Set aside the odd apostrophe and begin shooting in an overworld reminiscent of Zelda.
Minishoot’ Adventures
Platform: PC
Developer: SoulGame Studio
Publisher: SoulGame Studio, IndieArk
Release date: April 2nd, 2024
Price: $14.99
Digital availability: Steam
There has been an increase in clever genre fusions within the past ten or so years. Rollers of the Realm, released in 2014, combined role-playing elements with pinball, substituting stat upgrades for scoring. Similarly cleverly, 2022’s Last Command combined elements of bullet hell with Snake, intensifying the tension of the cherished vintage flip phone.
Returning the Great Crystal to Balance
The combination of twin-stick shooting and exploration a la The Legend of Zelda in SoulGame Studio’s Minishoot’ Adventures doesn’t seem quite as inventive for the first forty-five minutes or so. There is a storyline conveyed through a series of silent visuals, but it’s harder to relate to a rocketship than it is to Link, Hyrule’s destined hero. There are no humanoids to remind you of things like “it’s dangerous to go alone” other than to ask you to find your shipling pals and restore order from a captured space craft. Even the local trader is merely a spacecraft with a broken hull, offering little more than a simple trade proposal.
Navigating Adventures’ overworld is initially less thrilling as well. The idea of a tutorial that taught you how to play through a series of interactive courses felt quite novel when Zelda first came out in 1986. However, after 38 years, the strategy has grown rote, and you may question whether Minishoot can ever produce something truly noteworthy.
Never Give Up Moving, Shooting, or Getting Better
I didn’t become immersed in the game until the boss battle at the conclusion of the first dungeon. Until then, Minishoot’ Adventures offers the traditional activities. The screen’s edges lock in place on a regular basis, creating an arena fit for a gladiator fight where waves of opponents await you. Naturally, pursuing those infrequent, dim visual oddities would pay off with something like to a half-health pip. Everything seems familiar, however sword swings have been replaced with some simple pew pews.
However, the game gradually picks up steam and becomes enjoyable. Rather of trying to dispatch three identical attackers, Adventures unleashes a barrage of diverse opponents that combined create a thick cloud of projectiles that must be carefully avoided. Your ship discharges a pathetic stream of bullets at beginning. Your gun feels weak because it takes six or more direct hits to take out an elevated opponent. Thankfully, Adventures features a leveling system. By rising up a semi-complex tech tree and using that damaged NPC ship as collateral, you can increase your offensive output. And things continue to improve.
The Appeal of the Territory Grab for Older People
After that boring first hour, SoulGame begins to show promise. You’ll soon come upon a rival encircled by a perimeter of defense. A sine wave of rounds from a close adversary will surround you while you try to maneuver into a position that will allow you to remove the enemy, thus you’ll need to aim while moving. Along the way, you should expect to acquire a list of skills. A boost that enables you to soar off ramps and bounce across perilous obstacles like a four-engine speedboat is one of the first rewards. Minishoot’ Adventures becomes increasingly satisfying as you gradually advance toward the overworld’s edges and eliminate some of the adversary sentries. Indeed, you will eventually amass a weaponry comparable to that of the Raiden series.
Even now, there are still a few errors that detract from the whole experience. Even if you can always press a button to zoom in on a map, the atlas isn’t really helpful. Not only does it fail to disclose the dungeon structure, but it also fails to show the Metroidvania-style gating that Adventures uses. As such, be prepared to stray until you find the doorway to an uncharted area of the map. One-hit deaths can cause irritation, even though the game’s three difficulty settings make it more approachable.
In summary
However, these mistakes and that tedious first hour are mostly excused. If you persevere, you will acquire a powerful armament that will let you to quickly reduce the number of opponents on screen, giving you a sense of accomplishment during the many firefights. Although bullet-hell games can be frightening at first, Minishoot’ Adventures methodically gets ready for battle.
On a PC, Minishoot’ Adventures was played using a review code that the publisher sent.
Review Overview
Gameplay – 80%
Controls – 80%
Aesthetics – 70%
Content – 75%
Accessibility – 80%
Value – 75%
77%
GOOD!
Summary : Minishoot’s Adventures is a free-roaming, open-world shooter that picks up speed after a slow first hour. The playfield will soon fill with thick patterns of projectiles, and you’ll feel the thrill of being in bullet hell. Thankfully, a system of leveling up offers the counteroffensive you’ll need to endure, with different difficulty settings acting as a backup plan.