Shape Shifter: Formations
- September 29, 2023
- Castec Studios
Get on SteamEarly Access Roadmap About the Game Shape Shifter: Formations is an action twin-stick shooter with rogue-lite elements, where you must destroy hordes of geometric enemies alone or with a friend. Select your ship and combine a large variety of weapons, abilities and infinitely stacking upgrades to craft your own unique build.Customize Your LoadoutChoose from a wide variety of ships each with the…
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game successfully combines bullet hell mechanics with rogue-lite elements, providing a satisfying and addictive gameplay experience.
- There is a great variety of builds and unlockable content, keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging over time.
- The visuals and music are highly praised, contributing to an enjoyable atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- Some players have reported issues with balance, particularly with certain weapons being overpowered and the upgrade system feeling bloated and redundant.
- The game can become grindy, especially at higher difficulty levels, with RNG playing a significant role in progression, which may frustrate some players.
- There are complaints about the lack of communication from developers regarding updates and the need for more content and features, such as true online co-op.
- gameplay40 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a well-executed blend of rogue-lite mechanics and twin-stick shooter elements, offering a satisfying and addictive loop with a variety of builds and upgrades. While the visuals are simple yet stylish, some players note that the complexity of builds can lead to visual clutter and a lack of strategic depth. Overall, the game is challenging but fair, with smooth movement and engaging mechanics that encourage repeated play, though some early access features may still need refinement.
“The gameplay is tight, the visuals are simple but refined, and there is a ton of build variety.”
“The gameplay is incredibly satisfying, the movement is smooth and the mix of horde survival and intense boss battles with fair but challenging attack patterns is just pure joy.”
“The gameplay loop itself is smooth, engaging and almost always leaves you thinking 'just one more quick run'.”
“That build can be fun, but it also creates a lot of visual clutter and requires the least amount of strategy and interaction with the game's mechanics.”
“Gameplay clarity suffers a bit when going for the last achievements.”
“- Many perks come with a negative that don't necessarily advance the gameplay loop - for instance, a lot of weapon upgrades tend to come with a minus ability cooldown negative, when having a non-upgraded ability can come in handy at times.”
- music24 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and energetic vibe, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. While some players noted that the boss fight music could be less exciting, the soundtrack is generally considered engaging and complements the vibrant visuals and satisfying gameplay loop. Overall, the combination of great sound design and a catchy soundtrack keeps players immersed in the action.
“The music is great, the upgrades and progression feel great, and the sound of picking up the shards is such a dopamine hit.”
“Has a very vibrant art style and a great soundtrack.”
“The music of this game slaps and together with an excellent sound design and incredibly charming, but also very clean, retro style visuals, it manages to keep your attention on the action at all times.”
“Fantastic, algorithm ruining visuals and a good (albeit repetitive after 5 hours) soundtrack.”
“Despite having some of the least-exciting boss fight music in recent memory, it's a pretty solid entry in the 'neon triangle blowing up other neon polygons' genre.”
- graphics20 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant art style, crisp visuals, and engaging neon aesthetics, which enhance the overall gameplay experience. While some players prefer simpler visual styles, the majority appreciate the clean and animated designs that maintain clarity even during chaotic moments. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's appeal, earning a solid rating of around 7/10 from users.
“Top of the line in streamlined twin stick shooters, beautiful neon graphics and very cool and animated.”
“The visuals are spectacular and the gameplay is very addicting.”
“The music of this game slaps and together with an excellent sound design and incredibly charming, but also very clean, retro style visuals, it manages to keep your attention on the action at all times.”
“I would much prefer visuals to be flat (Nova Drift) or simple isometry.”
“Fantastic, algorithm-ruining visuals and a good (albeit repetitive after 5 hours) soundtrack.”
“The music of this game slaps, and together with excellent sound design and incredibly charming, but also very clean, retro-style visuals, it manages to keep your attention on the action at all times.”
- grinding8 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while meta progression feels meaningful, the upgrade system is considered excessively grindy due to its three layers. Additionally, the repetitive nature of facing the same bosses can lead to tedium, suggesting a need for more variety in encounters. Tips for efficient currency farming emphasize engaging with threat multipliers and avoiding enemy HP boosts.
“The upgrade system is also massively grindy now, with 3 layers of upgrades (skills, paragon cores, artifacts), though you can basically ignore the artifacts as in the last 5 runs I've done I've not seen a single one come up (and I cycled one run three times through all bosses).”
“I think this game would benefit from having different bosses that can show up in a run, because fighting the same first boss each time gets a little tedious.”
“Every bit of meta progression feels weighty and meaningful, not grindy.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its high replayability, making it a strong recommendation for fans of quality arcade shooters. Players appreciate the engaging gameplay that encourages multiple playthroughs.
“I'd recommend it if you enjoy a quality arcade shooter with good replayability.”
“Great replay value.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is highly praised for its optimization, running smoothly even with complex builds and experiencing no performance issues. Players report a consistently excellent performance throughout their gameplay.
“This game is awesome and a beast of a game; it runs smoothly no matter how crazy of a build you have going!”
“Zero performance issues.”
