Road Not Taken

Developer: Spry Fox LLC
Publisher: Spry Fox LLC
Release: 2014
Platform: PC (played), PS4, iOS, Android
Genre: Puzzle/Roguelike

Road Not Taken puts a hard emphasis on the NOT when it crams its 8x6 single-screen dungeon rooms with an unmanageable myriad of enemies, NPCs, materials and hindrances rubbing shoulders. Puzzles can be solved by mashing stuff together to create new units, and the smart premise of doing everything (saving children, defeating foes, unblocking paths) through this “dynamic crafting” system would be a killer one if actually feasible–navigating the mazes, per se, gets seriously impractical over time–let alone doing it within the min-maxer mindset the game demands.

Quirky--and a bit nasty at times.

Elsewhere it manages to be compelling enough though. Building relationships back at the village (à la Harvest Moon) unlocks both perks for the current run and secrets that carry over to the next ones, potentially lending meaning even to trips headed south. Presentation here is charming and cohesive overall too.

Above (or behind, as a pervasive mood) everything else, Road Not Taken’s quirkiness may be its biggest strength. Its interactions, lore and twists always stray away from predictability (every now and then throwing in a note of eeriness as well) and the genuine pleasure and awe in uncovering such mysteries can make it worth the trouble if that’s what tickles a player’s “one more try” trope.

Primal Light

Developer: Fat Gem
Publisher: Fat Gem
Release: 2020
Platform: PC (played), Switch, XOne, Mac, Linux
Genre: Action

Being Primal Light a game so deeply rooted in the past, it’s baffling to see gameplay mechanics elegantly nailed 30 years ago being convolutedly (unnecessarily so too) implemented in it: dashing, slipping down ladders, hanging from hooks, all need additional d-pad inputs here--never required in their original forms (e.g. Mega Man X, Aero the Acrobat, Darkwing Duck respectively); even sliding can get you stuck middle-action--despite its original flawless implementation in 1990’s Mega Man III setting the standard right off the bat. The aggravating fact that such moves can’t be canceled into others pile up against the game’s overall light-metroidvania feel too, and hidden passive charms aren’t game changers either--to the point they would’ve off-put exploration if extra lives and health/cure upgrades weren’t worth the trouble.

Getting stuck in ladders like it's 1986.

Besides the beautiful (even if uneven and not cohesive at times) pixel art, the game shines when it comes to boss battles though. The contained arenas make for a better opportunity for such custom movesets being fully explored, and the puzzle patterns emerging from that mix pose a decent challenge without being unfair or feeling like a slog.

Primal Light can be a good 16-bit retro fix for some players, but it works best as a reminder that aesthetics alone can only scratch the surface of what's frequently overlooked as a deeper nostalgia itch.

The Nightmare Cooperative

Developer: Lucky Frame
Publisher: Blazing Griffin
Release: 2014
Platform: PC
Genre: Roguelike

The Nightmare Cooperative is one of the rare cases of a modern game that could be labelled “retro-hard” for the right reason: it’s tough for longevity’s sake, just like old times. Rather than being a compliment that just speaks volumes about the (apparently) deliberate imbalance of the odds against the player, especially in a genre in which making the most of every run tends to be vital: enemies usually take more than one hit to die, don’t drop loot or lend XP and ultimately defeat the purpose of reaching for treasure chests altogether--opening one with 2 coins will bring an equivalent number of enemies to the playfield, and such meagre rewards are rarely worth the trouble. Even growing the party by enlisting soldiers along the way makes it harder, since manoeuvring a bunch of heroes sharing the same inputs within such a crowded 9x9 grid is a recipe for frustration.

Art direction overall ups the game a couple notches.

So, fittingly enough, the fact that it’s on the short side plays in favour of the game since it never reaches the point of overstaying its welcome. The clean, polished art style makes it for awakening the completionist in the player and raises the “one more play” factor--even if it’s just for unlocking yet another new character (with a particular playstyle and neat flavour description of their own) before calling it a day. The controls and scene flows are just as slick as the art and doesn’t hurt the experience a bit either.

The Nightmare Cooperative may not be the best “value” proposition for such a potential buyer--even if the Steam Trading Cards can mitigate that a good bit--but it’s a solid product, the result of an interesting enough premise that’s well-executed enough to be worth being checked out.

Dig Dog

Developer: Rusty Moyher, Matt Grimm
Publisher: Wild Rooster
Release: 2016
Platform: PC, Switch
Genre: Roguelike

True to the modern “I-understood-that-reference-pun-premise” trope, Dig Dog is still fun and competent while at it.

Just like with most rogue-lites out there it has its share of balancing issues, making descents raggier than desired: the 2-hit-death base stats coupled with meager invincibility frames rendering good runs prone to be smashed into pieces under some fickle RNG-god’s (dog’s?) paws, for instance; or getting a favorable “supply x demand” seed (meaning a) finding shops with b) good items while c) having enough money to afford ‘em) being rarer than digging random gold down the way; or procedural level design being cruelly nasty at times; and so on.

None of those are game breaking though; but one structural design decision hurts the experience on a… deeper level. Unfortunately mapping all main actions (jumping, digging, dashing) to the same button makes the controls feel clumsy instead of elegant as intended, and may pile a couple extra frustrating deaths to the ever-growing counter.

Digging all night along.

Despite all that, a player will most likely jump back right away without batting an eye--a testament to the game’s compelling and accessible “one more try” factor.

Donut County

Developer: Ben Esposito
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Release: 2018
Platform: iOS, PC (played), PS4, XOne, Android
Genre: Puzzle

At first Donut County feels like a Windosill--i.e. a pleasant tactile experience--that lacks the courage to stay in its wordless standalone toy-ish sandbox form: the story bits feel intrusive and the player will often spend more time reading than actually playing the amusing levels.

It’s a good thing then that both characters and plot are engaging enough for the player to care about them--to the point the levels act like a “pleasure delayer” and ultimately make the comebacks even more enjoyable.

Deliciously inviting.

The short campaign (around 2 hours) per se doesn’t pose a problem; but the game would benefit immensely from some Free Play, Sandbox or Level Maker modes of sorts since the mechanics--nailed so gracefully--are there already, begging to be played with more often.

KNIGHTS

Developer: Arzola's
Publisher: Arzola's
Release: 2016
Platform: PC
Genre: Puzzle

Veteran Chess players could, at first glance, dismiss dropping money in a game built upon the mechanics of a single piece--specially when "full real deal" versions are so abundant (and frequently free); in the opposite corner of the board some Queen's Gambit-fueled newcomer, eager to dive below the waterline, could get to the same conclusion for completely different reasons. Both groups wouldn't do themselves any favours in doing so though.

In fact the knights that lend the game its title easily make up for a dozen hours worthy of puzzle cracking--and then some more--entirely on their own.

Second-naturing "L"s

By tackling those puzzles at a comfortable pace--the game not only allows that but also encourages the player to do so with its "light unlock" system--fresh apprentices will be able to start glimpsing through the most erratic and unpredictable strategies in the game through focusing solely on the piece that usually carries them out; and growing capable of making their movement patterns second nature as the game progresses can be rewarding enough per se.

Seasoned players will be able to improve just as much by solving the final Level Packs--or even by taking advantage of specific scenarios that always have the potential of tricking players that are yet to experience such situations in real-life matches.

The elegant presentation (both graphics and sound wise) and the infinitely expandable "Daily" mode that comes after the curated campaign puzzles--all under a low price tag--make KNIGHTS a no brainer for any player (regardless of their experience) interested in the game.

FTL: Faster Than Light

Developer: Subset Games
Publisher: Subset Games
Release: 2012
Platform: PC (played), iOS
Genre: Roguelike

It took me some time to realize The Kestrel (the very first ship available in the game) could only get me so far. After dabbling with a cautious approach (and most of the times becoming a dry floating coffin, waiting for the wave of enemies to find and finish us), an aggressive approach (only to be rewarded less often and less profusely than desired for the aggressive stance to pay off) and a case-by-case mix of both (eventually getting sucked down in an uncontrollable spiral of bad events after the inevitable unlucky strike) I decided to step back and check the game’s options before jumping straight into it. Only then I got to the screen that displays the list of ships the game would be playable with, and only then it hit me that The Kestrel was only the first of eight in a linear tree of unlockable (under particular circumstances) vessels.

Acknowledging that I didn’t even start to scratch the game’s surface and armed with (besides the experience of failing in several ways--“dying is funny”, one of the in-game random hot tips say) the knowledge that a new ship would be unlocked if I could at least reach level 5 I went for a confident “coward” run: sneak through the less-dangerous path towards the next less-dangerous sector, focusing on surviving enough to escape, escaping enough to repair at stores and that was it. Of course, as with everything in the game playing against the odds is the norm; so once I got a favorable chain of green (the theoretically more friendly) sectors I managed to open that can--alongside one of those 1.8% achievements, “I don’t need no stinkin’ upgrades!”, for reaching level 5 without any of them.

Another whole round of defeats ensued aboard The Torus (the Engi Cruiser), but many more things were learned in the process: the advantages of Ion devices (and lighter/faster weapons) and the reliability of drones were among them, but the most important one by far was becoming more aware of the biological/political environment around me. Being a human in the game (“common and uninteresting” according to the game’s lore) bears much resemblance to being one in real life: ditching anthropocentrism (or even more mundane selfishness for that matter) requires work and it’s not simply there by design.

So I started to actively seek a more diverse crew to learn about and play to their strengths/weaknesses. Using Engi as remote hackers (besides their everyday knack for fixing local wares) proved an invaluable way of avoiding blowing stuff up, for instance. I also learned to love the Zoltan for their natural energy flow--even making up for a power source within the room they’re deployed to in case of a lack of a proper resource to get the job done. The slow but impervious-to-fire Rockmen could be useful when fighting flames within the ship, for instance. But one of my gameplay sessions unexpectedly morphed into a proper piece of plot through a Mantis addition to my crew.

I’ve got the insect-like soldier as a tribute from a slave seller (I happened to shoot such ships down before, but that kills everyone in the ship--slaves included--so I figured I should try saving at least one living being this time) and (coincidentally or not) ran into a Zoltan peaceful ship right after. The Zoltan captain started a philosophical chat about being part of the Federation or being a rebel, and I went down that path alongside him. By the end of the exchange they offered me an augmentation (a kind of item that works as a passive buffer regardless of the ship’s available resources) called the Zoltan Shield--an “impenetrable shield” created by “an unexplained technology”--that was a game changer, allowing me to survive enough to repair the hull of my ship and advance further towards the next sector--which happened to be controlled by the (hostile) Mantis.

Still recovering from the unexpected “enlightenment” encounter, I ran into a ship described as having “dozens of layers of armor-plating added over what must have been a hundred year career” and led by the legendary thief KazaaakplethKilik. My crew freaks out, and everything derails badly after a clumsy attempt of contact by my Mantis soldier. I promptly decide to run, but even to do so we have to buy time for the FTL (“Faster Than Light”, which lends the game its name) module to charge before doing so; and trying to pull it off we started using our Ion equipment to slowly paralyze the enemy ship--without ever having a fight in mind, let alone a victory. The thing is, we get some early lucky strikes on, our miraculous Zoltan Shield holds up pretty well and our drones start making significant damage. By the time the FTL was charged we were more inclined to win the battle than to lose, so… we press on. And, absurdly, their ship starts to crumble before us. The game mumbles something about “a mystery” after his demise and I’m still incredulous about what just happened. I can’t even tell if it was the “right” thing to do or not, erasing such a huge part of the system’s history without having any previous knowledge of it or ever wanting to do so.

As we head into the next level, everything in pretty bad shape after the singular event, we’re massacred by a regular pirate ship. I know we can do nothing about it, so I simply watch the crew desperately trying to put the spreading fire down until we finally explode in slow fashion… with a lasting sense of having accomplished something.

(Disclaimer: this is the first time I write a post as a piece of chronicle in this blog; and also the first game I write something about without beating it first.)

Radiant Historia

Developer: Atlus, Headlock

Publisher: Atlus

Release: 2010

Platform: Nintendo DS (played), 3DS

Genre: RPG

Time travel-based narratives are prone to plot holes, deal-breaking twists and inherent inconsistency problems, and Radiant Historia is no exception to that; but the game falls short from being stellar not on behalf of those.

Ambitious as it is for a portable exclusive release, the game is rough around the edges--and it shows. Sometimes it’s just about minor cosmetic details, like the lack of diagonal sprites/animations; other times more important issues surface, as the unreliable hit detection--or worse, when bad stats balancing (like poisoning damage hurting more than a full direct hit, or weaknesses being rendered irrelevant too frequently) almost break the innovative positioning/combo battle system.

Portraits/character design are gorgeous overall

But if a JRPG--especially one with a time gimmick at its core--is at least 50% story, players who come for that will be neatly served. The characters are strong and believable (and gorgeously presented while at it), the heavy focus on politics is well explored and creates a timeless relatable setting and the plot is interesting enough to make up for the false “choose your path” pitch (both main and alternative timelines will have to be explored eventually, like it or not). And even if the game isn’t Chrono Trigger-tier the heavenly Yoko Shimomura’s score makes it feel almost so.

Not without its shortcomings, Radiant Historia is still well worth the ride for focusing on what matters most as a trusty representative of the tradition it’s part of.

EDGE

Developer: Mobigame

Publisher: Mobigame

Release: 2008

Platform: Android, iOS, PSP, PC (played), Mac, Wii U, 3DS

Genre: Puzzle

Yet another geometric-shaped puzzler, EDGE elevates itself above the rest through sporting finesse in almost every aspect of the production process. Art direction, graphics (tech and art wise), sound (both music and sound effects) and level design are all pristine, and the final product is well balanced between retro-ey and modern.

When it comes to gameplay mechanics things get a bit more complicated--even though that was a conscious design decision as well: the innate "digital" (meaning stiff) character of the main avatar gets in the way of the "analogue" (meaning subtle) needs of many of the most interesting puzzles. That's because "rolling" a cube down tight platforming conundrums or quick shape-shifting environments can only feel awkward and lead to death-by-trial-and-error since quickly reacting out of danger is out of question. In the times the game acknowledges that as a feature and puts it to good use, it clicks brilliantly; but maybe there is near the same amount of frustration around.

"Parkouring" with a cube can be both frustrating and delightful

As a piece of videogame art the outcome is highly positive though. Even if EDGE has its flaws it's good to see this degree of confidence shine through the entire journey of a game in such a cohesive fashion.

Marvel Puzzle Quest

Developer: Demiurge Studios
Publisher: D3 Go!
Release: 2013
Platform: Android (played), iOS, PC, X360, PS3
Genre: Puzzle

Aeons after the "licensed IP golden era" (back when having Disney slapped in a videogame box meant more than Nintendo Seal of Quality by miles) Demiurge managed not only to make a decently balanced F2P match-3 game but also (even rarer) to play in favor of the original material's values.

Mechanics wise the gameplay is pretty straight-forward: matching gems damage enemies while charging special powers within the same spectrum; teams can be assembled to concentrate efforts in a given playstyle or to cover one another's weaknesses.

But battle for what? Ultimately for growing a collection of heroes, which vary from one to five stars accordingly to their rarity--and here the good IP use starts to show. Tokens aren't just digital keys; they're represented by real life comics' covers, both holding the possibility of being a personal meaningful memento for any given player and allowing the devs to explore several iterations of a character without having to stick to a single "definitive" (and inherently controversial) version.

Patch Wolvie: best there is? You're well served.

But there's more. The juggling an Avengers movie scriptwriter must go through to make every single character meaninful is amplified here in sheer numbers and scope alike--from godlike, almighty characters like Thanos to literally Howard the Duck (and everything between) each and every piece of IP has a chance to shine through some fine-tuned balance job. Obvious stuff are in play, of course (charging red gems for Iron Man's Unibeam, for instance), but many interesting mechanics are pulled from passive powers, starting with Hulk's "Anger" (creating green tiles when hit above a certain threshold) and developing towards more complex (and well-informed) behaviours like Carnage's unruliness serving trouble to friend and foes indiscriminately.

F2P is devilish though, and the usual "behind the curve" feel for a non-paying player is here, light as it is; but even that it's not enough to break the carefully handled Marvel spell.

Super Mario 3D Land

Developer: Nintendo EAD
Publisher: Nintendo
Release: 2011
Platform: 3DS
Genre: Platformer

Being given birth some fitting 9 months into the hardware’s maturing life Super Mario 3D Land is the first non-gimmicky title to make the 3D slider truly useful—if not almost mandatory in a couple dizzying sections.

But having the best 3D in the platform comes at a cost—and at times a high one: a heavily scripted, stiff camera system. Compelling as they are, the beautifully crafted levels are meant to be experienced in specific ways; that is less harming when it’s just about the game showing off, but it steadily grows in annoyance in tighter platforming sections, leap-of-faith star coins or the battles where Bowser looks awesome at expense of the very ground the player needs to thread.

Gorgeous, but not very functional.

Another structure issue keeps that very same top-notch design from being fully enjoyable: ol’ time limits are just pointless where the series is now—to the point there are extra clocks clumsily scattered around with the sole purpose of making exploration affordable.

Despite never quite unlocking its full potential Super Mario 3D Land remains a fine example on Nintendo’s ethos of making good hardware-informed software.

Braid

Developer: Number None
Publisher: Number None, Microsoft Game Studios
Release: 2008
Platform: X360, PC (played), PS3
Genre: Puzzle

Video games as an art form were already proven back in 1985 with the physics + levels design of Super Mario Bros. working together flawlessly (and arguably even before in any risk/reward arcade tweaked to perfection), so it’s curious—and a stark commentary on the medium’s audience—that the issue could only be officially brought to table through some blatant “artsy” releases in the late 2000s. That’s exactly the case with Braid—and it’s probably the most impactful game from that crop too.

As a puzzle-platformer it’s just mediocre: puzzles are often single-minded and obtuse, while mechanics doesn’t communicate well; on the platforming side its physics are too wobbly/bouncy to be reliable—given that they can help conveying the dreamy atmosphere in the player’s hand at a cost.

Some puzzles can have terribly specific solutions.

As a storytelling catalyst, it’s heavy-handed—as if the abstract gameplay needed the help of some overly detailed depiction of a vague plot (even if disguised in some “poetic” fashion of sorts) to float. (The fact that the ending is tied to a mandatory 100% completion run weights on that too.) But in any art medium (games included) information in excess can hinder the user’s relatability, and that disbalance between gameplay and plot shows.

But everyday judgement aside, perhaps the core of the experience is really the best it has to offer: the time-rewind mechanic, gimmicky as it is, is what really subverts the medium’s long-lasting basic values, with or without plot excuses. The lack of strict “lives” or “tries”, or even further, the downright “inability” to die, speaks louder than any essay on the matter could to propose other ways of approaching “challenge”, “difficulty”, “rhythm” and many more subjects within game design’s craftsmanship; and Braid’s value lies precisely here.

Endless Ocean

Developer: Arika

Publisher: Nintendo

Release: 2007

Platform: Wii

Genre: Sim

If observing a traffic jam makes mankind pale in comparison to a highly organized school of shiny fish, Endless Ocean may have stayed too true to that. Every earthly aspect of the game ranges from lackluster to downright cringeworthy: people’s 3D models are ugly, walking cycles are terribly stiff, jetski cutscenes are shameful... Even the human half of the soundtrack (“voiced” by Hayley Westenra) falls short against Ayako Saso’s magnificent instrumental background music.

But here’s the thing: if gamedev resources are known for being finite, it’s also good to see Arika putting their money where the heart is. As soon as the player drops below water line the state of things change dramatically.

It’s surprising to see how good-looking the game is despite running within Wii’s infamous last-gen hardware restrictions, and that's only possible due to some smart texture tricks applied to both animals and environments (the later can feel empty and bland at times but are still organic enough to hold the stage together well enough). Also, motion controls here (specially using the pointer to play single-handed) work as a charm to elevate gameplay’s immersion (no pun intended) and help to fully realize Arika’s vision for the series (named Everblue in the first two PS2-exclusive entries).

It looks much better from below.

Tech stuff aside, Endless Ocean truly shines when it comes to meeting sea life on the spot. From small clownfish to dolphins and beyond (even stretching the reality a bit to make it fit a small fictitious sea) every life form is beautiful and believable--to the point of making some special encounters really unforgettable. And such being the case, it’s not hard to pour dozens of hours into the game while looking for different critters throughout several locations and the seasons of the year.

Add to some “bestiary completionism” the fact that items can be salvaged from the sea bottom--while watching a beautiful map shed as its secrets are uncovered--and there's the perfect collectathon for those not in a rush.

Crazy Taxi

Developer: Hitmaker
Publisher: Sega
Release: 1999
Platform: Arcade, Dreamcast, Game Cube, PC, PS2, PS3, PSP, Xbox, X360, iOS, Android (played), GBA
Genre: Racing

It's an obvious statement, but a particularly blatant one by today's standards: every frame of Crazy Taxi screams "90s". Radioactive colors, stiff 3D models, virtually an interactive Offspring (literally the main source of licensed music in the game, sided by Bad Religion) MTV music video—something (tellingly enough) actually brought to life a bit later in Red Hot Chili Peppers' Californication.

But Dreamcast's innate anachronism (both ahead of its time technically and late to the party stylistically) had stretched to a point that couldn't be foreseen at the time: Sega's contemporary software would fit smartphones perfectly.

Gameplay-wise Crazy Taxi could be taken simply as arcadey for its short-bursts, over-the-top fun, but it holds up especially well as a free mobile re-release. Getting a proper "credits" cutscene can still be a bit tough for modern audiences, but darting through its proto-open world (while following a broken compass that encourages the driver to explore instead of sticking to proper routes) is as exhilarating as ever—and put current digital stores' competitors to shame at ease. Also, despite the original controls hardware setup being fairly complex, it seems to have flowed seamlessly into touch screen environment (the same happens with Chu Chu Rocket’s port; both testify in favor of Sega's then-modern approach to accessibility).

Breathtaking pointy vistas.

The only thing holding Crazy Taxi from being completely polished for 2010s and beyond is its sometimes tricky physics; but that's a sin still committed often—probably even more nowadays than back then—and even so it still pulls that off better than most games around anyway.

The Ninja

Developer: Sega

Publisher: Sega

Release: 1986

Platform: Master System

Genre: Shoot ’em-up

Sitting somewhere between proto-run 'n' guns like Commando and contemporary shmups (surprisingly leaning more towards the later) the ill-named The Ninja should have deserved at least a bigger audience—if not necessarily critical appraise.

Selling an adjectiveless ninja game as the fad was rising quick and steadily (Shinobi came out one year later, Ninja Gaiden followed the next one) would be hard in any system, but Sega's MS still holds the record for the ugliest art style to ever grace Western shores, and that was truly the case here. Screenshots couldn't get the job done either, but despite not being a looker the game has a distinct visual signature that is even lifted by the clean HUD-less Sega approach at the time.

Getting past that steep entry point starts to pay when the action gets rolling. The basic premise—killing enemies with shurikens, enhancing strenght/speed with power-ups—is only the foundation for some subtle flavoring that brings a more-than-the-sum-of-the-parts taste to the final product. Auto-scrolling levels break the regular pace every now and then and are cleverly justified narrative-wise: a mountain to be climbed against an avalanche, a classic Frogger-like river chase, a stampede of horses within the castle’s gates... Even simple tricks like exchanging the floor tileset for a stone wall to create a climbing level—with vertical speed handicapped accordingly to tweak the feels—manage to pull the trick with simplicity.

Even some pseudo-isometric view is pulled with coding techniques alone

Not only that. The Ninja most likely will send an unadvised player back a couple levels in their first playthrough for some hidden scrolls hunt before moving on, but it gets away with it with more elegance than Ghosts'n Goblins: playing through it again with more of a keen eye brings the apparently straight-forward action game to a new level. More: an accuracy bonus system rewards skilled players with higher scores, making it yet another game for arcadey intials hunters—opposed to casual button mashers by a mile and a half.

Yet to be properly played or praised, The Ninja is still a testimony to how a game can be tackled and perceived in several ways solely with slick, light ideas implemented well.

LUFTRAUSERS

Developer: Vlambeer

Publisher: Devolver Digital

Release: 2014

Platform: PC (played), PS3, Vita, Android

Genre: Shoot ’em-up

Maybe because they were there from the very beginning (from Spacewar! to Asteroids and beyond), arcadey shoot’em-ups could usually beat grievous flight simulators regarding excitement and empowerment with a wing tied back. But dogfighting, specifically, was another matter entirely.

Well, LUFTRAUSERS pulls off that trick effortlessly—or at least it’s very convincing in seeming to do so.

The slick “monochrome with shades” palette (coupled together with a solid silhouette-only depiction of the objects) hides a very well-tweaked physics system, “casual” but still believable and weighty. It’s frequently exhilarating (turning the plane’s motor off and letting it drop while maneuvering and downing enemies never gets old) and at times even redefining when it comes to classic gameplay (ramming through an enemy and shooting it down from inside updates River Raid’s “fuel tank syndrome” in awesome fashion).

Up to a pristine start.

Sadly it starts trading amusement for annoyance when it tries too hard to justify itself as a “retail” game—and a “modern retro hardcore” one, by the way. Goals and missions aren’t bad per se, but when they feel like chore—completing a task just to be asked to perform the very same task again with a different weapon, for instance—things stop looking that bright. Even worse when every single mundane task is mandatory for beating the game—rendering customization and player choices meaningless since each machine setup available must be mastered regardless of the player’s personal preferences and skills.

LUFTRAUSERS is at the top of its game when it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Perhaps it’s just the case for players to do the same.