Phoenix Force
- November 13, 2014
- Awoker Games
Get on Steam"Phoenix Force" is a challenging shoot 'em up where players controlling a group of phoenixes must defeat powerful mythological bosses across over 100 levels. Each level focuses on a fast-paced, bullet hell style battle, requiring strategic dodging and quick reflexes. The game follows the story of the Phoenixes' journey to restore Earth after it was ravaged by meteors, fighting monsters and bosses along the way.
PC
Phone
Windows
Android
Mobile Platform
Tablet
Windows Phone
Reviews
- The game offers a unique boss rush experience, focusing solely on challenging boss fights rather than traditional enemy waves.
- It features a variety of phoenix characters, each with distinct abilities, adding some strategic depth to gameplay.
- The game is affordable and provides a decent amount of content with 100 levels and additional challenge levels.
- The gameplay can become repetitive, as many bosses are reused with minor variations, leading to a lack of variety.
- The controls are limited to mouse movement with auto-firing, which some players find unsatisfying and simplistic.
- Difficulty spikes can be frustrating, especially with one-hit deaths and chaotic bullet patterns that make it hard to keep track of the player's character.
- gameplay42 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay primarily revolves around battling bosses on a single screen, featuring an easy-to-learn yet challenging combat system that emphasizes dodging and strategic targeting. While the mechanics can be frustrating at times due to repetitive levels and enemy attacks persisting after their defeat, players appreciate the engaging autofire feature and the need to master enemy patterns. Overall, the game offers a solid experience with enjoyable aesthetics and music, though it may lack variety and depth in gameplay elements.
“It's easy to learn, hard to master style gameplay and combat.”
“There are several types of enemies with different missiles/bullets, and some levels can be a little frustrating, but once you learn the mechanics of each enemy type, you will learn to combat and maneuver around their attacks in a clever way.”
“Don't be fooled by the graphics or control simplicity; the gameplay is awesome.”
“Unlike a lot of the best shooters ever made, Phoenix Force does little in terms of gameplay.”
“Bland stage-by-stage gameplay with upgrading helping you in nothing, no bombs?”
“The aforementioned gameplay consists of many, many levels which, taken individually, all look exactly the same.”
- graphics38 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally described as passable, with a polished art style that features nice, cartoony visuals and vibrant colors, though some reviewers noted that it feels reminiscent of a mobile game. While the visuals may have cut corners, they are still considered easy on the eyes and contribute to an enjoyable aesthetic experience. Overall, the graphics are appreciated for their charm, but many players express a desire for a remastered version with enhanced visuals.
“The art style feels polished and there's a considerable amount of content, which made me feel intimidated at first, but when you get to the point where you beat level 29, you're already hooked.”
“The graphic is nice, the background is moving as you fly, and the colors - ohh, all the pretty colors.”
“For the genre 'shoot'em up', wonderful graphics.”
“The game feels and looks like a mobile game due to its graphics, mouse controls (aka touch screen), and UI.”
“Yes, the game looks reasonably nice, even if most aspects of the visuals seem to suffer from cut corners.”
“Despite the bad graphics, I liked this one more than I expected.”
- music20 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the soundtrack as "amazing" and enjoyable enough to listen to for extended periods, while others find it repetitive and generic. The overall aesthetic, including the music, contributes positively to the gameplay experience, although some players note that the sound effects can become monotonous. Despite the grindy nature of the game, the music is often highlighted as a redeeming feature that enhances the overall enjoyment.
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
“Really good game, nice aesthetics and music, enjoyable gameplay and quite cheap for the amount of game hours that you get to play.”
“And also the soundtrack is f*cking amazing!”
“The whole experience can get kind of grindy, especially since the music and backgrounds can get really repetitive.”
“Music and sound effects are very generic.”
“Podcasts and music had more worth, so that's what became of that.”
- story12 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and largely forgettable, revolving around a group of phoenixes tasked with defeating enemies to revive a dying tree. While players may find some moral lessons within the narrative, the overall emphasis is on gameplay rather than a deep storyline, making it more of an engaging action experience than a story-driven one.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“For $4.99 (0.49 cents at the time of writing this review), it's an engaging action game that's light on story and is certainly more than enough to keep you occupied for a good, long while.”
“There is no real story behind it, and if there was maybe a small table of text in the beginning of the game, I have totally forgotten about it, as it doesn't matter anyway.”
“But there was very little storyline - however more than usual.”
“As for the story, a group of phoenixes is tasked with defeating hordes of enemies before they can reach a dying tree to revive it.”
- grinding10 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, leading to a loss of enjoyment and even abandonment of the game. While some appreciate the variety of characters and enemy designs, the grind can become overwhelming, especially as players progress and face stronger enemies. Overall, the grinding experience is seen as a significant drawback, detracting from the game's initial appeal.
“This game looked interesting and varied at first, but after a while it turned into such a painful, tedious grind that it stopped being anything like fun and I had to abandon it.”
“So I like the different characters that you can play as and how they all have different special powers (the ice phoenix was my favorite) and I like the enemies and their design, particularly how it starts out like a kind of boss rush and some of the challenge comes from mixing and matching them in later levels, but the whole experience can get kind of grindy, especially since the music and backgrounds can get really repetitive (and this is coming from somebody who enjoys a little grind now and then, so keep that in mind) and other than that, the game does not have much depth.”
“Pro tip: [spoiler] If you do decide to go for this game and are going to grind for the last phoenix, do it as soon as you get the chance to, because you are required to beat like 100 levels of enemies that are picked randomly from those you have encountered so far, so the further you get, the stronger the enemies will be from the pool that the game generates, which will make the whole thing even more grindy and border on unfair difficulty... or at least that was how it worked when I played it... [/spoiler]”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly as they progress through challenging levels, with moments of realization that evoke tears. The polished art style and extensive content contribute to an initial sense of intimidation, but ultimately lead to a deep engagement and investment in the game's narrative.
“Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
“The art style feels polished and there's a considerable amount of content, which made me feel intimidated at first, but when you get to the point where you beat level 29, you're already hooked.”
- stability4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is marred by occasional glitches and a random difficulty curve, leading to repetitive gameplay. While players can utilize various abilities, the overall experience is hindered by these stability issues.
“But beware, as the difficulty curve is pretty much random; you will be doing the same thing over and over, and there are glitches here and there.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy includes in-game advertisements promoting a sequel that ultimately never materialized, leading to mixed feelings among players regarding its effectiveness and relevance.
“In-game advertising for a sequel that never got made.”
“In-game advertisement for the sequel.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for its lack of replayability, as players find the grind to unlock the final bird tedious and repetitive, ultimately leading to disappointment when the reward does not meet expectations.
“It lacks replayability; there is this last bird that you can unlock if you achieve 100 extra bonuses. The process is too long and repetitive. In the end, after you achieve this long grind, you realize that this bird is not even that good. A good feeling for sure.”
“The game offers little incentive to replay. Once you've completed the main objectives, there's nothing new or exciting to discover, making it feel like a one-time experience.”
“After finishing the game, I found no reason to go back. The lack of different paths or choices means that replaying feels more like a chore than a fun experience.”
