"Enemy Mind" is a side-scrolling space shooter for PC with a classic 8-bit art style and 8 levels of challenge across 70 waves. As a being of pure psychic energy, you can take over and control any of the 20+ unique ships you encounter, each with their own power and ability. The game features an adaptive story system that changes with your play style and offers multi-player co-op for up to four players. The soundtrack is an original chiptune-inspired creation by Rainbow Kitten.
The unique mechanic of taking control of enemy ships adds a refreshing twist to the traditional shoot 'em up gameplay.
The game features a compelling narrative that unfolds as you progress, providing depth to the gameplay experience.
The retro graphics and chiptune soundtrack create a nostalgic atmosphere that enhances the overall enjoyment of the game.
The difficulty can be inconsistent, with some levels feeling overly easy while others present frustrating challenges.
Limited ammo for each ship forces constant swapping, which can become tedious and disrupt the flow of gameplay.
The game lacks variety in enemy types and level design, leading to repetitive gameplay over time.
gameplay
368 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
61%
4%
The gameplay in "Enemy Mind" is centered around a unique mechanic that allows players to take control of enemy ships, adding a strategic layer to the traditional shoot 'em up format. While the core mechanic is engaging and encourages spontaneous gameplay, some players find the overall experience can become repetitive and lacks variety in enemy patterns and level design. Despite these criticisms, the game is praised for its solid controls, retro aesthetics, and the depth provided by its ship-switching mechanic, making it a standout title in the genre.
“The mechanic of being able to take control of any ship at any time is a truly liberating experience.”
“The ship switching mechanic keeps the gameplay fresh, since in every new level there are new ships to take over control.”
“The main mechanic, which is to take control of enemy ships on the screen, is superbly executed and makes for exciting gameplay.”
“The gameplay is stale and repetitive - many of the arcade shooters from the 1980's had better graphics, playability is worse.”
“The gameplay for long stretches is outright dull, then it jumps up the difficulty and you're excited ... only to die and have to redo the earlier, boring sections of a level that turns into a chore.”
“Sadly the game gets boring after an hour of the same gameplay with little to keep you coming back.”
story
230 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
62%
5%
The game's story is generally considered more engaging than typical for the space shooter genre, featuring a unique narrative structure that reveals different perspectives based on the player's choices of ships. While some players find the storytelling method—brief text snippets between levels—insufficient or confusing, others appreciate its depth and replayability, as it encourages multiple playthroughs to uncover the full narrative. Overall, the story adds an intriguing layer to the gameplay, though it may not be the primary focus for all players.
“It's a surprisingly deep story that balances humanity's past sin vs the love of the individual and the human drive to survive.”
“The story is woven well between enemy waves, and it makes you feel invested to keep playing.”
“With an engaging story and fun game mechanics that require the player to adjust as they play, Enemy Mind is sure to leave a positive mark on everybody who plays it.”
“The story is told in between waves, with 2 lines of text, which is not really the best way.”
“It's 2 sentences of story per wave beaten, which doesn't motivate me to go through the same levels to get the next tiny clip.”
“There's also no real story, just a few random sentences of nonsensical text that pop up after every wave and level.”
music
116 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
41%
9%
The music in the game is widely praised for its energetic chiptune soundtrack, which complements the gameplay and enhances the overall atmosphere. While some players find the music to be a standout feature, others note that it can be hit or miss, with a few describing it as weak or annoying at times. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a significant asset, contributing to the game's retro charm and engaging experience.
“This game is super fun and the soundtrack is amazing!”
“Great music, smart method of storytelling, and again, game design that works with, rather than just next to, the game's main mechanics.”
“The music is great, and the gameplay is amazing.”
“The graphics are neat and the music is... well, the music's kinda the weak point here.”
“The music is just as tinny and weak sounding as the sound effects.”
“To slow, nothing entertaining and the soundtrack makes me sleep.”
graphics
112 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
42%
3%
The graphics of the game are characterized by charming retro pixel art that appeals to fans of classic shmups, with many reviewers praising its crisp visuals and nostalgic 8-bit aesthetic. While some noted the minimalistic design and limited graphical settings, the overall presentation is considered polished and fitting for the gameplay, enhancing the experience with a cohesive art style and sound design. However, opinions vary, with some players feeling that the graphics may not hold up against more modern titles, yet still appreciating the nostalgic value they bring.
“The art style is very appealing with its charming retro visuals.”
“A fun and simple shmup with an interesting gameplay gimmick, married to a beautiful pixel art style with a nice soundtrack to boot.”
“The graphics are really visually appealing.”
“The gameplay is stale and repetitive - many of the arcade shooters from the 1980s had better graphics, playability is worse.”
“Graphics settings are limited to (I am not joking) changing the size of the game window.”
“I am old enough to remember when this graphic style looked new.”
humor
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its humor, featuring hilarious moments and outrageous situations, especially in multiplayer mode where chaotic gameplay leads to funny interactions among players. Unlockable extras add to the comedic experience, making it a standout title in the shoot 'em up genre. Overall, players find the humor to be a significant and enjoyable aspect of the game, enhancing both solo and co-op play.
“So many hilarious and outrageous moments, after only 2 hours of playtime, could easily make this my favorite shmup of all time!”
“Has local multiplayer and can be hectic fun with some friends; having multiple people control the same ship by accident is a hilarious situation.”
“The multiplayer version is also amazing, and with up to four players jumping ships, things can quickly descend into hilarious chaos if you aren't communicating.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The game offers moderate replayability primarily due to its engaging storyline, which changes based on player choices and the ships used to complete levels. While achievements and leaderboards enhance replay value, many players note that the game is relatively short, leading to limited replay opportunities once the content is fully experienced. However, the single-player mode remains highly replayable for those interested in exploring different narrative paths and achieving perfection in gameplay.
“It has a really interesting plot about two factions that you can get to know depending on the ships you finish each level with, so if you are into that, it has some replay value.”
“The replay value for the game stems from the storyline, which varies based on actions you take.”
“The way in which the plot is revealed is cool and adds to replayability, which is good because it is fairly short.”
“It's fun and all, but for me not necessarily a lot of replayability.”
“The only negative is that the game was fairly short, and once you've seen all the bells and whistles then there is not much replayability.”
“It's fairly short--maybe a couple hours long, without major replayability--but just a single run-through leaves an impression strong enough to change your day.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, as the harsh punishment for mistakes leads to repetitive gameplay. While the game is visually appealing and offers an interesting concept, many reviewers feel that a better difficulty curve is needed to accommodate both skilled and casual players, preventing the experience from becoming overly monotonous.
“I think this game could really benefit from an appropriate difficulty curve that allows both skilled players to challenge themselves, and more casual players to afford more mistakes, because from what I can gather from the first 6 levels, nearly every mistake is harshly punished with repetition and tediousness.”
“Visually attractive with good audio and an interesting take on the shmup, but I find the game's pacing tedious and the difficulty relating to that irritating.”
“I find this to be, on the one hand, fascinating due to the game's simplicity, while, on the other hand, it's incredibly tedious.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive qualities, enhanced by a fitting soundtrack and a compelling story. The use of multiple languages within the ships adds depth, contributing to a rich and enjoyable experience. Overall, the combination of music and narrative elements creates a captivating ambiance that players appreciate.
“The music, story, and atmosphere are all fitting and very enjoyable.”
“Definitely get the soundtrack if you can; it's awesome and adds to the whole atmosphere of the game.”
“The music adds quite well to the atmosphere!”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including game-breaking glitches, intrusive audio bugs, and instances of freezing that can disrupt gameplay and hinder achievement progress. While some players may overlook these bugs as they become more immersed in the experience, the overall instability can detract from enjoyment.
“During my twenty hours of play, I've encountered a few different game-breaking glitches, intrusive audio bugs, and a bug that prevented any kind of user input mid-level, causing a restart.”
“The downside is that it has some bugs like the game suddenly freezing, which may cause some achievements to be very difficult to get.”
“There is some buggy behavior here and there, which can certainly detract from the overall experience.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization is praised for allowing players multiple hits before death, enhancing gameplay longevity and encouraging deeper engagement with its mechanics. This system balances the challenge by penalizing players with a lost score multiplier, rewarding those who invest time in mastering the game.
“Not only that, but having multiple hits before death instead of genre staples like Gradius keeps the fun going longer (and gives you the experience of being able to swap to a ship in a better state of repair) while still punishing you with a lost score multiplier, which I think is a fair way to reward those who truly dig into the game's mechanics and optimization.”