CHROMA+ELEKTRON

Incredibly fun game that sinks its teeth into you. Has an emphasis on pure mechanical execution and does not pull its punches, resulting in a game that made me feel similar things to games like Spelunky - sometimes infuriating, but always feeling doable if you just stop messing up and taking avoidable hits. Thorough gameplay options should make this accessible despite a player's comfort with the genre, so don't be discouraged if you don't play these games often. There is also a lot of personal flair to the moment-to-moment gameplay, due to the way the pickup and power-up system works. Different people I've talked to that have also played this game had differing opinions on what their favourite (and best) weapons and supers were, leading me to appreciate the viability and usefulness of the wide array of options. (Alternate blue is the truth.) I was also pleasantly surprised at the variety of stage gimmicks. They start out pretty simple but I smiled broadly when I got to the stage Crystal. What a fun way to play with user expectation! Excited to see how the game develops, but even now this game is a strong recommend.

Intense and fast-paced indie shoot-em-up with satisfying and varied weapons, colorful visuals, and a fittingly atmospheric original soundtrack. Definitely a challenging game, but it's also fair; it's one of those that make you hit Retry again and again knowing you could have dodged what killed you that time. Highly recommend this hidden gem. Details: Gameplay is a mix of player-aimed shooting along with some light platforming elements to both get around the levels, and to collect energy pickups. Every enemy you defeat drops energy corresponding to 1 of 6 colors, each of which transforms/upgrades your weapon for a limited time (e.g. a shotgun or a gravity-based explosive), and also adds to your score and health. Since the game is difficult and your base weapon is significantly weaker than the transformed weapons, it's crucial to be picking up energy while simultaneously dodging enemies and blasting away as you cycle through your 6 colored weapons, which gives the game an addicting rhythm. The key that makes this all work is that the freedom of movement and available movement options are plentiful. The player character is able to jump multiple times in the air and nimbly maneuver around enemies and obstacles if the player is skilled enough; certain weapons also have significant kickback, allowing you to stay in the air even longer once you master each weapon. Speaking of the weapons, it definitely helps that all the weapons are visually awesome and fun to use. They're all about equally balanced from what I can tell, so you're never disappointed to pick any particular one up, yet they have enough uniqueness to them that each player will have their own personal favorites. Each of the 6 colors also comes with a "burst", which is a powerful alternate fire that charges with the aforementioned energy pickups. As you progress, you're rewarded with points to spend on alternate weapons and bursts, for a total of 12 weapons and 12 bursts that the player can select (2 available weapons and bursts for each color). I won't spoil the options, but many surprised me in a good way with how varied and fun they are. The whole experience is also really helped by the VFX and SFX - the game has a somewhat cold and mechanical feel to its quieter moments, but then it's also crunchy and explosive when it wants/needs to be; it makes for a really satisfying experience once you get the hang of the core gameplay and you're jumping around destroying enemies in all directions. Finally, as a bonus, the soundtrack is entirely original from my understanding, which is an impressive feat for a solo developer. I haven't seen all that's available yet, but it's a cool mix of electronic music, ranging from quiet and atmospheric ambient to pulsing synths, depending on the level, and even the state of the level - it feels like layers are added to the playing track as the player progresses in a level, which is a fun touch. While the game is in early access, CHROMA+ELEKTRON was clearly made with a lot of intention behind every decision, and it shows in how it feels to play and improve at the game. This isn't my usual genre, but it's still a game I'm itching to revisit as it progresses through development. Looking forward to the eventual full release! [A few hours into v1.1 of Early Access]

Fast and fun arcade action gaming ❤

Killer game, very stimulating, very fun.