16-bit arcade action with outstanding game mechanics, perfect graphics, and a fantastic soundtrack. Players pilot Azusa Takanashi through eight intense levels, each featuring unique environments, enemies, and boss battles. Challenge yourself with multiple difficulty modes and experience a thrilling fight to save Earth from alien invaders.

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Earthion screenshot
Earthion screenshot
Earthion screenshot
Earthion screenshot
Earthion screenshot
Earthion screenshot
Earthion screenshot
Earthion screenshot
Earthion screenshot
Earthion screenshot
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97%
Audience ScoreBased on 290 reviews
music79 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • Earthion is a visually stunning game that showcases the capabilities of the Sega Genesis, with beautiful pixel art and impressive graphics.
  • The soundtrack, composed by Yuzo Koshiro, is exceptional and enhances the overall experience, making it a standout feature of the game.
  • The gameplay is engaging and offers a good balance of challenge, with a unique upgrade system that allows players to customize their ship and strategy.
  • Some players have reported issues with bullet visibility, making it difficult to navigate through intense action sequences.
  • The game lacks a save function, requiring players to use a password system to retain upgrades, which can be inconvenient.
  • The difficulty curve can be steep, especially on higher settings, which may frustrate newcomers to the genre.
  • music
    139 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game, composed by the legendary Yuzo Koshiro, receives widespread acclaim for its energetic and nostalgic chiptune style, perfectly complementing the gameplay and enhancing the overall experience. While many praise the soundtrack as one of Koshiro's finest works, some critiques mention that the audio mixing can occasionally overshadow the music with sound effects. Overall, the soundtrack is celebrated as a standout feature, elevating the game to a love letter to classic 16-bit shooters.

    • “Earthion is a fantastic love letter to 16-bit shmups, and its soundtrack completely steals the show with high-energy, chiptune-style tracks by the legend Yuzo Koshiro that keep every stage feeling intense and memorable.”
    • “The music is fantastic, and the sound effects are very well done.”
    • “The soundtrack channels the spirit of 16-bit shmups with energetic, synth-driven tracks that could easily pass for lost gems from the Genesis or PC Engine era.”
    • “Also - and I can't believe I'm saying this - the soundtrack is disappointing.”
    • “The way the audio is mixed makes me feel like the music doesn't punch through the sound effects properly.”
    • “Here the soundtrack feels like it's in the background and sort of lost under all the other noise.”
  • gameplay
    73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its blend of classic shoot 'em up mechanics, engaging power-up systems, and a forgiving shield mechanic that allows for mistakes while maintaining a reasonable challenge. While some players found the gameplay to be simple and lacking depth, others highlighted its frantic pace, accessibility for beginners, and the nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles. Overall, the game is noted for its solid mechanics, beautiful visuals, and an outstanding soundtrack, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.

    • “Mind-boggling effects, pushing the Genesis sound chip to the limit, and beginner-friendly STG gameplay make this a must-buy.”
    • “The gameplay is frantic, smooth, and fun as all hell.”
    • “Earthion is a stellar nod to 16-bit shoot 'em ups, blending nostalgic pixel art and classic vibes with sophisticated, layered gameplay that hooks you instantly.”
    • “I think this game is really great graphically, but I found the gameplay to be lacking.”
    • “The game looks amazing, but the level design, weapon system, and upgrade shop mechanic feel off.”
    • “I was a Sega kid and the Mega Drive remains my favorite console ever, but the gameplay was messy, uninspired, and unoriginal.”
  • graphics
    66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the stunning pixel art, vibrant colors, and intricate details that push the limits of the Genesis/Mega Drive hardware. The visuals are described as a nostalgic homage to classic 16-bit shooters, featuring impressive animations and a well-executed art style that enhances the overall experience. While some critiques mention gameplay shortcomings, the consensus highlights the graphics as a standout feature, making it a visually captivating title.

    • “The graphics in Earthion are colorful, stunningly detailed, and run pretty well for the most part.”
    • “The pixel artwork is absolutely beautiful, with intricate detail and a carefully-chosen color palette.”
    • “Incredible 16-bit visuals, super hectic gameplay, and a soundtrack from legendary composer Yuzo Koshiro that simply soars through the skies and into the depths of space.”
    • “4/10 - a graphical epic that falls short on gameplay.”
    • “Again--nothing groundbreaking in the graphics, just really well-used 40-year-old hardware (and Neo Geo levels of storage).”
    • “The only thing this game really has going for it is the visuals and sound design, but at the end of the day, it's just a game made to appeal to nostalgia, which is yucky.”
  • replayability
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game boasts high replayability due to its fun challenges, multiple difficulty options, and a flexible leveling system that encourages experimentation with different strategies. Players can engage in a "new game plus" experience using passwords, while the inclusion of various modes and challenges caters to both casual and hardcore gamers. Overall, the thoughtful design elements significantly enhance the game's replay value.

    • “The game also has incredible replay value.”
    • “The flexibility when leveling up your fighter, and how you can use passwords for a new game plus of sorts really adds replayability.”
    • “Replay value is also very well done, especially for a shoot 'em up.”
    • “I loved being able to take in the spectacle of the whole game on easy my first try, but it seems the 'hotshot' mode and challenges will have the diehards practicing and getting a lot of replay value.”
    • “Replay value is addressed by 4 difficulty options, challenges, and early build of the game.”
  • story
    7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in the game is generally enjoyable but lacks depth and cohesion, with players wishing for more narrative content and smoother transitions between levels. The absence of animated cutscenes detracts from immersion, leaving players confused about plot developments as they progress. While the visual elements are praised, the storytelling feels disjointed and underdeveloped.

    • “It's enjoyable; I wish it had more story and levels.”
    • “The most critical aspect is the lack of animated cutscenes between levels, which greatly diminishes the immersion in the story.”
    • “In the first level, we departed from the main ship and embarked on a mission to defeat the enemy, but how did we end up in a metal capsule in the second level?”
    • “During the passage, the plot is not revealed in any way, the transitions between levels look very rough, and I don't like it.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its unique stage designs, blending organic and high-tech elements, and featuring alien landscapes. Yuzo Koshiro's work enhances the experience with distinct atmospheres for each level, while aggressive bitcrushed voice samples contribute significantly to the overall ambiance. Players appreciate the game's ability to combine the best elements of classic titles, creating a polished and immersive environment.

    • “Yuzo Koshiro did a good job giving each stage a unique atmosphere.”
    • “Bio-Hazard Battle atmosphere: starts aerial then descends, live micro-worlds as stages, organic-high tech mix and alien landscapes.”
    • “The plentiful aggressively bitcrushed voice samples add a lot to the atmosphere, too.”
    • “Bio-hazard battle atmosphere: starts aerial then descends, live micro-worlds as stages, organic-high tech mix and alien landscapes.”
    • “If you appreciate the fundamentals of Darius, the scale of Thunder Force IV, the atmosphere of Bio-Hazard Battle, and the weapon mastery of Gradius, this game delivers it all in one polished package.”
  • humor
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in "Earthion" stems from its underwhelming special effects and the absurdity of the leaderboard discrepancies, where players report implausibly high kill counts that far exceed the game's actual limits. This combination of technical shortcomings and exaggerated player achievements adds a comedic layer to the experience.

    • “What's funny about Earthion is that the special effects, if you can call them that, aren't really all that.”
    • “Hilariously, while in-game results show only quadruple-digit kill counts are possible in a complete run, I've noticed many results on the online leaderboards submit correct scores, but their kill counts can be as high as ten digits.”
  • optimization
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization is highly praised, with users noting minimal performance dips even during chaotic moments, especially when compared to other titles like Thunder Force 4, which struggles with stability.

    • “Very few performance dips given how frantic it can get, which really impressed me compared to something like Thunder Force 4, where it’s just about always begging to die.”
    • “Very few performance dips given how frantic it can get, which really impressed me, compared to something like Thunder Force 4 where it’s just about always begging to die.”
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87%Critics’ scoreBased on 7 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

Earthion is a shooter game.

Earthion is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox One, Steam Deck and others.

Earthion was released on July 31, 2025.

Earthion was developed by Ancient Corporation.

Earthion has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its music but disliked it for its replayability.

Earthion is a single player game.

Similar games include DRAINUS, Blazing Chrome, Syder Arcade, Jamestown, Assault Android Cactus and others.