Blue Rider

 
Developer: Ravegan
Released: Mar 2016
Hours Played: 4.8
Similar To: Madballs In Babo: Invasion / Steel Storm: Burning Retribution / Utopia 9
Rating: 5/5 Parsnips

GAMEPLAY
Blue Rider is steep isometric shooter that retains all that is right and holy about solid twin-stick shooters. In fact, i'ts a thonking good balls-out shoot'em up with gripping gameplay and chonking explosions to die for. You control a space-craft that gently floats on the surface of an unnamed planet while confronted by clattering mechs and deadly turrets of various shapes and sizes. You begin with a weak stream of missile fire and the edges of the screen swivel as you turn. You negotiate your way through nine levels by anticipating the path of the enemy missiles by weaving and dodging your way around them. At the end of a stage you'll encounter a boss, with much bullet-hell danger, who will need to be taken down in order to proceed. 
 

BALANCE & PACE

A multiplier, encouraging action and appropriately entitled the rage-meter, fills as you collect blue dots. You may pick up and fire more devastating bombs at your foes, pick up green dots of health and destroy various structures that will gift you extra fire power to your primary weapon that began so feebly. The game shines in many respects. Number one has got to be its splendid explosions which sound beautiful and are animated fantabulously. This gives it that satisfying, testosterone-fueled chunky feel. Secondly, the movement of your space-ship makes it feel like you're actually controlling a real remotely controlled craft where the momentum that carries you forward and slows you down needs to be constantly gauged. This is what adds to the feeling that a high skill-factor is involved in order to proceed to the higher levels.     

PRESENTATION & DESIGN 

Right when you start the game up, with its obvious steampunk influence, you can tell that the game comes packed with plenty of wallop. The graphics may not be to triple A standard but the robotic enemies and mechanical turrets are animated well and give off a great menacing vibe. Sound effects are also impressively implemented and suit the game's atmosphere. Emphasis seems to be placed on completing each of the nine challenging levels or on smashing your high-score and this is thanks largely to the very few menus in the game. Pressing Play simply takes you to the carousel-like stage-select screen where you simply pick a stage to tackle, while your high-score sits in a small corner on the home-page.   
     

PROGRESS SYSTEM

Blue Rider is not heavy on high-scores or giving out stars and there is pretty much just two ways of playing: (1) you go for a high-score by completing one stage after another or (2) pick the latest stage available and make attempts to crack it. Blue Rider has no upgrade system outside the game where you progressively strengthen your ship. You only find the upgrades by destroying structures while doing the stages themselves. This means it is a game about getting better through familiarity, practice and improving your skills. Yes, it does work but I can't help feeling that they missed a trick by not showing a high-score or any kind of stats for each individual stage. Sure, they do show stats on completing a stage but, like many other games, choose not to store it in any sort of chart thus rendering said stats almost meaningless.

CONCLUSION

The game's refusal to include high-scores or stats for each individual stage would be a disaster for most games yet in Blue Rider the gameplay is so blisteringly strong that this doesn't seem to matter. I constantly find myself going back to the latest stage to try and defeat it just as much as I fire up Stage 1 to attempt a high-score over the long haul. With the game so high on the fun-factor chart, score-runs do seem to be redundant but I still can't help thinking I may have got more out of it if it was included as an option. Some may get a little giddy at first when turning as your whole view swivels as you do and I did miss a mini-map at times. But the game should really be remembered for how it makes the player feel good about skillful maneuverability of the ship and the glee to be gleaned by those thunderous explosions.