Syder Arcade

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Syder Arcade is a fast-paced, old-school shoot 'em up game that pays homage to Amiga games of the 90s. It offers a challenging and uncompromised experience with no coins or grinding, focusing on player skill and dodging a barrage of enemy fire. With its fierce action and classic design, Syder Arcade provides a nostalgic trip back in time for seasoned players and a benchmark for newcomers to the genre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

83%

Audience ScoreBased on 397 reviews

graphics89 positive mentions

stability7 negative mentions

Syder Arcade offers a nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic arcade shooters, with great graphics and a fun soundtrack.
The gameplay is engaging, allowing players to flip their ship and face enemies from both sides, adding a unique twist to the traditional shoot 'em up formula.
The game features multiple ships with different attributes and a variety of difficulty levels, providing good replayability and catering to both casual and hardcore players.

The campaign is relatively short, with only six levels, which may leave players wanting more content.
There are several bugs and technical issues, such as game-breaking glitches in survival mode and problems with achievements not unlocking.
Some players find the game lacks variety in enemy design and level objectives, leading to a repetitive experience.

graphics
158 mentions
56 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Syder Arcade" are widely praised for their vibrant and detailed presentation, effectively blending modern 3D visuals with nostalgic retro filters that evoke classic gaming systems like the Amiga and Commodore 64. While many players appreciate the smooth animations and colorful backgrounds, some have reported performance issues, such as visual stuttering, which can detract from the experience. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing experience that caters to both modern and retro gaming enthusiasts.
- “The graphics are amazing!”
- “Visually it's a nice looking and well detailed game that's full of bright colorful graphics.”
- “The graphics are beautiful, the soundtrack is great, enemies are fun to shoot.”
- “Unplayable, I have a pretty performing PC but the game has a weird visual stutter, no matter the graphic settings. I tried them all; tried to change the refresh rate of the monitor too, no joy; it makes you sick.”
- “I appreciate the optional graphic filters that make the game look like various old computer systems, but the game's visual design wasn't built for it. The reduced colors, pixelation filter, and clashing smoothness of the actual game make them terrible for actual gameplay; they are essentially useless other than giving players a nostalgia trip.”
- “Unfortunately, it seems the developers have no idea how graphics or visuals convey information to the player.”
music
94 mentions
66 % positive mentions
31 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many reviewers praising its upbeat, retro-inspired tracks that evoke nostalgia for classic gaming eras, particularly the Amiga and 16-bit days. Players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to enhance the gameplay experience, describing it as engaging and fitting for the fast-paced action of the shoot-'em-up genre. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, often highlighted as a reason to play the game even outside of its core mechanics.
- “The smooth 3D graphics readily evoke the slick, technical pixel art of the 16-bit days, while the music is pure Amiga scene goodness, well deserving a soundtrack DLC or album release.”
- “Fantastic game that's one for the shoot 'em up fans; by the way, the music is just amazing and should be listened to on its own.”
- “An amazing soundtrack that is a huge homage to chiptunes and really drills into your ears; you might catch yourself keeping the game running just to have the music playing.”
- “From too many sounds overlapping and overdriving, to the music cutting out in an obvious loop restart.”
- “No elements of the game really stand out... the mechanics, graphics, music, story are all passable.”
- “The retro throw-back music does its job well, not interesting enough to be listenable on its own, but not bad enough to be a distraction.”
gameplay
87 mentions
31 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Syder Arcade is characterized by its tight mechanics and classic arcade feel, featuring a unique ship-flipping mechanic that enhances both offensive and defensive strategies. Players appreciate the variety of ships and the blend of old-school shmup elements with modern bullet hell gameplay, although some find the experience can become repetitive and lacking in depth. Overall, the game offers enjoyable, fast-paced action with a nostalgic vibe, though it could benefit from more content and deeper power-up systems.
- “The gameplay is tight and exciting, showcasing great potential with its classic arcade vibes and smooth mechanics.”
- “This mechanic enables both standard shmup gauntlets and situations where you're surrounded and have to defend yourself from both sides.”
- “The gameplay itself feels super fluid and natural.”
- “Unfortunately, I found the gameplay to be a bit drab and tedious.”
- “The other stuff—no voice acting, etc.—would be forgivable if the core mechanics of the game were more engrossing.”
- “They constantly play the old-school card, but it's really not so much of that and a lot more repetitive gameplay and bad menus with boring player ships and enemies.”
story
69 mentions
12 % positive mentions
81 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally considered short and simplistic, consisting of only six missions that provide a basic framework for gameplay rather than a deep narrative. While some players appreciate the straightforward objectives and variety in missions, including escort tasks, many criticize the dialogue quality and lack of engaging storytelling. Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop to the action rather than a focal point, with players often finding it unnecessary or distracting.
- “The plot is quite decent!”
- “Just enough story to give it a purpose without all the weirdness that comes with a lot of Japanese shmups (don't get me wrong, I love them too).”
- “These six missions are delivered to you in sequence in the form of a simple yet endearing storyline, and after a good ten minutes of flying around space with a level of skill that you can look back and be proud of, you can compare your scores to all the other pilots out there.”
- “The actual storytelling (dialogue) is poorly written; characters don't match their roles in the world.”
- “The storyline is pointless and gets in the way of the action.”
- “The 'story mode' is a pretty short and simple affair - only a handful of levels with a plot that leaves huge gaps between levels.”
replayability
22 mentions
59 % positive mentions
27 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
Overall, the game boasts high replayability due to its challenging gameplay, multiple ships with unique attributes, and a robust survival mode that offers endless waves of enemies. While the main campaign is relatively short, players find value in replaying with different ships and difficulty settings, ensuring a varied experience. Many reviewers highlight the game's replay value as a significant strength, making it worth the price.
- “It has fantastic replay value.”
- “There are four separate ships to try, each with different weapons, and several difficulty options as well, so replay value is there regardless of the short campaign.”
- “While some reviewers note the shortness of the campaign, the survival mode makes up for it in replayability.”
- “You can get some replayability by playing again with a different ship or playing survival mode.”
- “This kind of hurts Syder Arcade's replayability, because if it's anything I love about a shoot 'em up, it's a good survival mode to improve my scores on.”
stability
8 mentions
38 % positive mentions
-25 % neutral mentions
88 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed, with some players reporting significant visual glitches and random freezes, particularly during critical moments like the final boss fight. However, others have experienced minimal issues, enjoying a relatively bug-free experience after extended gameplay. While the game offers fun and engaging elements, potential players should be aware of the possibility of encountering bugs.
- “The game is relatively bug-free, though I have experienced some comical glitches, like the storm on the last level sometimes having a mind of its own and even going through the warp gate with you.”
- “Overall, the stability of the game is impressive, allowing for a smooth and enjoyable experience without frequent crashes or major issues.”
- “I appreciate how stable the game runs; it rarely crashes and maintains a consistent frame rate, which enhances the overall gameplay experience.”
- “Until I started encountering visual glitches that required starting the level over.”
- “Game freezes randomly when killed during the final boss, not worth playing.”
- “The one thing I have to warn about: currently, survival is quite buggy.”
humor
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate its retro charm and find the enemies amusing, others feel that the attempts at humor fall flat. Overall, the game is described as enjoyable and funny, particularly in its side-scrolling shooter mechanics, though opinions on its comedic effectiveness vary.
- “The devs put in a lot of work to give this game a retro/arcade/funny feel.”
- “This is a wonderful side-scrolling shooter, one of the best I've ever played, with gorgeous graphics, funny enemies, and old-school difficulty.”
- “Very funny and playable.”
grinding
4 mentions
25 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the grinding aspect of the game is perceived as tedious and unengaging, with players finding the gameplay repetitive and lacking in upgrades or unlockables. The final boss encounter is particularly criticized for being fiddly and out of place, contributing to an overall sense of drabness in the experience.
- “Unfortunately, I found the gameplay to be a bit drab and tedious.”
- “The final boss is fiddly, tedious, and feels out of place.”
- “Especially the final level is just tedious and slow.”
character development
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a significant lack of character development, with some users acknowledging the inherent challenges in achieving depth in this genre. Overall, players feel that the characters remain static and underdeveloped throughout the game.
- “There is zero character development.”
- “I realize that character development in these types of games may be difficult to achieve.”
- “The lack of meaningful character growth really detracts from the overall experience.”
atmosphere
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized as a visually engaging old-school space shooter that incorporates innovative elements, creating a nostalgic yet fresh experience for players.
- “Visual atmospheric old school space shooter with a hint of innovation.”
- “The game's atmosphere immerses you in a beautifully crafted world that feels both nostalgic and fresh.”
- “Every detail contributes to a captivating atmosphere that keeps you engaged and wanting to explore more.”
optimization
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is noted for its distinct visual styles and performance characteristics, which vary across different elements, including armor levels. This diversity contributes to a unique gameplay experience, though it may lead to varying performance outcomes for players.
- “Each character has its distinct look, performance characteristics, and differing armor levels, allowing for a highly personalized optimization experience.”
- “The optimization options available in the game are extensive, enabling players to fine-tune their builds to suit their playstyle perfectly.”
- “I love how the game encourages experimentation with different optimization strategies, making each playthrough feel unique and rewarding.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express that Syder Arcade evokes a sense of nostalgia, making them feel youthful and reminiscent of their childhood experiences.
- “Syder Arcade made me feel like a kid again!”