Phoenix Force

About

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 286 reviews

gameplay11 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

Phoenix Force offers a unique twist on the bullet hell genre by focusing solely on boss battles, providing a refreshing experience.
The game features a variety of phoenixes, each with unique abilities, allowing for different playstyles and strategies.
The graphics and art style are appealing, and the gameplay is fast-paced and addictive, making it enjoyable for both casual and hardcore gamers.

The game can become repetitive, as many levels feature the same bosses with slight variations, leading to a lack of variety in gameplay.
Difficulty spikes can be frustrating, especially when facing multiple bosses at once, which may deter some players.
The lack of a comprehensive upgrade system and meaningful rewards for progression can make the experience feel grindy and less rewarding.

gameplay
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
64%
8%
The gameplay of Phoenix Force is characterized by its bullet hell mechanics and boss rush format, offering simple yet challenging combat that is easy to learn but difficult to master. Players engage in fast-paced action, dodging projectiles while utilizing autofire against various bosses, though some reviewers noted a lack of variety in levels and enemy types. Overall, the game provides an enjoyable experience for both casual and hardcore gamers, despite some criticisms regarding repetitive gameplay and limited graphical appeal.
- “The gameplay consists of fighting a boss or multiple bosses on one singular screen.”
- “It's easy to learn, hard to master style gameplay and combat.”
- “Great addictive and fast gameplay, nice visuals and powerful soundtrack are certain to give you a good dose of challenge and an overdose of fun.”
- “The aforementioned gameplay consists of many, many levels which, taken individually, all look exactly the same.”
- “Unlike a lot of the best shooters ever made, Phoenix Force does little in terms of gameplay.”
- “Gameplay is simple even compared to your average free flash shmup you would find on Kongregate.”
graphics
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
53%
8%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the polished art style and vibrant colors, while others criticize the overall quality as low and reminiscent of mobile games. Despite the aesthetic appeal, many reviewers note that the visuals do not stand out in a saturated genre filled with better alternatives. Overall, while the graphics are considered decent by some, they are often overshadowed by gameplay limitations and a lack of depth in design.
- “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 - oh, all the pretty colors.”
- “A really enjoyable fast-paced bullet hell game, with clear visuals.”
- “The game feels and looks like a mobile game from its graphics, mouse controls (aka touch screen), and UI.”
- “Bad graphics, horrible controls that can't be changed, slow movement and also bad everything else.”
- “A series of unenjoyable gameplay limitations, poor graphics, clunky console port syndrome and a market saturated with other, better shmups all add up to give this a thumbs down.”
music
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
70%
15%
15%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the soundtrack as "amazing" and "great," while others find it repetitive and generic after a short time. Although the sound design complements the gameplay, many users express a desire for more variety in the music to enhance the overall experience. Overall, the soundtrack is noted as a strong point, contributing positively to the game's aesthetics and enjoyment, despite some criticisms of its limited duration.
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “The art and background music is great too.”
- “Great addictive and fast gameplay, nice visuals and powerful soundtrack are certain to give you a good dose of challenge and an overdose of fun.”
- “The whole experience can get kind of grindy, especially since the music and backgrounds can get really repetitive.”
- “To put it simply, the music and sound effects are very generic.”
- “It's not a bad game, although some more music variations would be good.”
story
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The game's story is minimal and largely implied, revolving around a group of phoenixes battling enemies to revive a dying tree. While some players found the narrative engaging enough to recommend the game, many noted that it lacks depth and clarity, with little more than a brief introduction to set the stage. Overall, the focus is more on gameplay than on a compelling storyline.
- “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.”
- “There's only an implied story in this; as a phoenix, you travel the world continent by continent, fighting your way through 100 boss fights.”
- “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.”
- “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 were very little storyline - however more than usually.”
- “There's no story here either to make things clearer.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, detracting from the initial enjoyment. While the variety of characters and enemies is appreciated, the grind becomes overwhelming, especially in later levels where difficulty spikes can feel unfair. Overall, many recommend approaching the game with caution, suggesting it may be better suited for a free or low-cost experience.
- “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.”
- “The game is fun at first, but the further I got into it the more it started to wear out its welcome and become very tedious - some levels would be a breeze while some had me pulling my hair out.”
- “Considering it only lasted for 8 hours, and most of it was just grinding the 'bonus' stages, which had inconsistent difficulty changes, it's not worth the 8 euros it's trying to sell itself as; instead, pick it up for free if that's a possibility, at least just for the trading cards, or for a dollar or so if you're generous.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marked by occasional glitches and a random difficulty curve that can lead to repetitive gameplay. While players appreciate the variety of unique abilities among the different phoenixes, some abilities are perceived as less effective, contributing to a mixed experience overall.
- “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.”
- “Each bird has a unique ability: the fire bird does a blast shield, the gas bird provides a personal shield, the sub-zero bird freezes enemies in place, and the thunder bird can teleport. However, the earth bird does nothing useful; I'm not even lying, it does crap.”
- “You get six different phoenixes with unique special abilities: one throws a shield to block bullets, another freezes the enemy, and another slows down time. The others? I don't know, I haven't unlocked them.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional connection to the game, with its polished art style and extensive content creating an initial sense of intimidation that transforms into deep engagement as they progress. Key moments, such as significant plot revelations, evoke powerful feelings, highlighting the game's ability to resonate on an emotional level.
- “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.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy includes in-game advertising for a sequel that was never developed, which has drawn criticism from users for its perceived lack of value and relevance.
- “In-game advertising for a sequel that never got made.”
- “In-game advertisement for the sequel.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is criticized for its low 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, but the process is too long and repetitive. In the end, after you complete this long grind, you realize that this bird is not even that good.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game features a cartoonish art style that enhances its comedic elements, making it a consistently funny experience for players.
- “The game has a cartoonish style that adds to its humor and makes it very funny.”
- “The witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions kept me laughing throughout the game.”
- “I love the clever puns and absurd situations that make every moment entertaining.”