Venusian Vengeance

About

Venusian Vengeance is a retro-style run-and-gun game set in a sci-fi universe. As the last Renegade Sector pilot, you must navigate hostile environments, battle hordes of enemies, and upgrade your ship to defeat the evil Venusian Empire. With its fast-paced action, challenging gameplay, and vibrant pixel art, Venusian Vengeance offers an exhilarating experience for fans of classic shoot 'em ups.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 92 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Venusian Vengeance offers a nostalgic retro experience with simple yet engaging gameplay, reminiscent of classic arcade shooters.
The game features a forgiving checkpoint system and unlimited lives, making it accessible while still providing a challenge, especially in Hard Mode.
Players appreciate the charming pixel art style and the humorous, over-the-top narrative involving space communists, which adds to the overall fun.

The game suffers from significant technical flaws, including poor graphics quality, lack of customization options, and frequent crashes.
Many players find the gameplay repetitive and some levels frustratingly difficult, with enemies launching projectiles that can feel unfair.
The controls are not customizable, which can hinder the experience for some players, particularly those with different accessibility needs.

graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The graphics of the game feature a retro pixel art style that some players find charming, despite its outdated and low-quality appearance. While the aesthetic is intentionally simplistic and reminiscent of older games, there are no options for resolution or customization, which limits visual improvement. Overall, the graphics are described as boldly ugly yet fitting for the game's nostalgic theme, successfully capturing the essence of classic gaming.
- “The graphics are boldly ugly, but charming as heck and the gunplay is rock solid.”
- “It simply worked & ran as smoothly as one would hope a game of its graphical style would.”
- “Out of all the ‘retro’ styled games that try to mimic the feel of previous eras in gaming, this title is one of the few successful games to actually pull it off, from the graphics to the music and the simplicity of its gameplay; it’s well executed all around but doesn’t pretend to be anything beyond a top-down shooter.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution for the game or customize the graphics settings.”
- “There's no way for gamers to try to improve the low-quality graphics.”
gameplay
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
The gameplay is characterized as a 2D retro pixel top-down arcade twin-stick shooter with a generic "shoot aliens" theme, yet it effectively captures the essence of classic gaming. Players appreciate the punishing difficulty balanced by forgiving checkpoints, clean and readable enemy designs, and the overall simplicity that makes it enjoyable, though some suggest the addition of a dodge or shield mechanic could enhance the experience. Overall, while the gameplay is solid and well-executed, it doesn't aim to innovate beyond its straightforward shooter mechanics.
- “It's punishing gameplay with forgiving checkpoints made me want to keep playing a little longer.”
- “Enemies and areas are clean and readable, which is what's most important for the gameplay.”
- “Out of all the retro-styled games that try to mimic the feel of previous eras in gaming, this title is one of the few successful games to actually pull it off. From the graphics to the music and the simplicity of its gameplay, it's well executed all around but doesn’t pretend to be anything beyond a top-down shooter.”
- “It's a 2D retro pixel top-down arcade twin-stick shooter with a painfully generic 'shoot aliens' theme and painfully generic gameplay.”
- “Ultimately, the package just serves as a means of giving context to the gameplay, which is fine.”
- “I think this game would be better if it had a dodge/shield mechanic instead of being unable to dodge anything.”
music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
39%
17%
The music in the game is characterized by a nostalgic PC-music soundtrack that evokes memories of early Amiga and DOS games, fitting the overall mood but lacking standout quality. While the soundtrack is generally well-suited to the game's retro aesthetic, it features short tracks and some repetitive elements that may not mesh well together. Overall, the music complements the slick art and simple gameplay, making it a fun experience, though it doesn't elevate the game beyond its top-down shooter premise.
- “Altogether it's a fun little game, with slick art and music to match.”
- “Out of all the ‘retro’ styled games that try to mimic the feel of previous eras in gaming, this title is one of the few successful games to actually pull it off, from the graphics to the music and the simplicity of its gameplay; it’s well executed all around but doesn’t pretend to be anything beyond a top-down shooter.”
- “The music fits the mood but doesn't stand out on its own as anything special, and for some reason the sound of a gun firing makes the same noise as a barrel hitting the floor.”
- “The 8-bit art design and music is reminiscent of an early age of games, and the soundtrack is pretty good.”
- “The PC music soundtrack and garish colors remind me so much of Amiga games and some very early DOS games.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
64%
21%
The story of "Venusian Vengeance" features an entertaining and absurd plot where players control Jon Dagger, an American commando battling space communists on Venus in a colorful top-down shooter setting. While the narrative is minimal, it adds a fun and engaging element to the gameplay, with humorous touches and memorable character interactions, though overall interest in the game appears to be low among gamers.
- “I like these kinds of games; it has the added bonus of an eye-catching story. Usually, I don't care much for the story, especially in a shooter, but this one was fun and insane.”
- “When you die, there is minor punishment, it's got a great price, and the game's story is actually very entertaining!”
- “Hardly a success story; gamers just weren't all that interested in the game.”
- “Minimal story but enough to know your own name and the sass from the boss at the end of each level.”
- “An amusing little top-down shooter with strongly contrasting colors and a plot worthy of Troma Entertainment, Venusian Vengeance stars Jon Dagger, an American commando sent to Venus to battle evil space communists in the year 196x.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers high replayability due to its continuous gameplay mechanics, allowing players to resume after each death without penalties, which encourages them to keep playing and ultimately complete the game.
- “It is a continuously moving game, where you can continue after each death without being punished for doing so, making replayability a joy and ensuring that you will finish the game, in my humble opinion.”