SATAZIUS
- December 15, 2011
- ASTRO PORT
Get on Steam"SATAZIUS" is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game set in 2051 on the abandoned planet SATAZIUS. The player controls the assault ship 'Trafalgar', the last hope for destroying a space pirate base after their attack on the cruiser Agano. With 13 upgradeable weapons, power-ups, and intense boss encounters, SATAZIUS brings an old-school side-scrolling arcade shooter experience with impressive graphics and game mechanics.
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- Satazius is a challenging and rewarding shmup that pays homage to classic titles like Gradius and R-Type, offering a nostalgic experience for fans of the genre.
- The game features a variety of weapons and power-ups, allowing for strategic gameplay and experimentation, which enhances replayability.
- Despite its difficulty, Satazius provides a fair challenge with well-designed levels and checkpoints, making it accessible for both newcomers and seasoned players.
- The game suffers from technical issues such as limited resolution options (640x480) and lack of controller support, which can hinder the overall experience.
- Many players find the difficulty spikes and 'gotcha' moments frustrating, leading to cheap deaths that can detract from enjoyment.
- The graphics and soundtrack are often criticized for being subpar, resembling older flash games rather than polished modern titles.
- graphics26 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the old-school 16-bit style for its clarity and visibility of enemy projectiles, while others criticize the low resolution and outdated design. Many players appreciate the nostalgic aesthetic and its compatibility with the gameplay, though some find it dull or blurry. Overall, the graphics are seen as functional for the genre, enhancing the experience despite their limitations.
“I like the reduced graphic style with great visibility of enemy bullets and obstacles.”
“Great old school shooter (like Gradius) with tight controls, great music, and awesome graphics.”
“The graphics are old-school and fantastically done, and the music fits the game like a glove.”
“This game needs a graphics and UI update badly, but it's worth picking up for the classic shmup player who has some time to kill.”
“Decent graphics, but rendered in very low resolution of 640x480, full-screen only scaled.”
“The graphics feel a little blurry.”
- music20 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its catchy techno themes and pumping soundtracks that enhance the gameplay experience, while others find it bland or reminiscent of older Sega Genesis tracks. Many players appreciate the energetic and well-composed music that complements the visuals, although a few critiques highlight inconsistencies in quality and a lack of memorable melodies compared to classic titles. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a significant aspect of the game, contributing positively to its atmosphere despite some varied opinions.
“Banger soundtrack!”
“Presentation is beautiful with colorful and detailed designs accompanied by a pumping soundtrack to wrap the package.”
“If I can say just one thing to convince you that you need to play this game, it's the music!”
“The soundtrack sounds like Sega Genesis music, but it wasn't great either.”
“Embarrassingly bad graphics and music.”
“The level design varies from stupidly easy to cheap and frustrating, the graphics are dull, and the music is bland, but if you're desperate for a shmup, you could do far worse.”
- gameplay15 mentions
- 53 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its fun and engaging mechanics, featuring tight controls and a satisfying side-scrolling shoot-em-up experience reminiscent of classic titles like Gradius and R-Type. While the level design incorporates challenging bullet hell elements and revitalizing weapon power-ups, some players note that certain design decisions can detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game offers a fair difficulty level and is accessible for newcomers, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre.
“Variable, straight to the point and fun gameplay.”
“Difficulty level is fair, cool graphics and tight gameplay overall.”
“Satisfying side-scrolling shoot-em-up gameplay.”
“The core gameplay elements are fine and the game feels fun at times; the only things that make this game not fun are the design decisions.”
“This game is hard, and I mean classically hard. If you aren't familiar with this style of gameplay, you will have a rough go of it.”
“The level design plays more like a 90's shmup, with obstacles in the level design that mix well with bullet hell mechanics.”
- story10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal and primarily conveyed through visual elements rather than traditional narrative methods, with no cutscenes or extensive text to engage with. While some players may find the lack of a detailed story disappointing, others appreciate the focus on gameplay over narrative, suggesting that the game succeeds without a complex storyline. Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop to the action rather than a central feature.
“The story is pretty much explained through visual presentation, a normal thing I see in some of the old hits.”
“There are definitely end stage bosses, each of different capability and design in its mission to destroy you.”
“But the moral of the story here is 'why fix what is not ultimately broken.' If Capcom put its stamp on it, then it's got to be good, right?”
“The story comes only in the manual (right-click on the game in your Steam library to find it) and... it's not even interesting to read.”
“- No story, no cutscenes!”
“There is no wordy text to explain the story, no worry about catching up the story by reading while you are busy blasting stuff, creating beautiful fireworks.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the variety of equipment and the challenge of harder difficulties, others find limited content after the initial playthrough, with some achievements being bugged. However, fans of old-school scrolling shooters may still enjoy multiple runs due to the engaging gameplay and weapon options.
“Every equipment feels powerful and useful, adding to experimentation and replay value.”
“If you like these old school scrolling shooters like Darius, check this out. Very few cheap deaths, lots of weapons to choose from, and a lot of replay value. It's very fun.”
“This impacts the replayability as well, as it leaves not much to do after beating the game once other than hunting for achievements; and that itself is problematic too because some achievements are bugged and will not unlock.”
“The game isn't that long, but the harder difficulties give it decent replayability.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
While the game features an emotional narrative, players find frustration in the gameplay mechanics, particularly with the ship's size and the punishing nature of wall collisions that disrupt the experience.
