ShipLord

About

"ShipLord is a survival game set in space where players dodge asteroids and battle bosses to collect energy and progress through unique levels. A medal-based system rewards players with upgrade points for completing levels on higher difficulties, which can be used to upgrade shield, energy tractor, and force field abilities. With over 100 upgrade points available, players can improve shield and force field duration and cool down times, as well as decrease energy spawn time."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

53%

Audience ScoreBased on 303 reviews

gameplay21 positive mentions

replayability3 negative mentions

The game features a unique concept of avoiding obstacles while collecting energy orbs, providing a fresh take on the bullet hell genre.
Graphics and sound design are decent, creating an engaging atmosphere that appeals to fans of retro-style games.
The upgrade system allows for progression and adds depth to the gameplay, making it rewarding for players who enjoy improving their skills.

Controls are often described as clunky and unresponsive, making precise maneuvers difficult and frustrating.
The gameplay can become repetitive quickly, with many levels feeling similar and lacking variety in challenges.
The game lacks offensive capabilities, which some players find disappointing, as it reduces the excitement typically associated with bullet hell games.

gameplay
68 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
59%
10%
The gameplay of "Shiplord" is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying its fast-paced, challenging mechanics and engaging combat, while others find it clunky, repetitive, and lacking depth. Many reviews highlight the frustration with controls and the simplistic nature of the gameplay, which can lead to a tedious experience. Overall, while the game offers nostalgic appeal and moments of fun, it suffers from inconsistencies that detract from its overall enjoyment.
- “The game features fast-paced gameplay and challenging levels that will put players' reflexes and skills to the test.”
- “The game's combat mechanics are straightforward but effective, with a variety of weapons and power-ups available to help players fight their way through each level.”
- “Bullet hell types will find a lot of enjoyment here, especially out of the boss fights which really add in variety to the base gameplay.”
- “The gameplay mechanics are clunky and often frustrating, lacking the polish and fluidity that modern games typically offer.”
- “Overall the gameplay is tedious and not fun for me.”
- “Gameplay is repetitive and quite boring - well... it might entertain you for the first two levels... then it's only rage about every time you accidentally get hit by an asteroid.”
graphics
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
54%
10%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the nostalgic, retro-inspired visuals and effective designs that capture the essence of classic arcade games. However, others criticize the graphics as outdated or basic, with some noting that they do not meet modern standards. Overall, while there are commendable aspects, many players feel the graphics are merely decent and not a standout feature of the game.
- “The game's graphics and visuals are reminiscent of classic arcade games, with simple but effective designs that capture the essence of the genre.”
- “The graphics are really good, the space feeling is great and the music feels awesome.”
- “Story is catching, mechanism is nostalgic and old-school (in a good way ;)) and all this combined with today's graphics and design makes it into one of the best available games in this category.”
- “Outdated visuals with hardcore gameplay.”
- “Graphics, knowing that the game was released in 2015, are not good.”
- “The graphics, story, and voice acting are all below average, and there are a few grammar and spelling mistakes in the game.”
story
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
74%
13%
The game's story is generally criticized for being basic, poorly presented, and lacking depth, with many reviewers suggesting it feels tacked on to justify the gameplay. While some appreciate the simplicity and find it sufficient for the game's context, the overall consensus is that the narrative is underwhelming and detracts from the experience. Additionally, issues with writing quality, such as grammar mistakes, further diminish the story's impact.
- “There is a story, presented through brief conversations that take place before and after stages.”
- “The dialogue helps to add some background story and context to the game, and the music score is quite pleasant.”
- “Story is simple and efficient, and there is a goal to play for.”
- “11 GBP at the time of writing is too much for a fairly basic, fairly short game with no real story.”
- “If you can't make a more coherent, well-presented plot than this, you almost shouldn't bother at all.”
- “The 'story' is really bad, but in these kinds of games, it's always just tacked on to explain the gameplay.”
music
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
54%
9%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its professional quality and fitting atmosphere, while others find it repetitive and lacking variety. Many players appreciate the nostalgic sound design and decent soundtrack, though some note that it can become annoying over time. Overall, the music enhances the experience for some, but leaves others wanting more depth and engagement.
- “The game's sound design is also well-done, with retro sound effects and music that add to the overall nostalgic feel of the game.”
- “The music is impressively professional.”
- “It looks fantastic, loads to do and great customization of your ship bundled with a pretty sweet soundtrack!”
- “The background music in this game is below average.”
- “To top that, the music behind the game (which one would hope would be interesting to make up for the lack of interesting gameplay) is repetitive, droning, and feels like the music being a Star Trek episode without the dialogue.”
- “Music and audio also follows suit with the latter, and sounds very low quality (~128 kbps).”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed, with some players expressing disappointment due to its short length and limited replay value, while others rate it moderately, suggesting there are some elements worth revisiting. Ratings range from 5 to 7 out of 10, indicating a general consensus that replayability could be improved.
- “However, the game's short length and lack of replay value may be disappointing for some players.”
- “Replayability: 5/10”
- “Replayability: 7”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unenjoyable, particularly outside of boss fights. The repetitive nature of the gameplay leads to frustration, with some players opting to stop playing altogether due to the lack of engaging content.
- “It can feel a little tedious outside of the boss fights.”
- “Overall, the gameplay is tedious and not fun for me.”
- “There do appear to be a couple of boss levels, but I didn't play that far because after my ship exploded randomly for no reason for the fifth time, I just didn't want to replay these tedious levels anymore.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with users praising its exceptional performance.
- “The optimization in this game is top-notch, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I love how the developers have fine-tuned the performance settings, making it easy to customize for the best experience.”
- “The game runs flawlessly after the latest optimization patch, showcasing the team's commitment to improving performance.”
- “Optimized like shit.”
- “The performance is abysmal and clearly not optimized.”
- “It feels like the game was rushed out without any proper optimization.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
150%
The atmosphere of the game is immersive, as players take on the role of a 'shiplord' navigating space to collect energy sparks, which adds a sense of purpose to the experience. Additionally, the relaxing atmospheric music enhances the overall ambiance, creating a tranquil environment for players.
- “Step into the role of the 'shiplord,' whose sole mission is to float around in space collecting sparks of energy to stabilize the Earth's atmosphere.”
- “The atmospheric music is very relaxing.”
- “The atmosphere feels lifeless and uninspired, making it hard to immerse myself in the game.”
- “Despite the intriguing premise, the overall ambiance is flat and fails to evoke any real sense of wonder or danger.”
- “The lack of dynamic environmental elements leaves the atmosphere feeling stale and unengaging.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is derived from the absurdly minimal upgrades available for the ship, where players find it amusing that enhancements are limited to trivial improvements, such as marginally extending shield time or slightly reducing recharge duration.
- “The upgrades for your ship are so minimal it's kind of funny; you get a few points to spend after beating each level, and each point does things like add a tenth of a second to your shield time or take half a second off its recharge time.”
- “The dialogue is filled with witty one-liners that had me laughing out loud, making even the most mundane tasks feel entertaining.”
- “The game's quirky characters and their absurd interactions provide a constant stream of humor that keeps the gameplay light-hearted and enjoyable.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players report a strong emotional impact, often feeling deeply moved by pivotal moments in the game, such as realizing the stakes involved, which can lead to tears and a profound connection to the narrative.
- “Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
- “The story's depth made me feel a connection to the characters that I haven't experienced in a long time.”
- “I found myself reflecting on my own life choices as the game unfolded, it was truly moving.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report a stable experience with no noticeable design flaws or graphic glitches, indicating a well-polished game.