Jamestown
- June 8, 2011
- Final Form Games
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Jamestown: Legend Of The Lost Colony" is a local co-op top-down shooter for 1-4 players, set on 17th-century British Colonial Mars. It offers a unique cooperative gameplay system, where players can resurrect their teammates, and features intense action, deep mechanics, handcrafted pixels, and a masterful soundtrack. Blast your way through historic Mars in this exhilarating and hilarious experience. A remastered version, Jamestown+, is also available with additional content and updated visuals.
Mac OS
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- A solid shoot 'em up with great replayability and a variety of ships for different play styles.
- The game features a unique setting and engaging story, along with beautiful pixel art and an excellent soundtrack.
- Local co-op for up to four players enhances the fun, making it a great game to play with friends.
- The game is relatively short, with only a few levels, which may leave players wanting more content.
- There are issues with crashes on certain systems, and the lack of online multiplayer limits co-op play.
- Some players find the control scheme frustrating, particularly the inability to rebind keys or use mouse controls effectively.
- music222 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The music in this game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its orchestral quality and ability to enhance the overall experience. Described as "epic," "amazing," and "some of the best" in the genre, the soundtrack complements the game's charming pixel art and engaging gameplay, making it a standout feature. Overall, the music is considered a key element that elevates the game's atmosphere and replayability.
“The presentation is fantastic, the setting extraordinarily unique, and a stellar soundtrack that puts most movies to shame.”
“The soundtrack is some of the best I've heard in a top-down shooter.”
“The music helps too; every track is listen-worthy outside the game and each song gets the heart racing-- a word to describe the music is 'epic'.”
“The soundtrack's extra cost?”
“If you consider the game a little costly, wait for a discount; if the music is also at a discount, make sure you also buy it if you liked it in-game.”
“The controls are responsive as you'd expect a game of the genre, the music is like someone tossed you a thousand dollars and said 'keep it, no strings attached', the visual style is undoubtedly gorgeous.”
- story214 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The story of Jamestown is a quirky and absurd narrative set in a steampunk version of 17th-century Mars, where players navigate a colonial conflict against Spanish forces and Martians. While the plot is often described as unnecessary and somewhat short, it is presented through engaging cutscenes and adds a unique charm to the gameplay, which primarily focuses on action. Overall, the storyline is seen as entertaining and fitting for the bullet-hell genre, enhancing the game's retro aesthetic and multiplayer experience.
“The game's story is set in a fictitious alternative past in the 17th century, where the planet Mars is a British colony that is at war with Spanish forces allied with the native Martians.”
“Set in a fascinating alternate universe, the story, sound, and gameplay are all completely top-notch.”
“Jamestown is a wonderful indie shoot-em-up with tight controls and colorful, detailed graphics matching its quirky story and setting.”
“The story is just too short.”
“It feels like the plot takes a backseat to the solid gameplay.”
“The only negative I could point to is, your progression through the story is stopped after the third level.”
- gameplay164 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
Jamestown offers tight and responsive gameplay, primarily designed for co-op experiences, featuring a unique "vaunt" mechanic that enhances scoring and invulnerability. Players can choose from four distinct ships, each with unique abilities, adding variety and replayability to the classic bullet hell formula. The game is praised for its charming pixel art, engaging soundtrack, and well-balanced difficulty, making it accessible for both newcomers and seasoned shmup fans.
“The gameplay is tight and well made, with four different ships to choose from (three that have to be unlocked through playing the game) with very different play styles.”
“Where it really shines, however, is multiplayer, as unlike the tacked-on co-op of your average game, Jamestown's mechanics and gameplay were finely balanced around co-op from the start.”
“There's just enough variety in the gameplay to keep things interesting - 4 ship types, and the 'vaunt' system adds in a risk/reward aspect that gives a little more depth to the proceedings.”
“The player hit-box did not appear to have issues, but the gameplay itself felt slightly lacking.”
“It gives a sort of flat feeling to the gameplay.”
“Gameplay mechanics make it just as difficult to play singleplayer or co-op.”
- graphics150 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant pixel art, detailed backgrounds, and charming retro aesthetic, reminiscent of classic 16-bit titles. While many reviewers appreciate the unique art style and its alignment with the game's quirky premise, some have reported issues with graphic glitches and performance after recent updates. Overall, the visuals contribute significantly to the game's nostalgic appeal and immersive experience.
“Amazingly charming graphics, good soundtrack and deliciously intense gameplay.”
“The graphics are fantastic, excellent vibrant pixel art crawling with details and wonderful animations.”
“This game's graphics are just gorgeous, from the wonderfully alien martians and monstrous enemies you fight in search of Roanoke, to the steampunk ships and bosses.”
“I can't recommend the game in the state it is in; the trailer you see on Steam is how the game used to be, but now the game has random graphic glitches and the entire game has slowed down. It's like you are playing in a bullet time mode.”
“Constant graphics artifacts and screen flashing, both in-game and on the menu, make this game impossible to enjoy.”
“After the last patch, several people had graphic issues.”
- replayability30 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability due to its multiple difficulty levels, short mission lengths, and a variety of ships that offer different gameplay experiences. Players are incentivized to replay through in-game currency rewards, bonus challenges, and online leaderboards, enhancing the overall experience. Despite having a limited number of levels, the engaging mechanics and additional modifiers keep players coming back for more.
“The game is highly replayable thanks to multiple difficulty levels and the levels themselves are rather short.”
“While there are only five levels, the bonus levels and increasing difficulty settings make the replayability amazing, just like an arcade game.”
“Breathtaking pixel graphics, stunning music and sounds, engaging gameplay mechanics, and a lot of content make for a beautiful audiovisual experience with high replayability.”
“Not enough levels, but the challenges make the replay value high.”
“If you're looking for weak points, the only things that come to mind are the extra ships DLC (because you either love them and use them or end up sticking to only one or none at all since you already love one of the base game's ships) and the inherent what-you-see-is-what-you-get replayability that's associated with fixed levels and how high the skill barrier is for you.”
“Definitely quite a bit on the short side, but it's got a lot of replayability.”
- humor18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its over-the-top, zany setup featuring cowboys in spaceships and a tongue-in-cheek narrative, which adds a comedic twist to the bullet hell genre. Players appreciate the funny cutscenes, engaging dialogue options, and the overall whimsical art style, making it an enjoyable experience for those who appreciate humor in gaming. The combination of a humorous story, detailed graphics, and a lively soundtrack enhances the game's appeal, particularly in its co-op mode.
“It's got a funny story and a funny setting (steam-punk schlock science fiction), plenty of challenge and most importantly, it's got single-screen co-op.”
“Fantastic bullet hell sh'mup, amazing art style and a tongue-in-cheek story (with an unlockable funny version).”
“Xd it's a bullet hell game with hilarious imagery like cowboys in spaceships and all kinds of other zany things in cutscenes.”
- atmosphere8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its inventive design, captivating soundtrack, and engaging art style, evoking a buccaneering vibe reminiscent of "Wind Waker." Players appreciate how the atmospheric elements enhance the historical setting, making it a compelling experience even for those who typically don't engage with bullet-hell games.
“Great atmosphere, soundtrack, and controls.”
“The art style, poetry of the storytelling, and particularly the music, give this game an atmosphere that's akin to Wind Waker (think pirates, terrifying sea creatures, and a general buccaneering vibe).”
“It really adds to the atmosphere of its historical setting.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting significant graphic glitches and a noticeable slowdown in performance, making it feel like a "bullet time" experience. Many reviewers express that they cannot recommend the game in its current state.
“I can't recommend the game in the state it is in. The trailer you see on Steam is how the game used to be, but now the game has random graphic glitches and the entire game has slowed down; it's like you are playing in bullet time mode.”
“I can't recommend the game in the state it is in. The trailer you see on Steam is how the game used to be, but now the game has random graphic glitches and the entire game has slowed down; it's like you are playing in bullet time mode.”
