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TOP DOG

90%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
story, music
90% User Score Based on 168 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindows
Buy Nowfrom $9.99
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About

"TOP DOG" is an arcade-style aerial combat game with a bit of simulation, offering simple controls and FPS-like handling for mouse & keyboard or gamepad. Engage in increasingly difficult waves of enemies, collect scraps to tech-up and upgrade your aircraft on the fly, and compete against other players on daily leaderboards that reset every 36 hours. This game requires minimal hardware, with all footage shown captured on a 10-year-old Intel® HD 4600.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
TOP DOG screenshot
TOP DOG screenshot
TOP DOG screenshot
TOP DOG screenshot
TOP DOG screenshot

90%
Audience ScoreBased on 168 reviews
gameplay14 positive mentions
stability3 negative mentions
  • The game features charming, smooth gameplay that is infinitely replayable, making it a great choice for arcade-style dogfighting enthusiasts.
  • The upgrade system is engaging, allowing players to feel the impact of their choices on their aircraft's performance, enhancing the overall experience.
  • The game is visually appealing with crisp graphics and sound design, creating an enjoyable atmosphere for quick gaming sessions.
  • The controls can be frustrating, particularly with issues related to controller support and the inability to customize bindings, which detracts from the overall experience.
  • The game lacks depth and content, with limited variety in upgrades and enemies, leading to a repetitive gameplay loop that may not satisfy all players.
  • Recent updates have introduced a steep difficulty curve and removed features like endless mode, which has disappointed some players seeking a more casual experience.
  • gameplay
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is praised for its charm, smoothness, and addictive nature, with intuitive controls and meaningful upgrades that enhance the experience. While some players appreciate the focus on core mechanics and the fun of aerial combat, others express frustration with enemy accuracy and a lack of defensive options. Overall, the game offers a rewarding arcade experience, though it may feel light on content for those seeking depth beyond high-score chasing.

    • “This game is charming, deceptively simple, and infinitely replayable because of its excellent, smooth gameplay.”
    • “Intuitive drop-in gameplay, but has some depth under the hood (knowing some basics about aerial combat actually does help, despite using an arcadey, science fiction-y flight model).”
    • “Highly addictive and highly rewarding arcade gameplay.”
    • “Be prepared to die a lot to learn the mechanics like any roguelike.”
    • “This game will do nothing but piss you off with its carnival stall game mechanics set to make you fail no matter how you play or what upgrades are taken.”
    • “Has some gameplay frustrations, like a lack of feedback when taking bullet fire and swarming AI that makes runs more reliant on your luck than on your skill.”
  • graphics
    19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are generally well-received, featuring a vibrant and smooth art style that complements the gameplay. While not on par with high-end titles, the low-poly visuals are appreciated for their charm and performance efficiency, allowing for high frame rates and responsive controls. Overall, the aesthetic choices contribute positively to the game's appeal, despite some minor graphical glitches.

    • “The game's visuals are vibrant and smooth.”
    • “Fantastic little dogfighting game, the controls feel pretty good, great visuals while being very easy to run, and interesting enemies to fight.”
    • “I like the polygon graphics, it has character.”
    • “It's not quite 'Ace Combat' level graphics, to be sure, but they look just fine and are not too distracting.”
    • “The graphics aren't the kind of stuff you see in an Unreal Engine showcase, but they're still very good for the used style and the modeling of the aircraft is nicely done.”
    • “Expect graphical glitches and various other problems.”
  • story
    16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story aspect is largely absent, with players noting that it lacks a traditional narrative or character development, focusing instead on a mission-based system that offers quick challenges without depth. While some players appreciate the arcade-style gameplay and upgrade mechanics, they express a desire for a more engaging story or lore to enhance the experience. Overall, the consensus is that the game is designed for short, casual play rather than a rich storytelling experience.

    • “Story is either like a campaign with characters or something like Dark Souls that lets you explore the universe of the game by dropping little snippets of lore.”
    • “Top Dog isn't designed to have a story to win or anything, but delivers a quick challenge for avid gamers willing to spend some free time before going to work, with easy-to-pick-up-and-play controls.”
    • “Best hope with story mode and variant aircraft.”
    • “Story either like a campaign with characters or something like Dark Souls that lets you explore the universe of the game you are in by dropping little snippets of lore.”
    • “Once you get your controller bindings to work it plays very well, I hope more weapon variety is added soon. Looking into the dev's social media accounts, it seems that they intend this to stay an arcade-style game with no story nor 'extra fluff'.”
    • “☑ no story”
  • music
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in these games is minimal, with only "Furious Angels" featuring a notable soundtrack, while the others lack any significant musical accompaniment. Players often recommend supplementing the experience with external soundtracks, such as music from "Ace Combat" or "Top Gun," to enhance immersion and enjoyment. Overall, the absence of a proper in-game soundtrack is a common critique among users.

    • “Blast some Ace Combat: Assault Horizon music with the camera shake at max for Michael Bay-levels of immersion.”
    • “With this recommendation, I would also suggest listening to the extended version of 'Gallant Char' in the background due to this game having no dogfight soundtrack.”
    • “Great to kill time with or play with the Top Gun soundtrack blasting away!”
    • “The only thing this game is lacking is a proper soundtrack.”
    • “With this recommendation, I would also recommend listening to the extended version of 'Gallant Char' in the background due to this game having no dogfight soundtrack.”
    • “There's no frills on these games - if I'm remembering right, 'Furious Angels' has a little bit of a soundtrack, and I don't think the other two do.”
  • stability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, the game's stability is generally positive, with users noting it runs well on Linux via Proton and features good cinematics. However, some players have reported occasional graphical glitches and other minor issues.

    • “Not buggy, good cinematics; I don't feel overwhelmed nor do I feel unchallenged.”
    • “Runs great on Linux through Proton.”
    • “Expect graphical glitches and various other problems.”
    • “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable.”
    • “I encountered numerous bugs that disrupted my gameplay experience.”
  • optimization
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization features an upgrade system that allows players to enhance their aircraft's performance and durability, tailored to the randomized missions. While the current implementation shows potential, it is noted to be incomplete and in need of further refinement. Overall, players appreciate the solid controls and graphics, indicating a promising foundation for future improvements.

    • “Upgrades can affect the type of gun or missiles you have, the performance of your aircraft, or its durability.”
    • “There's an upgrade system for the player to tweak the performance of their fighter from one wave to the next of the randomized and daily refreshing missions.”
    • “It's clearly not done and has loads of room for improvement, but for people like me who are obsessed with fighter jets, it's a pretty neat arcade game with good controls, very nice aesthetics in terms of graphics, good performance, and some small progression for now with the promise of more to come.”
    • “The upgrade system is convoluted and makes it difficult to optimize your aircraft effectively.”
    • “I often find that the upgrades don't significantly impact performance, leaving me frustrated with the optimization options.”
    • “Balancing upgrades for different missions feels tedious and poorly designed, hindering the overall optimization experience.”
  • replayability
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is highly regarded for its replayability, attributed to its charming and smooth gameplay, as well as a diverse range of enemies and upgrades that keep the experience fresh and engaging.

    • “This game is charming, deceptively simple, and infinitely replayable because of its excellent, smooth gameplay.”
    • “The game is very replayable due to enemy variety and upgrade variety.”
    • “The game lacks significant changes in gameplay, making it feel repetitive after the first playthrough.”
    • “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to replay the game.”
    • “The limited choices and outcomes mean that replaying the game feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
  • grinding
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively time-consuming and tedious, primarily due to the necessity of collecting scraps for upgrades and the lack of options to reroll upgrade choices. This has led some to feel that it requires an unrealistic amount of time investment.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The upgrade process is tedious, first because scraps are needed for upgrades, and second there is no option to reroll the choices presented.”
  • atmosphere
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its exceptional sound design and artistic elements, which work together to create a unique and immersive experience for players.

    • “Great use of sound design and art to create a truly distinct atmosphere when playing.”

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