Mirage Feathers
- September 6, 2024
- oyasumi Workshop
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"Mirage Feathers" is a rail shooter game with an anime theme, where you play as Notari, a cybernetic fighter from the Federation's FEATHER program. After losing her best friend Miroita, Notari fights to uncover the truth and reunite with her, with the help of Miroita's AI, Luciolla. The game features fast-paced combat as you destroy enemy aircraft in your quest to find Miroita.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Engaging and fast-paced gameplay reminiscent of classic rail shooters like After Burner and Space Harrier.
- Charming character designs and vibrant pixel art, combined with a catchy soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- Affordable price point with high replay value due to Endless mode and a variety of upgrades available.
- The story mode is quite short, lasting only about an hour, which may leave players wanting more content.
- Some players find the gameplay chaotic and difficult to follow, leading to frustration in dodging projectiles.
- The English translation has some issues, which can detract from the overall narrative experience.
- story142 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story in the game is generally considered short and straightforward, often likened to typical arcade shooter narratives, with a mix of charming characters and visual novel-style cutscenes. While some players appreciate the emotional depth and cute art, others find the pacing rushed and the dialogue overly verbose, suggesting that the story serves primarily as a vehicle for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative. Overall, the game offers a decent story experience, but many players express a desire for more content and development in future installments.
“I loved the story and characters, and the art is just amazing.”
“Mirage Feathers has two main modes: story mode, where you follow a narrative with charming character art and emotional twists, and endless mode, which is all about surviving against increasingly difficult enemies.”
“The anime vibes, combined with tight gameplay and interesting characters, make Mirage Feathers a standout rail shooter for fans of fast action and engaging storytelling.”
“The weakest part is the story; it's about the same quality as most arcade shooter stories, I guess.”
“The story is exactly what you would expect from 90's anime about sentient weapon drones that look like uncomfortably scantily clad teenage girls for... science.”
“The story feels so absurdly rushed; the way characters talk is like they are so behind schedule they need to just get it done with in order to fit the allowed time to speak.”
- gameplay87 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The gameplay is widely praised for its fast-paced, energetic mechanics and engaging design, making it enjoyable for both newcomers and hardcore fans of the genre. Players appreciate the tight controls, beautiful visuals, and the replayability offered through endless modes and scoring systems, although some note that the game can feel unbalanced at times. While the story is often considered secondary, the overall gameplay experience is deemed fun and satisfying, with room for future improvements and customization options.
“The gameplay is surprisingly really fun, a lot more fun than I was expecting.”
“Mirage Feathers is a refreshing twist on the classic rail-shooter genre, with a slick anime aesthetic and engaging, fast-paced gameplay.”
“The anime vibes, combined with tight gameplay and interesting characters, make Mirage Feathers a standout rail shooter for fans of fast action and engaging storytelling.”
“Moment to moment gameplay works well too but there seems to be multiple ways to break the game to basically ignore the game's patterns/boss attacks.”
“It's a spectacle but ultimately it fails on the gameplay design, in my opinion.”
“The gameplay is decent, I've never played a game like it before so sometimes it felt a little too frustrating as if there was no way to dodge certain situations and also taking a lot of damage all at once.”
- music76 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its energetic and fitting composition, enhancing the frenetic gameplay and retro aesthetic. While many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, some note that it can become repetitive over time. Overall, the music is considered a significant strength, contributing to the game's charm and replayability.
“Excellent visual style and music as well, on top of an extremely fast and frenetic shmup, well worth the $5 you'll spend and there's even a demo that perfectly showcases what you're getting.”
“The music fits the action and aesthetic of the game well.”
“Exciting high-speed action, solid controls, beautiful pixel art, catchy music, and a good story, these were the ingredients Oyasumi used to cook up this gem.”
“And the music is very repetitive, not nearly as hype-inducing as Afterburner's stuff.”
“Good rail shooting, very frantic, good art style and animation selling you on the speed of encounters, a shame that there couldn't have been a bit more varied soundtrack.”
“Soundtrack can turn repetitive but is still pretty fire.”
- graphics72 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their beautiful visuals, vibrant character art, and effective retro aesthetic, often described as a charming homage to classic rail shooters. Players appreciate the polished art style, dynamic animations, and the engaging pixel art that enhances the fast-paced gameplay, although some express a desire for more variety in the visual design and soundtrack. Overall, the game's presentation is considered a significant highlight, contributing to its high replay value and enjoyable experience.
“Really nice visuals and captures the essence of what made those flight-based rail shooters so fun back in the day.”
“Beautiful visuals, gorgeous character art, and fast-paced gameplay that feels great.”
“A top-tier space harrier-like 3D rail shooter with a top-notch aesthetic and superb soundtrack.”
“Overwhelming (visuals).”
“Graphics are fine, although I would have preferred a non-pixelated style.”
“I've been shown what this kind of character/art style looks like when drawn with malice, and these ones don't look it.”
- humor22 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is consistently described as "cute and funny," with many reviewers highlighting its charming characters, vibrant artwork, and engaging music. The overall tone is light-hearted and reminiscent of classic arcade games, making it a delightful experience that combines humor with fast-paced gameplay. While some players anticipated more content from the "streamer mode," the existing elements still deliver a fun and entertaining atmosphere.
“Very cute and funny game, with great music and just fun in, just like how old arcade games used to be, and the stage and stage transitions are top tier, very fast and frenetic in general.”
“First of all, this game has a very funny story and the characters are very cute!!”
“The art is very nice and vibrant (and very cute and funny), music is quite great as well (although the demo only has one track playing, I think).”
- replayability13 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability primarily through its endless mode and highscore challenges, encouraging players to improve their performance across random levels. While the points-based upgrade system enhances the experience with both temporary and permanent improvements, many players feel that additional unlockables, such as skins or artworks, would further enrich replay value. Overall, the combination of engaging gameplay, a compelling story, and a strong soundtrack makes it a worthwhile recommendation for those seeking replayable content.
“Frenetic aerial combat, good story, banger OST, and endless replayability.”
“For a very low price, the game offers plenty of replay value due to a points-based upgrade system that offers both temporary and permanent improvements between runs, so if you aim for a high score, you can take full advantage of it.”
“It seems that the developer wants replayability to come from the endless mode, where you 1cc random levels for as long as possible.”
“After you beat the main story mode, most of the replay value will be going for high scores in the endless mode.”
“Cool extras like endless mode and the upgrade system add some replayability.”
- character development6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted by well-crafted, cute anime designs that align with the Japanese shoot 'em up aesthetic. While the character designs may be considered typical, they are praised for their quality and charm, enhancing the overall experience as players navigate through action-packed environments.
“Amazing character designs and top tier cute characters while you fly through the skies and the seas, against the many missiles and lasers.”
“The character designs are really cute.”
“The character designs are typical, but well made cute anime characters that fit the Japanese shoot 'em up vibe.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of "Mirage Feathers" is highlighted through its engaging story mode, which features charming character art and impactful narrative twists, creating a heartfelt experience. While "After Burner" presents a touching story with light yuri elements, its execution is criticized, though the overall joy and soul of the presentation make it worthwhile.
“Mirage Feathers has two main modes: story mode, where you follow a narrative with charming character art and emotional twists, and endless mode, which is all about surviving against increasingly difficult enemies.”
“After Burner features light yuri and a touching story, told with enough joy in the presentation and soul to be worth the asking price.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of time akin to having a "second life" to fully engage with it.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- stability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users report that the game runs smoothly on the Steam Deck, indicating a high level of stability during gameplay.
“Playing on the Steam Deck, it runs great.”
“The game maintains a steady frame rate, providing a smooth experience.”
“I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which makes for a stable gameplay.”
