Codename: Black Crow

A sort of hybrid of Ikari Warriors and Metal Gear with a focus on resource collection and crafting. You'll wander the map in search of equipment, supplies, XP, and key items, with the occasional more arcadey dungeon to break things up a bit. The Thunderflash 2 bonus game is a nice little after-party, though it makes the odd decision to continue from the main game's bad ending, which left me with a downer feeling after completing everything. I have a lot to criticize here, but it's a good game overall. if it looks like you'll enjoy it, you probably will. In terms of gameplay, action is solid and satisfying, if fairly basic. Grunts die bloodily in a single hit and their attacks are pretty deadly until you've leveled up a fair bit. Ammo is limited and upgrades aren't cheap, so I was always counting my shots and looking out for more materials. Resting at a camp restores your health for free and respawns enemies, but also respawns resources. Controls are a little bit stiff. Aurora moves slowly and can only fire in the direction she's moving; there is a dodge roll and a command to rotate in place, but no strafe. This means you'll be doing a lot of snap shots or (once you're tougher) face-tanking bullets to deal with enemies. The auto-scrolling raft segments are particularly irksome as the raft moves far too slowly. The slow movement speed can also make backtracking a bit of a pain. I really wished there had been a movement speed upgrade. Basic foot soldiers are oddly the most threatening enemies. Heavy units like tanks and pillboxes are easily bypassed, and most bosses just move back and forth firing in one direction. These could really have used some punching up to make them more dangerous. The story is an interesting topic. Though the tone is (appropriately for the characters) mostly on the lighter side, it takes on the topic of real-world child soldiers, something rarely discussed in games. The writing is sometimes a bit heavy-handed, but other times thoughtful, and makes an effort to take the subject seriously (though I admit I have little familiarity with it). However, the story of a former child soldier dealing with her unresolved trauma in unhealthy ways is juxtaposed with an over-the-top villain and a rather uncritical framing of the US military, which somewhat undercuts the message. You could argue that these tropes of 80s action movies fit well into a retro war game, but I don't feel that trying to have it both ways works in the game's favor. I enjoyed the overall story and Aurora's character growth, I just felt that the script could have used a little more polish. Even with these critiques, though, I had a lot of fun playing through both the main and bonus games. It's a unique blend of gameplay styles and is well worth checking out. If it ever happens to get a harder difficulty setting, I'd be interested in giving it another go. I also hope that the developer uses this foundation to build a bigger, more complex sequel. The design has a lot of potential, and Aurora is an appealing character whom I'd enjoy playing as again.