NEXT JUMP: Shmup Tactics
- April 29, 2017
- Post Mortem Pixels
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Reviews
- The game features a unique blend of turn-based strategy and bullet hell mechanics, providing a fresh and engaging gameplay experience.
- There is a good variety of ships, weapons, and upgrades, allowing for strategic experimentation and replayability.
- The developer is responsive to feedback and has shown commitment to improving the game, which adds to the overall positive experience.
- The tutorial is overly complicated and poorly executed, making it difficult for players to grasp the game's mechanics effectively.
- Visual presentation can be cluttered and confusing, with issues distinguishing between bullets, enemies, and background elements.
- Gameplay can become repetitive, with limited tactical variety and a lack of meaningful progression or unlocks.
- gameplay42 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a unique blend of turn-based strategy and shmup mechanics, offering an engaging core experience with decent replayability. However, players have noted significant issues with the tutorial, unclear mechanics, and a cluttered UI, which can make the game feel clunky and repetitive. While the fundamental gameplay loop is addictive and has potential, many feel that the execution is hampered by poor design choices and excessive reliance on text for explanations.
“The core gameplay here is fairly unique and good fun.”
“Next Jump: Shmup Tactics is a pretty unique turn-based strategy game; the core gameplay is good fun and it’s got decent replayability for the price.”
“This overall gameplay loop of a string of battles, followed by an event or shop, followed by more battles, works out very well, and I've found it to be very addictive... I just don't get tired of it.”
“On the other hand, it feels very clunky; the tutorial is abysmal, the UI is cluttered and confusing, and the gameplay is fairly repetitive and not very engaging.”
“The tutorial doesn't adequately explain some very key, important gameplay details, like 'your turn ends the moment you hit 0 energy, even though you can pick up more energy during that last move', and 'the reason some enemies move during your turn is because they have a high energy stat'. I had to look up the very verbose manual to nail down exactly how things worked.”
“Major disadvantages are some seriously unclear mechanics, even after reading the manual and doing the tutorial.”
- graphics15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the retro, CRT-inspired style for being cluttered and visually harsh, making it difficult to distinguish between important gameplay elements. While some appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic and find it charming, others feel that the low-fidelity visuals detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as basic and occasionally messy, but they do not overshadow the game's engaging gameplay.
“The game is simple (but original), the graphics are basic (but oh so nostalgic), and the budget may have been light (who cares? the gameplay turned out to be brilliant), but with a starting price of £3.99 it is possibly the best value for money I've ever seen.”
“Graphics are very simple but beautiful; gameplay is also 'easy to learn, hard to master' and it's also very addictive.”
“+ Music and artwork are great.”
“My main complaint is with the visual presentation; it goes for a retro, CRT-inspired graphical style with sprite flickering and garish colors.”
“The CRT screen shader effect is shockingly bad, and the low-fidelity graphics are to the game's detriment.”
“Graphics are terrible; everything looks messy, bullets look like energy or power-ups, it's impossible to distinguish between going for the grab or avoid, even the background has moving objects like planets that look like enemy bullets.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for being enjoyable and well-suited to the overall experience, contributing to its addictive nature. However, some players feel that the soundtrack could benefit from more variety or additional content. Overall, while the music is appreciated, it is not the primary focus of the game.
“Love the music and sense of humor; I just wish there was more. A few content patches would make this my game of the year easily - the game loop is so addictive :)”
“The pixel art is beautiful, and the music is spot-on.”
“This is such a fun and addictive game, with a great soundtrack!”
“Arts, music, and plot are quite forgettable: definitely not the point of the game.”
“Love the music and sense of humour, I just wish there was more.”
“And every time, you can look for a safe raven with mysterious music behind, relaxing!”
- story4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's story is straightforward and lacks depth, focusing on a lighthearted premise where space dragons steal alcohol from various fantasy civilizations. While the plot is considered silly and the artistic elements are forgettable, it serves primarily as a backdrop for the gameplay rather than a central feature.
“The plot is silly: space dragons stole all the booze from the 4 starfaring civilizations (who are naturally humans, orcs, elves, and dwarves) so you need to run after the space dragon mothership in turn-based tactical shmup combat, destroying or avoiding the guard drones they've left along the way.”
“It's not a complex story, and the parts of the game (most of) the tutorial emphasizes are trivial to understand.”
“Arts, music, and plot are quite forgettable: definitely not the point of the game.”
“The plot is silly: space dragons stole all the booze from the four starfaring civilizations (who are naturally humans, orcs, elves, and dwarves), so you need to run after the space dragon mothership in turn-based tactical shmup combat, destroying or avoiding the guard drones they've left along the way.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find that "Next Jump: Shmup Tactics" offers a solid amount of replayability, with engaging core gameplay that encourages multiple playthroughs despite a relatively short initial completion time. The unique blend of turn-based strategy and shmup elements adds to its replay value, making it a worthwhile experience for the price.
“It only took me an hour and a half to beat the boss for the first time (with a 25-minute run to beat it), but there’s a good amount of replay value here.”
“Next Jump: Shmup Tactics is a pretty unique turn-based strategy game. The core gameplay is good fun, and it has decent replayability for the price.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted for its cleverness and wit, often catching players off guard with unexpected punchlines and amusing scenarios. Overall, it adds a lighthearted and entertaining layer to the gameplay experience.
“Wanna know the funny part?”
“The humor in this game is absolutely top-notch!”
“I couldn't stop laughing at the witty dialogue and hilarious situations!”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users report a high level of stability, with many noting that they have not encountered any bugs or glitches during their gameplay experience.
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that this roguelite effectively embraces the concept of permadeath, allowing for tactical gameplay and equal chances of success in each run without the need for excessive grinding.
“This is one of the few roguelite games that really seems to grasp the idea of permadeath, encouraging safe, tactical play, and giving every run equal odds of success without grinding between runs.”
