ROGUE FLIGHT

Rogue Flight is a well-made, perfectly-priced arcade-style 3D space action shooter that serves as an open love letter to 80’s and 90’s anime/shmup era fans, offering plenty nostalgia, throwback references and many hours of replay value.

83%Game Brain Score

story, music

grinding

98% User Score Based on 234 reviews

Critic Score 85%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $19.99

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About

"Rogue Flight is a breathtaking arcade space combat game with bullet-hell gameplay, an engaging story, and a fantastic soundtrack. A new mode, Caravan Mode, will be added, offering fast-paced, action-packed combat with waves of enemies, aiming for high scores in two intense minutes. This game is a must-try for fans of the shoot 'em up genre, with its perfect blend of adrenaline, strategy, and replayability."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 239 reviews

story30 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Rogue Flight delivers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic on-rails shooters like Star Fox 64, with engaging gameplay and a fantastic soundtrack.
The game features a vibrant 80s anime aesthetic, impressive visuals, and tight controls that enhance the fast-paced combat experience.
Replayability is high due to multiple endings, unlockable upgrades, and a roguelike mode, making it a worthwhile investment for fans of the genre.

The game is relatively short, with some players feeling that the content could be expanded, as it can be completed in about 4-5 hours.
Boss battles and enemy variety can feel repetitive, with some players noting that the gameplay lacks challenge and excitement after the initial playthroughs.
Certain mechanics, like the drift attack, can be overpowered, leading to a less engaging combat experience as players may rely on spamming it.

story
102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
68%
3%
The game's story is described as simple yet engaging, with emotional depth and multiple branching paths that encourage replayability. While some players find the narrative a bit short and straightforward, it effectively complements the gameplay and enhances the overall experience, making it worthwhile for fans of the genre. The voice acting and visuals are praised, adding to the game's appeal despite some repetitive mission structures.
- “The story is also surprisingly satisfying, with good emotional heft and multiple paths that really encourage you to play through the campaign multiple times along with new game plus.”
- “Amazing visuals; great gameplay and a simple but yet engaging story.”
- “The overall experience (the story so far, the art and music, the voicework!) is all phenomenal.”
- “You'll experience all of the game's mechanics in the first 10 minutes, and the story doesn't do much to keep things interesting.”
- “Without spoilers, multiple playthroughs in of itself isn't a problem, but here the game forces you to replay the same missions three times, introducing only a few variants of those missions with minor flavor lore changes as you progress through the playthroughs.”
- “The story is quite short but exploring all the different story options makes you want to replay and unlock it all.”
music
101 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
41%
3%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack as "fantastic" and "full of bangers," effectively enhancing the gameplay experience. The combination of rock elements, catchy themes, and a nostalgic 80s-90s anime vibe creates an immersive atmosphere that keeps players engaged. Overall, the soundtrack is highlighted as a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal and replayability.
- “The soundtrack is an absolute banger in my opinion.”
- “Fast and intense and short and sweet, brimming with that 90s sci-fi anime vibe, with a bitchin' soundtrack to boot.”
- “With strong inspiration from classic anime of the 1980s and 1990s, yet with a solid identity of its own, Rogue Flight is determined to wow you with its exciting gameplay, amazing art, and incredible soundtrack.”
- “I like the art style and music, but the gameplay gets repetitive after a few routes.”
- “Honestly, I bought this game purely from the music and overall aesthetic that I saw in the trailer.”
- “The soundtrack is a banger.”
gameplay
94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
64%
4%
The gameplay is a mix of nostalgic on-rails shooting mechanics reminiscent of classic titles like Star Fox, featuring straightforward controls and a focus on dodging and shooting. While many players appreciate the engaging visuals, soundtrack, and ship customization options, some criticize the gameplay for being repetitive and lacking depth, with certain mechanics feeling more like spammable tactics than strategic choices. Overall, the game offers a fun, albeit simple, experience that appeals to fans of retro shooters, though it may not satisfy those seeking more complex gameplay.
- “The gameplay is a refreshing throwback to simpler on-rails spectacle shooters the industry seems to have forgotten: you just hop on a killer spacecraft, graze iconic sci-fi scenery at lightning speed, dodge raining lasers, unleash a missile barrage, blast bosses' cores, and have a good time.”
- “An excellent throwback game similar to the rail shooters of old: Star Fox, After Burner, Space Harrier, etc. The game offers great visuals and art style, fun gameplay, a fantastic soundtrack, and plenty of modes!”
- “It's a short experience (I completed all paths in roughly 4 hours of gameplay) but honestly, at $20, I feel like the game delivered on its premise and I enjoyed each minute of dodging and weaving between enemy ships and attacks.”
- “A highly stylish shooter that has some killer aesthetics and great voice acting, but unfortunately is tied to an incredibly bland and ultimately boring gameplay experience.”
- “None of the patterns are visually impressive nor are they interesting to deal with, and the gameplay lacking excitement absolutely kills the mood the game is attempting to go for.”
- “In many scenarios, I'd be willing to look past the gameplay portion being lacking if it was trying to do something unique or different, but what's here is a sub-standard shmup with poor stage design and even poorer boss design.”
graphics
73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The graphics of Rogue Flight are widely praised for their vibrant 80s anime aesthetic, drawing inspiration from classic titles like Star Fox and Afterburner. Reviewers highlight the game's nostalgic visuals, which are complemented by a well-executed soundtrack and engaging art direction, creating a unique and immersive experience reminiscent of vintage sci-fi anime. Overall, the combination of flashy visuals and a retro vibe enhances the gameplay, making it a standout in the indie game scene.
- “The aesthetic is gorgeously inspired by 80s sci-fi anime like Macross and Legend of the Galactic Heroes, with a post-processing effect as if it was an old VHS.”
- “An excellent throwback game similar to the rail shooters of old: Star Fox, Afterburner, Space Harrier, etc. The game offers great visuals and art style, fun gameplay, a great soundtrack, and plenty of modes!”
- “The game delivers tight controls, exciting combat, flashy visuals, and a nostalgic vibe that's hard to resist.”
- “Honestly, I bought this game purely from the music and overall aesthetic that I saw in the trailer.”
- “With poppy visuals and responsive controls that manage to keep everything readable and in your hands even in the most enemy-saturated segments.”
replayability
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
63%
16%
The game offers high replayability despite its short length, primarily due to its arcade-style combat that encourages players to achieve high scores and combos. Features like randomization, roguelite elements, and various modes enhance the replay value, making it appealing for players seeking to maximize their experience. Overall, it successfully combines nostalgia with engaging gameplay that invites repeated playthroughs.
- “The arcade style combat has a huge amount of replay value and really encourages trying to rack up huge combos, for both points and health regeneration.”
- “The game is rather short, but it has good replay value.”
- “Game itself is fairly short with moderate replayability.”
- “Trying to max out each of the modules adds a lot of replay value.”
- “However, due to the roguelite nature of the game, there is a lot of room for replayability.”
optimization
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
Overall, the game's optimization is praised, with users reporting no performance issues, which enhances the fast-paced and visually impressive action. However, some noted minor audio mixing problems, particularly with character monologues. The customization options for space fighters are also highlighted as a positive aspect.
- “I also never had any performance issues, which is always a plus.”
- “- Customization of your space fighter both in performance and aesthetics.”
- “The action is fast-paced and a visual spectacle, all accompanied by a good soundtrack and good voice performances.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game demonstrates strong stability, running smoothly on both laptops and Steam Decks, even when the latter is categorized as "unknown." Users report a consistently enjoyable experience across these platforms.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck even though it's listed as 'unknown' at the time of this writing.”
- “So far, I’m really enjoying the game; it runs great on the Steam Deck.”
- “Runs great on a laptop.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotionally engaging story, which offers significant depth and multiple narrative paths that encourage replayability. Players report feeling a strong connection to the experience, with specific moments evoking powerful emotions reminiscent of other impactful media.
- “The story is also surprisingly satisfying, with good emotional heft and multiple paths that really encourage you to play through the campaign multiple times along with New Game Plus.”
- “[spoiler] I watched Yukikaze and the 'Red Threat' trim made me feel like I flew B503, shooting down JAM. [/spoiler]”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised for its exceptional music, which significantly enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the combination of great music and immersive ambiance as standout features.
- “The music and atmosphere are amazing.”
- “Great music and atmosphere.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly during boss battles, which can feel repetitive and drawn out.
- “Boss battles are a bit tedious.”