A Love Letter to Classic Anime and Shoot ‘Em Ups
I am most definitely a fan of a shoot ‘em up, it has to be said, and so being given the opportunity to cast my beady eye over a new one should give it an easy ride, right? Well, that’s not how reviewing works, and instead we have to be objective and not let our potential biases have any bearing on our scribbled thoughts.
Bearing that in mind, we come to Rogue Flight from Truant Pixel and Perp Games. Described in the blurb on the Xbox store as “A breathtaking arcade space combat game inspired by the landmark style of 80’s and 90’s anime”, it certainly sounds like it will be right up my alley. So, come with me as we prepare for blast off…
Engaging Story with Multiple Endings
In the usual run of things, story isn’t as important in this style of game as the action, but it is nice when the effort has been made, as it has here. Rogue Flight starts with the usual kind of trope about humanity being wiped out by an intelligent AI – in this case, ARGUS, the system that was given control of the Solar Defence Force decided that it would be best for all concerned if people weren’t around, attacking and destroying a large portion of the population, three years ago. Since then, in an underground bunker, a small team of scientists have been building a craft capable of taking the fight to ARGUS, and we have been chosen to fly it. Can we take ARGUS down and make the universe safe again? Well, it is up to you and your fingers!
While I’m talking about the story, I have to touch on the way that it is presented, as it is very good indeed. It is like watching an episode of an anime from back in the day, with well crafted voice work and a lovely, hand drawn aesthetic. This is a nice change, and it rolls right down to the theme song being sung by a famous Japanese singer, Itoki Hana. The story is bang on, and even features multiple endings, depending on the choices you make as you go through the levels.
Stunning Visuals and Authentic Retro Presentation
Carrying on with the presentation chat and the rest of Rogue Flight also looks great. The start of the game and the title screen are presented in an old school style, with the same kind of rolling bars of static that we took for granted back in the old days. From there, we are treated to an in-to-the-screen shooter, with the action viewed from behind the spacecraft. It put me in mind of the original Star Fox on the Super Nintendo, which had a similar point of view. And the enemies we face are a mixed bunch, and no matter whether it’s a tiny or huge boss, the action keeps the speed up, no matter how many things are thrown at you is pretty impressive.
There’s also little doubt that the sound and music are also very nice, with the expected “pew pew” and explosion sound effects mixing well with the radio messages that pop up on the screen. All in all, the presentation is very much of its age, and a real love letter to the past.
Intense Gameplay and Unique Mechanics
But, the best presentation in the world won’t save a game if the gameplay is lacking, so how does this third leg of the stool hold up? Very well indeed is the answer, and there are a plethora of reasons why: from new (ish) mechanics through to good solid shooting.
As we fly into the screen, there are the bog standard shooting mechanics that have been in place in every single shoot ‘em up ever, and holding down “A” or “RT” will fire the main weapon, before we go picking up different flavours of firepower. My personal favourite gives an additional two turrets that orbit the craft, basically tripling the firepower. There is also a lock on missile attack that tracks enemies.
Being in the perspective it is, when you want to shoot something, you move a reticle around the screen with the left stick. However, the right stick triggers some kind of special movement for the spacecraft, which is a little bit interesting. Pulling down on the stick causes it to “suck in” the various powerups coming towards you, but you can’t attack while you do this, so be careful. Flicking the stick up, left or right makes it perform some kind of attack, which takes a lot of getting used to.
Luckily, there is a tutorial that takes you through all these various mechanics, and this should be your first stop in Rogue Flight. In addition to all this, using the shoulder buttons, LB and RB, will cause the shop to barrel roll, which parries any attacks that are incoming. So, as you can see, there are plenty of things to get involved in. .
A Thrilling and Nostalgic Shoot ‘Em Up Experience
What we have in Rogue Flight is a game with a lot of heart – and a real feel for how things used to be. The graphics are great, the story is both well presented and interesting, and the shooting action is nothing short of challenging.
In fact, Rogue Flight is everything a shoot ‘em up should be and more. While not perfect, if you like to shoot things, you could do a lot worse than this.
Rogue Flight Links
Rogue Flight: A Breathtaking Arcade Space Combat Adventure – https://www.thexboxhub.com/rogue-flight-a-breathtaking-arcade-space-combat-adventure/
Buy Rogue Flight on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/rogue-flight/9MXNQP5RDKX6
