Game #1343: Steel Assault

 Try not to get hooked.

 I've been interested in Steel Assault pretty much since the game was announced, and it's been a long wait, but finally it got a physical release. This is a 16-bit-esque 2-D sidescrolling action game that feels like a cross between Ninja Gaiden and Contra with a dash of Bionic Commando.

 As Taro you get three actions: Whip, Jump and Hook. Your whip doesn't have a lot of range but it can destroy most bullets coming your way. The jump is self explanatory, but you can also use it to slide while crouching in order to perform a slide with invincibility frames. The hook is not as fun to use as it looks, but it doesn't work as you'd expect it to. When you shoot it, it shoots both in front and behind you, and it needs to connect both ends onto something in order for it to stick. If only one end touches a surface then it will break and do you no good. You can aim it in diagonal angles too, and some obstacles require inventive use of this mechanic.

 The game itself is quite fun, and I enjoyed the fast pace.... but even in the normal difficulty it's quite hard. Thankfully it has a Journalist mode so that you can finish the game no matter how bad you are at it. That said.... it's probably so tough because it's very brief. The game itself can be beaten in under an hour and once you are done that's it. No secret character, no unlockable anything, no nothing, which is kind of a shame. A game like this could've benefited so much from, say, an unlockable character with similar but different properties than the main character.

 Steel Assault is a pretty good game, but a bit unremarkable. The 16-bit sprite work is gorgeous, but the game is over before you know it and I didn't feel as if it was very replayable. But hey, it's really good... while it lasts.

 6.5

Game #1342: Powerslave Exhumed

 Mummies, guns and a whole lot of flying.

 I've been meaning to buy Powerslave for a while now, but I was unable to find the PS1 port/remake at the right price and complete in box... well, I'm in luck, since Powerslave Exhumed is a hybrid release that aims to mix together the best elements of the PS1 version alongside the best elements of the Saturn version.

 This is a very interesting beast, as the game looks on the outset as a classic Doom clone set in Egypt, with the 3D environments and sprites for your guns and enemies.... but it's actually more akin to a Metroidvania. Sure, you are finding keys on every level to open up door while you defeat enemies by circle-strafing around them.... but you'll also be unable to reach certain exits until you find the proper power up, be it resistance to lava and poison, gliding or even flying.

 The game has a very fast pace, enemies regularly drop red and blue orbs, the former restoring health and the latter restoring ammo. Ammo in the game is called "weapon power" and every weapon has their own power gauge, and you pick which weapon to restore power to by picking up the blue orbs while having said weapon equipped. It's not a bad take, and while you'll probably run out of ammo at some point you probably will have enough on another gun. Plus, there are plenty of items that fully restore your ammo... if you find them.

 The map is not very good, it shows you which levels have exits you haven't found, but that's about it. Missing health upgrades, abilities or transmitter pieces, the latter which only affect the ending you get.... well, you are out of luck. A few times I had to consult a guide to figure out where to go next or how to get a power up, turns out the "bomb-jump" mechanic is not just a bug, but something you must use in order to reach some upgrades, which was a bit annoying since nothing in the game tells you about this technique. And near the end of the game, there's a "puzzle" in which you must walk through a differently colored floor to deactivate some lasers. You've never needed to do something like this before, or after, which makes it come out of left field. That said, for the most part, the game is fine, and if you remember landmarks and obstacles better than me, you can probably make your game through the game without reaching for a FAQ.

 Powerslave was probably something very unique back in the day, not that I'm saying that it has aged badly, but rather I think the ideas the game has are a bit ahead of its day. And it is a fun time, I liked the Egyptian setting, and the shooting was pretty decent, if a bit rudimentary. It's a good game.

 7.0

Game #1341: Prodeus

 I might be needing glasses, 'cause everything looks blurry.

 Well, the rise of the boomershooter is here, and here is Prodeus. The latest following the trend, it's a fast-paced FPS that borrows plenty from Doom, albeit classic Doom.

 The first thing that you'll notice is that the game looks very blurry. I think it attempts to emulate sprites, but I didn't think the overall look was very... good, at least on Switch. It was done on purpose, quite clearly, but I didn't quite like it. I think you can turn the sprites into 3-D models, but I went for the look that the developers actually intended.

 The game is very lengthy, it has a ton of levels.... for good or o bad. In my case.... I felt it dragged on for too long. There isn't a whole lot of enemy variety, and the weapon system is gimped due to how many weapons share ammo. There are three guns that use bullets, and I never, ever, went back to the first pistol. I switched between the Uzis and the Minigun just for variety's sake. There are also three different shotguns... and why? I always hate it when FPS games have guns that share ammo pools, because you'll always fall back on the ones you like the best. Rockets are shared between the Rocket Launcher and the Grenade Launcher, and I never felt the need to use the GL when the RL got the job done. Yeah, not a good choice. Plus, the weapon-select screen makes it look as if there were more weapons than there actually are, as some slots will never be filled.

 Every level has a bunch of Ore hidden away which can be used to buy new weapons or new perks, such as a double jump or extra ammo capacity. It was pretty neat, but there's a lot of Ore you simply can't get to without the double jump or the dash jump, so making me replay levels wasn't a very appealing idea considering how lengthy the game is already.

 Prodeus is fine, it's an alright game, but I felt it dragged every now and then, so taking breaks every now and then helped. Honestly, if I wanted my modern retro boomershooter fix, I'd stick to Doom or Dusk.

 6.0