Vertical Strike Endless Challenge
- April 28, 2017
- Project ICKX
Get on Steam"Vertical Strike Endless Challenge" is a flight-based action game with two arcade modes: Anti-Air and Anti-Ship. The objective is to wipe out endless waves of enemies using a range of weapons and strategic choices. The game is designed for quick, enjoyable play sessions, with the option to tweet your score and check your global ranking.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers fun and easy-to-pick-up gameplay with responsive controls, making it accessible for both casual and experienced players.
- Vertical Strike features a variety of weapons and combat scenarios, providing an engaging arcade-style experience reminiscent of classic flight games like Ace Combat.
- The game is well-optimized for lower-end hardware, allowing it to run smoothly while delivering decent graphics and a vibrant visual style.
- The game lacks content, with only two aircraft and limited modes, leading to repetitive gameplay that can become boring quickly.
- Controller support is inconsistent, with issues in remapping controls and compatibility with certain controllers, making it frustrating for players who prefer using gamepads.
- There is no story mode or campaign, which limits the overall depth and replayability of the game, making it feel more like a tech demo than a fully fleshed-out title.
- gameplay30 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by intuitive mechanics and immersive challenges, offering a dynamic experience that appeals to fans of action and shoot 'em up genres. While the "vertical strike" feature provides fluid and accessible flying mechanics with customizable combat options, some players note a lack of content and variation in enemy mechanics, leading to a repetitive experience. Overall, the game delivers solid gameplay with stunning visuals, but may feel limited in depth and variety, resembling a tech demo rather than a fully fleshed-out title.
“With a combination of intuitive gameplay, immersive challenges, and a vibrant visual style, the game offers an engaging and dynamic experience that appeals to both action game fans and shoot 'em up enthusiasts.”
“The combat mechanics are enriched by a variety of weapons and special abilities, allowing players to customize their playstyle and face different types of enemies with adaptive strategies.”
“With its accessible gameplay, stunning graphics, and rewarding progression system, the game provides a rich and engaging experience.”
“Mechanically, it works fine, and everything works, but the cannon aiming is kind of funny, and there just isn't enough variation in enemy mechanics to really make it feel engaging.”
“On seeing the recommendations for it as a clone of the Ace Combat gameplay, I decided to give it a go, and while that is accurate, there's just nothing else to the game aside from dog fighting above a featureless terrain which quickly gets quite dull, leaving the game to feel like an early alpha release to show the gameplay.”
“There isn't a story mode or campaign or anything like that, so gameplay is split into modes of defeating wave after wave of enemy aircraft or naval vessels.”
- story17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 24 % negative mentions
The game lacks a traditional story or campaign, focusing instead on wave-based gameplay without narrative depth. Players seeking a rich storyline or complex upgrades will be disappointed, as the experience is primarily about straightforward, arcade-style action. While some appreciate the simplicity and challenge, many reviewers express a desire for more content, including a story mode and additional features.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“Overall, if you're looking for a decent ace combat clone to kill some time and aren't worried about a story, this is your game.”
“The game is very nice, but as mentioned, it lacks content; it would make a 10/10 if more aircraft, multiplayer (vs or coop), different maps and scenes, a story or a campaign, etc. is added.”
“Overall, if you're looking for a decent ace combat clone to kill some time and aren't worried about a story, this is your game. Just know it's severely lacking in content, but I honestly don't mind the price tag. I just wish the developers were a bit more upfront about the lack of content; they make the game sound more exciting than it actually is and don't mention the fact there's only two maps and two jets.”
“There is no story, campaign, or multiplayer.”
“There's no story, no extra frills, no nonsense.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 19 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Vertical Strike" are generally described as vibrant and detailed, effectively enhancing the game's fast-paced aerial combat experience. While some users note that the terrain graphics could be improved and consider the overall visuals to be average or passable, many appreciate the modern aesthetics and find the graphics satisfactory for the gameplay. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the engaging experience, despite some mixed opinions on their quality.
“The visual design is captivating, with high-quality graphics that impressively portray the sense of speed and grandeur of aerial combat.”
“The graphics are vibrant and detailed, creating a visually appealing experience that complements the game's fast-paced action.”
“With its accessible gameplay, stunning graphics, and rewarding progression system, the game provides a rich and engaging experience.”
“Yes, the graphics on the terrain could've been better, but the gameplay is what I love here.”
“2 planes, PS2 graphics, endless, third person only.”
“Graphically, it’s average.”
- music10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the well-crafted soundtrack and sound effects that enhance the immersive aerial battles. While some players enjoy the nostalgic, arcade-style tunes reminiscent of classic titles like Ace Combat, others find the music repetitive and less appealing compared to the series' later epic scores. Overall, the soundtrack is considered fitting for the gameplay, though opinions on its quality vary.
“The soundtrack and sound effects are equally well-crafted, intensifying the immersion and frenetic pace of the aerial battles.”
“And the soundtrack is just perfect for this kind of game.”
“Good old arcade PlayStation Ace Combat 3 style endless pew pew pew with dope music.”
“The only thing I didn't like was the music, but that is more of a subjective thing since it is more like Ace Combat 3 than the later 'epic movie' music the series was known for.”
“Music is pretty repetitive, though, and there really doesn't seem to be any voice acting either, which is probably expected of an indie game like this.”
“Graphics are passable enough, music is passable enough, controller setup works really well (I wish you could use the gun button for menu accept, though, instead of the missile button), and I haven't run into any performance issues or crashes.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers a mix of replayability experiences; while some players find it consistently engaging and exciting, others feel that once achievements are unlocked, the replay value diminishes significantly. The inclusion of diverse gameplay elements contributes positively to replayability, but certain limitations may hinder long-term engagement.
“This format not only ensures a constantly new and exciting gameplay experience, but also promotes a high replayability factor.”
“The graphics are decent and the replay value is certainly there.”
“It was an excellent first draft but needed more; it has no replayability once you unlock all of the achievements.”
“The graphics are decent and the replay value certainly there.”
“+ surprising amount of replayability.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game is technically solid and well-optimized, providing stable performance across various devices without any reported crashes or performance issues. While the graphics and music are considered average, the controller setup is effective, though some users desire more customization options.
“Technically, the game is solid and well optimized, ensuring stable performance on different devices.”
“Graphics are passable enough, music is passable enough, and the controller setup works really well. I wish you could use the gun button for menu accept instead of the missile button, but I haven't run into any performance issues or crashes.”
“The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
“Despite the interesting concept, the lack of proper optimization makes it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
“I experienced constant lag and long loading times, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
- humor2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is noted to be somewhat unintentional, stemming from the awkward mechanics of cannon aiming and the player's struggles with a complicated controller scheme. While the game functions well mechanically, the lack of enemy variation and the player's challenges create a humorous yet frustrating experience rather than an engaging one.
“The humor in the game is spot on, with witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions that keep you entertained throughout.”
“I love how the game uses absurd situations to create laughter; it never takes itself too seriously, which makes for a fun experience.”
“The quirky animations and funny sound effects add a delightful layer of humor that makes even the most challenging moments enjoyable.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is notably compromised by buggy and broken controller support, leading to a frustrating experience for players relying on this feature.
“Controller support is buggy and broken.”
