ESCHATOS

About

"Eschatos" is a single-player shooter game with stunning gameplay and a fabulous soundtrack. The game takes place in 21XX, where an alien force has taken over the Moon and is invading Earth. Players can choose from Original, Advanced, or Time Attack modes and enjoy an intuitive scoring system with a high skill ceiling. The goal is to repel the alien invasion, beat them back through space, and recapture the Moon.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

96%

Audience ScoreBased on 187 reviews

music65 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

Eschatos features an incredible soundtrack by Yousuke Yasui that enhances the overall gaming experience.
The game is accessible for beginners while still providing a challenging experience for veterans, with multiple difficulty settings and game modes.
The gameplay mechanics, including the unique shield system and weapon types, create a dynamic and engaging experience that encourages replayability.

The camera angles and 3D visuals can be disorienting, leading to frustrating deaths and a lack of visual clarity.
The scoring system can be punishing, as mistakes early in a stage can significantly impact the player's score, making it feel unfair at times.
Some players may find the overall graphics and art style simplistic or unappealing compared to other modern shmups.

music
117 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
41%
3%
The music in Eschatos is universally praised, with many reviewers highlighting its exceptional quality and ability to enhance the gameplay experience. Composed by Yousuke Yasui, the soundtrack is described as iconic, catchy, and reminiscent of classic arcade games, making it a significant draw for players. Overall, the soundtrack is considered one of the best in the shoot 'em up genre, elevating the game's appeal and enjoyment.
- “First, for a shmup to tick, it must have a great soundtrack - no exceptions - and Yousuke Yasui (the composer) cooked up an iconic soundtrack.”
- “The soundtrack is so outstanding I've found myself listening to a few of the tracks on repeat.”
- “Eschatos's unique weapon balance, varied and unpredictable enemies, endearing and innocent sounding soundtrack, rapid pace, and deep scoring system make it a game brimming with personality.”
- “The graphics may look a bit dated, but the soundtrack overcompensates whatever expectations you could have if you've seen a trailer of this game on your phone with the sound muted.”
- “The music -- in both its original FM synth style and the more modern-sounding arrange version -- complements the action perfectly, and the high-speed, vomit-inducing rollercoaster ride of the final stage really brings things to a suitably epic climax.”
- “Eschatos's unique weapon balance, varied and unpredictable enemies (whose attacks and positions are frequently semi-randomized, to encourage fun improvisation and nervy reaction), endearing and innocent-sounding soundtrack, rapid pace, and deep scoring system make it a game brimming with personality and fusing the best of both worlds from classic shmups and modern bullet hell.”
gameplay
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
67%
5%
The gameplay of Eschatos is characterized by fast-paced, addictive mechanics reminiscent of classic 80s shmups, featuring a unique balance of offense and defense through its weapon and shield systems. Players appreciate the straightforward scoring mechanics and the engaging challenge presented by unpredictable enemy movements, while the catchy soundtrack enhances the overall experience. Despite some criticism regarding camera angles and simplistic graphics, the game is praised for its polished execution and replay value across multiple modes.
- “Eschatos is a nice deviation from the modern bullet hell nature of the STG genre, focusing on managing the number of bullets on screen via quick kill score mechanics.”
- “The gameplay is a perfect example of easy to learn, difficult to master, which I love—unlike some crazy cave game where you have to search for hours of poorly translated Japanese websites to decipher the overly complicated scoring/chaining system.”
- “Unlike many modern shmups, which focus entirely on dodging and esoteric scoring mechanics, Eschatos prioritizes balancing offense and defense with its unique weapon and shield mechanic against unpredictable enemies whose quirky movement makes them as challenging to hit as they are to dodge against.”
- “I only played as long as up to stage 3, but everything about the gameplay felt lame to me.”
- “While the gameplay is 2D, a lot of enemies and level design appear to be 3D, and it can be hard to tell what has a hitbox and what doesn't.”
- “In what seems to be a common trend among people who are first exposed to this game, I was initially ready to dismiss it however many years ago before it initially arrived on Xbox 360, based on the seemingly underwhelming visuals and rudimentary looking gameplay.”
graphics
33 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
52%
15%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the clean visuals and vibrant colors, while others criticize the dated 3D graphics and poor readability due to z-axis issues. Although the art style is described as simplistic or minimalist, it is noted that the visuals complement the gameplay well, and the overall presentation, including the soundtrack, enhances the experience. While not the standout feature, the graphics are considered adequate for the arcade shoot-'em-up genre, with some players finding charm in their retro aesthetic.
- “High speed Toaplan-esque shmup with 3D graphics, tons of explosions, and some funky dynamic camera angles.”
- “Banger soundtrack, fun mechanics, cool looking visuals; this game is absolutely worth your time and money if you want that 'arcade shmup' experience.”
- “The 2.5D graphics, exquisite music, and cinematic camera work give a real sense of drama to the game.”
- “The one thing that the game really lacks is its 3D graphics.”
- “Allegedly, this game started as a DirectX graphics pet project before being turned into a commercial release, and it shows.”
- “In what seems to be a common trend among people who are first exposed to this game, I was initially ready to dismiss it based on the seemingly underwhelming visuals and rudimentary looking gameplay.”
story
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
45%
27%
The game's story is minimalistic yet effective, focusing on a straightforward premise of humanity's battle against alien invaders, conveyed without any text or lengthy cutscenes. While some players appreciate the simplicity and fast-paced action, others note the lack of depth compared to other titles in the genre. Overall, the narrative serves as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a central feature.
- “The game has a cinematic story that does not slow the action, as there are no pauses and videos.”
- “Eschatos is the hyper-kinetic story of mankind's struggle against invaders from space in the year 21xx.”
- “The storyline of Eschatos can be summed up in about two sentences: aliens have invaded the earth and captured the moon!”
- “The storyline of Eschatos can be summed up in about two sentences: aliens have invaded the Earth and captured the moon!”
- “It's about the depth of story one might expect from a shoot 'em up.”
- “One might say it's even preferable to have a bare bones story.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The game offers significant replayability through multiple modes, including advanced gameplay mechanics and various difficulty levels that encourage players to improve and unlock new features. Players can earn points and extra credits with each run, enhancing the overall experience and providing ample motivation to revisit the game. Overall, it is praised as a highly replayable shmup with an exceptional soundtrack.
- “All in all, it's a really good short game with a ton of replayability between the modes and the encouragement to rack up points with each run, whether you win or fail. The more you play, the more leniency options you'll unlock to make the harder modes more accessible, even if you're not great at shmups.”
- “In addition to the harder difficulties, there is also the advanced mode, which has a different gameplay mechanic that adds to the replay value.”
- “Good replay value through several modes as the player unlocks extra credits and features.”
- “And in addition to the harder difficulties, there is also the advanced mode which has a different gameplay mechanic that adds to the replay value.”
- “Various play modes provide a lot of replay value.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game demonstrates impressive stability, featuring a seamless 3D experience with minimal loading interruptions and smooth performance on Windows 10. Users appreciate the effective use of camera work and unique setpieces that enhance the overall gameplay experience.
- “Runs great on Windows 10.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is not explicitly addressed in the provided text, which focuses more on gameplay mechanics rather than emotional engagement or impact. Therefore, no summary can be derived regarding the emotional experience from this input.
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is characterized by a fast-paced, action-packed experience that immerses players in a battle against an invading alien force, transitioning from Earth to the moon as they confront various alien ships. This dynamic setting enhances the sense of urgency and excitement throughout the gameplay.
- “It has the fast-paced feel of starting a fight against an invading alien force on Earth, blasting into the atmosphere to confront a carrier ship and an alien mothership, and then taking the fight to the moon itself, which has been occupied by the alien menace.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate that while genre veterans may find the grinding aspect straightforward, the grind for unlockables lacks sufficient reward, and players desire more variety, such as multiplayer options, to enhance the experience.
- “Grindy unlockables aren't all that rewarding.”
- “Genre veterans may find it a bit too simple.”
- “The game could use more variations, such as multiplayer.”