FUR Squadron Phoenix

I spent no money on this game; a friend gifted it to me. And I am still more disappointed in this game than the previous one I spent seven dollars on. >__> [i]FUR Squadron[/i] was an extended tech demo that I'm guessing was largely made to show-off this game and its upcoming plot, so I was more forgiving there. This game is much longer, has better graphics, bigger budget, costs nearly three times more money, and more time and effort was put into it. And I feel like it was put in all the wrong places. The graphics are amazing, especially compared to the last game. The scenery and environments are breathtaking, the visuals in space look grand and vast, the battleships (in space and on sea) are massive, looming threats, there's an underwater level that is absolutely my favorite just for how gorgeous it looks. You can clearly tell that a chunk of the budget the developer made was put here and it shows. The backstories for the characters fleshed them out a bit. They're not the most compelling characters out there, but you don't really need them to be for a game like this. I thought the opening was very strong! You start off as Robin in the Phoenix Squadron, but one of your teammates dies and the other one goes missing, while Robin is wounded during said mission and ends up being rescued and later training under the FUR Squadron. Perfect way to start off the game! The second level is a standard virtual simulation level to train Robin, make sure his skills are still up to par. The third level is a standard virtual simulation level to train Robin, make sure his skills are still up to par. The fourth level is a standard virtual simulation level to train Robin, make sure his skills are still up to par. Fifth level mixed things up a bit by making you [i]actually[/i] fly out in space on a rescue mission! The sixth level is an underwater virtual simulation level to train Robin, make sure his skills are still up to par. The seventh level is a half-standard, half-underground virtual simulation level to train Robin, make sure his skills are still up to par. The final level is very underwhelming. ...♥♥♥♥ it. I'm getting into the negatives now. This game has eight levels, five of which are simulations. And after a point, you notice the same enemy patterns--to the point where it's no longer challenging or even fun. It's just tedious. The sixth level gets a pass because at least it's underwater (and even [i]that[/i] I can't compliment for reasons I'll say later) but the entire first half of Sakura Assault is just Sakura Nights [i]again[/i]. That is just lazy. This entire level easily could have just been primarily underground, similar to how Tropical Depths was primarily underwater. Also why does Robin need all this training; it's not necessary! Most of what you learn in training you don't even need to remember for the final mission. The space simulation level takes place [i]directly before[/i] a real space mission, so that felt redundant too. It even reuses the same mini-boss; the game is all like "Okay guys, this is the real thing!" And I'm like "Dude, this is a junk scrapper with one attack. Calm down." The bosses are all considerably easy and many of them kinda have similar tactics to kill, so their menace factor is gone. Most of their attacks are predictable and it's very easy to simply shoot at the weak spots until they're destroyed. The seventh boss is just a mecha spider. You shoot its two legs to expose the weak point, then shoot at that. Rinse, repeat. The final boss is supposed to be this massive, monstrous, dinosaur-like monstrosity! And it's super evil and super tough-- It fires a laser at you. It throws slow-moving rocks at you. [b]THAT IS IT.[/b] The final boss is not fun, it's not creative, it's not unique, it's not difficult, it's just annoying. It's a damage-sponge boss and the only way it makes the fight "tougher" is by raising the lava level on the floor, which just means you can't fly super low anymore. For all the issues I had with the previous game, the one thing I will defend is the final boss. I thought the sequences with General Gryllus, even in a virtual simulation, were cool as hell! And it's kinda difficult! This is just not how you design a final boss in a game--or bosses in general. Bosses typically become more aggressive when you deal more damage to them. And I'm not even talking about Andross from [i]Star Fox 64[/i]; I'm talking about classic games in general. Kaptain K. Rool, various iterations of Bowser or Sigma, several [i]Final Fantasy[/i] bosses, post-2016 [i]DOOM[/i] bosses, Smithy, damn near [b]ALL[/b] the bosses in [i]Dark Souls 3[/i]; I could go on and on. The story does not amount to anything. Robin's team is killed by a marauder named Taren Tola. He wants revenge. After Robin is recruited into FUR Squadron, the plot boils down to "Robin trains a lot. He tries to kill Taren Tola by himself and gets captured. He gets rescued. He trains some more. FUR Squadron goes after Taren Tola again. He gets away. The end." Sure, they rescued Serin. But it turns out that Serin's rescue was intended by both Taren Tola and General Gryllus to plant a virus into FUR Squadron's system--which succeeded. We don't know if Serin was aware of this or not, so for all we know Serin might've defected. I doubt it, but either way I don't really care. So the original game was just "FUR Squadron trains a lot and they [i]might[/i] have stopped General Gryllus." This game is "Robin trains a lot and the heroes fail to stop [i]any of the villains[/i]." So you're telling me this game takes place before the original [i]FUR Squadron[/i], and for some reason FUR Squadron had to do even more training [i]after[/i] all the training they did here?! You're telling me Taren Tola was just not important?! The first game's ending made it seem like we were going to take on the Skal Empire. Instead, we just train some more, the Skal Empire is not important, and we barely achieve anything in the grand scheme of things besides training. And yes, here comes the [i]Star Fox 64[/i] comparisons. You use the Blue Marine for underwater combat and to shoot missiles to see ahead of you. Why are you underwater? There's a giant bioweapon you need to destroy in the depths of the ocean. Why do you go underwater in [i]FUR Squadron Phoenix[/i]? To train for underwater simulations. But it's just the same as fighting in the sky, and you don't go underwater again, so what's the point? I can handle one or two training missions, maybe even three. But after the fifth mission, the training should've stopped. It should've been a hard reminder to Robin that he messed up by being reckless and going after Taren Tola alone, and because he alerted the marauders, now FUR Squadron has to spend the second half of the game taking them down [i]in real time[/i]. The story would've benefitted from this. The tension would be higher. The stakes would be raised. It would've been cool if Robin uncovered evidence that Serin might be alive, so you spend the remaining game looking for him, find him in the final level, then discover it was all a ploy to have FUR Squadron hacked from within. Apparently the game is gonna have updates and more content. But as it stands right now, I have no reason to touch this game again; it's got no replay value once you beat it and get the upgrades. The first game was setup for this game. [i]This[/i] game is setup for the next game. I'm tired of watching shows/movies or playing games that simply exist to set up the next thing. [i]Tired of it[/i]. This game's probably getting a sequel in another three years. But I think I'm done with this franchise. [i]Wild Blue Skies[/i] is coming out later this year(?) and already the demo makes it seem like it'll be better than this. So we'll see what happens there.

[quote]A review copy was provided by the developer.[/quote] [quote]Follow my Curator page, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41363546-Fruit-N-Doggie-Reviews/]Fruit N Doggie Reviews,[/url] so you can be updated whenever I post a new review.[/quote] [h1]Overall Rating - Average ★★★☆☆[/h1] [h1]First Impressions[/h1] I wasn't aware that FUR Squadron Phoenix (SP) is technically a prequel to a game the developers launched in 2023, providing it with a related update to this project in 2025. Oddly enough, the store page doesn't really promote this prominently, when I think they'd want to emphasize their previous experience making a game like this one. It likely wouldn't have changed my interest in this review opportunity, I just thought it was strange. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] Something that's listed on the store page is the phrase, “A roguelite campaign where every run reshuffles the stages, keeping the action fresh and unpredictable,” but this game isn't a roguelite. Instead, you have eight distinct stages to clear, three of which are presented as real-world combat, while the others are VR training. You can freely select what stage you want to play, as long as you've progressed far enough, gaining upgrade points from every VR level you make an attempt at. Much like the games its based on, the Star Fox (SF) series, the stages seem to be arranged in a specific fashion. There's some indication that there may be triggers to access distinct areas, but they aren't incredibly obvious. For example, nobody knows precisely how to get the rarest achievement for entering liminal space in stage three. Either way, this game is a pseudo 3-D space shooter, as you automatically progress through each stage, blasting away enemies while trying not to be shot down. You have a health bar, so you won't die from taking damage only once, but it doesn't take many hits to be destroyed. Aside from barrel rolls, there's no maneuvers you can take to avoid projectiles or steer yourself toward areas of interest. Almost like a trade-off though, you'll unlock a total of four special weapons that use a distinct energy meter. They're best reserved for bosses or large crowds of enemies, as most enemies die from only a couple of charged shots. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3673858227 [h1]Controls[/h1] As you fly through stages, you default to a central point on the screen, unless you're actively directing your ship towards the edges. It took a while to get a sense for aiming at enemies on-screen, as I had to adjust to how this game handles moving away from the center. Something that's confusing is that every so often, enemies will be too far on the edge for you to be able to fire on them, even if you try locking on. With minimal ability to change how you move through stages, if you're ever bombarded by enemies, you basically just have to flail and hopefully fire back with your special weapons. [h1]Story[/h1] It was only after I beat the game that I discovered SP is a prequel, leading into the events of the original release. Having not played that title, it could explain why you learn so much about all the characters' backgrounds in this one. That's kind of ironic though, as you're not given much explanation about the in-game universe and the war taking place between the different factions. What is the main thrust of the dispute, and who's involved in this galactic conflict? With VR missions making up a decent chunk of both games, I have to wonder how much plot development took place in the first one. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3673858560 [h1]Visuals[/h1] For an indie studio, I think that the visuals are pretty decent. The backgrounds can be too dark in certain areas, making it hard to see where you're flying, especially in the tunnels of the last stage. Outside of those spots though, it does feel like you're traversing around planets or space, as objects in the background pass by. Something that could be stronger about the level design is to have more clearly defined locations and markers. In the SF games, I have a decent sense of where I'd be located in any given stage because they're designed like you're traversing a planet with distinct landmarks. That same emphasis isn't found here. Another problem is that my own ship would get in the way of incoming projectiles, so I couldn't see them being fired. I think the problem is that the ship moves too much, instead of simply moving your cursor to what you're targeting. [h1]Sound Design[/h1] Repeatedly firing your weapon, which is a routine feature of any game like this, drowns out the background music, as the sound effects are much louder and more prominent. When I was able to hear the music though, it was really repetitive, looping the same few bars over and over again. I checked a few levels, and this wasn't only an exception in one or two spots. With stages feeling a bit long at times, that's really not a good combination, but I guess it doesn't matter much when it doesn't stand up against the sound effects. The voice acting is made up of a fake language, with most words rhyming with arena. It works well enough, but sounds a little weird once you notice how many of their sentences rhyme with each other. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3673857727 [h1]Pros[/h1] 🌟 Buying all the mods is a bit grindy, but replaying certain levels can make it go quickly if you get a high score. The underwater level was my big earner. 🌟 Boss fights feel well balanced. [h1]Cons[/h1] ❌ The idea of randomizing levels wouldn't have worked with the amount of content in this game. There's not nearly enough enemy types and unique patterns to make that work right. As it is, stages should have had more diversity and intentionality in their arrangements. ❌ You'll adapt to how the game handles, but the controls don't feel as natural as they do in SF. [h1]Tips[/h1] 🔍 Firing a nuke at a large ship with several weapons on it will rack up a lot of points you otherwise wouldn't receive, as you normally can't destroy so many targets. The biggest factor in earning enough points to unlock all the ships though is not being hit, as it maxes out your combo percentage. 🔍 I couldn't figure out how to damage some bosses with special weapons, so I just killed enemies to fill the overdrive meter, and used that instead. 🔍 Upgrading your lasers and shields is most important just for surviving in this game. Your starting firepower is quite weak. [h1]Final Thoughts[/h1] Having replayed each level at least a few times, I'm confident the design for each is primarily predetermined. You'll encounter the same batch of enemies in the same arrangement. However, there might be triggers of some sort that alters a section or two, such as leaning left in a particular area of stage two, taking you down an optional route. Either way, after accepting that this game doesn't live up to the standards of the SF games, and getting used to how I should play SP, I thought it was pretty enjoyable. With only eight stages and no branching routes, it's not a game that'd take most people very long to finish. If it went on a solid sale, it's a title I'd cautiously recommend for SF fans, seeing how few games exist that are like it. [quote][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116-IndieGems/]Follow our curator page: [b]IndieGems[/b] if you like and want to see more reviews like this one.[/url][/quote] [table] [tr] [th]PC Specs[/th] [th]Performance[/th] [/tr] [tr] [td]Ryzen 2700 RTX 2070 16GB RAM ADATA SSD 1920x1080 [/td] [td]The game ran without incident on default settings. 💖 - SP is healthy [/td] [/tr] [/table]

Had a lot of fun! Nearly 100% it, just two hidden achievements I need to discover. I'm an absolute fan of On-Rail Shooters, and I have played their previous game, FUR Squadron. Compared to their last game, this is a definite upgrade visually, lot more enemy variety, controlling the ship feel better, and upgrading to help offer a bit of re-playability. Personally, I enjoyed the campaign, and the character dialogue with each other. I found it as a neat story with great gameplay! Some of the levels was clever in using the same one like previously, but changing it's route, taking you to a different area entirely, which I appreciated. Now for the issues. I don't have that many problems with it, though when I heard Rogue-Like my expectations was closer to "Whisker Squadron," so my disappointment was my fault, and Rogue-Like is a little more muddled as it is indeed a popular thing with many ways to go about it. How the Rogue-Like works here is that you can be defeated in the simulation, and still earn your Relationship Points and EXP to upgrade. You'll eventually max out your Relationship with the crew, and earn permanent buffs that can help out. Any "Story Mission" chosen doesn't earn you EXP. To unlock missions you must just play and win the level to unlock the next one, and at anytime you can play any unlocked level. Overall, I'm glad to have finally play this, and I definitely will revisit again later. I wouldn't put it too high on my "Top Favorite On-Rails Shooters of All Time" List, but it sure has passed over their previous game, as well as some other games. Well done!

As a fan of rail shooters I really wanted to like this one but I can't recommend it in good conscience, especially at anywhere over $5. All of the basic elements are there for a good Star Fox 64 clone, which this is obviously trying to be (so much so that it re-uses SF dialog lines for no other reason than to be references) but the elements just aren't combined in a way that's fun enough. Also certain design decisions from SF64 are absent or diverge and it's for the worse. For example, there's no system map and diverging paths, it's just 8 levels to select, unlocked one by one. I was concerned about the mention of "roguelike" because such a term has no business being anywhere near SF64, but they don't even do that term justice: the extent of "roguelike" in this game is that you have a shallow upgrade path for max HP/damage output/handling to make your ship function like it should out of the box or through in-level powerups, and you've mostly maxed everything out with just one playthrough of each level. The levels are pretty enough to look at the first time but everything is really slowly paced and there's just not much action or tension, the challenge level is very low with no hard/Expert Mode unlock. Some of the enemy designs are cool but most of the formations they come in are too repetitive and again there's a lack of intensity. (Compare to Yar's Revenge, a pretty mediocre rail shooter, which only has like 3 enemy types, but it makes up for that with a high level of intensity and arcade feeling elements to make a much more enjoyable experience.) The experience was so basic that I thought, because almost all of the levels take place inside a training simulator, these first 8 levels were really more of an extended tutorial and that after finishing them I'd unlock a new set of levels for the main game. Instead, after less than 2 hours of play, I'm greeted with "you beat the game!" and "if you want to continue the story, go buy our 3 year old game!" No thanks.

I enjoy this game quite a bit, and if Nintendo doesn't want to give us a new Star Fox game... well surely an indie dev can come up with something to scratch that itch and that is exactly what we have here. This game will certainly feel familiar to fans of the long running SF series and while Fur Squadron is only 2 games deep, this is a major improvement over the original game and so it gives me big hopes for a 3rd entry down the road. As for Phoenix, there are 8 stages with a bit of randomization (enemies and placement that type of thing) and completing levels or missions will reward you with upgrade points that you can use to permanently upgrade your ship or weapons. Points can also be refunded to then respec into something else if you want to and thats always nice. The music is pretty solid too, and does a good job of setting the mood for the levels and boss fights. The 8 stages can feel a bit repetitive and a few quality-of-life enhancements would be welcomed for sure, but for such a small dev team (maybe 1 or 2 people) I think what we got is pretty well made and could offer a few hours of solid fun. $20 is a bit steep but bills gotta get paid and I understand that. Oh wanted to edit in this part as I forgot to mention it. I am playing mostly on the Nintendo Switch 2 so my playtime on Steam may appear low, but that's because most of my playtime was on a different platform.

This game deserves recognition. It took what Starfox 64 did and... well, does it again. It doesn't quite have the depth of character that Starfox did, but they don't screw with the gameplay like later installments of the series stuck you with. This is true blue familiar controls and gameplay to their inspiration. Don't mess with what isn't broken.

We need Chinese ！thank you！我需要中文！

Zoomers, boy is your generation pathetic. You have shifted culture so far in a negative direction that AAA studios can't make anything decent anymore, and even your indie games are 99.9% trash. This is my first time playing an AI game, and yes, this is obviously an AI game despite it breaking Steam's rules by not disclosing itself as such. And you know what? This is the second best game I've played this year so far. Sure, it's about at the level of a random, mildly entertaining rail shooter from a 2005 arcade, but that's S tier compared to modern slop. Many aspects of this game are mid, such as the characters, the writing, or the music. But the graphics are surprisingly nice despite literally being AI art. Almost every frame of this game could be a screensaver, and the gameplay, while very simple, is great fun. It's also interesting to play the Star Fox formula as a rougelite, even though I would have still preferred hand-crafted levels. Guess AI probably isn't there yet. I consider this a good first step to AI (rightfully) replacing human game developers. Not nearly on the level of the human-made classics, but if this is what AI can do as a literal toddler, imagine what it will be able to do in 10 years? I think it's time we started calling AI slop "zoomer slop" instead. After all, zoomers are the ones generating said AI art to their preferences. AI art generated by those with actual taste isn't on par with human-made great art, but it's certainly better than what zoomers can make, with AI or by hand. And if anyone contests the term "zoomer slop," show them a screenshot of Cocomelon (a work made by real "artists") next to a screenshot of Fur Squadron Phoenix, and say: "Zoomer slop versus AI art." inb4 "Hurr durr, Cocomelon is gen alpha, not gen z!!1!" You do know that literal children don't control the current culture, right? Young people do. If children did, Spongebob would have never been created in the time of zoomer childhoods.

What it says on the tin.

FUR Squadron Phoenix é um jogo que claramente nasceu da paixão pelo gênero clássico de shooters espaciais em trilhos. Ele consegue capturar bem aquela sensação arcade de reflexos rápidos e ação constante. Jogar algumas fases seguidas pode ser bastante divertido, principalmente para quem tem nostalgia de jogos desse estilo. Mas ao mesmo tempo, ele não evolui muito além dessa base. A repetição de padrões, a estrutura linear e a falta de grande variedade de mecânicas fazem com que o impacto diminua conforme você avança. No fim, é um jogo competente, divertido em sessões curtas e que presta uma homenagem sincera aos clássicos do gênero. Só não espere uma revolução ou uma experiência extremamente profunda. Review completa: https://patobah.com.br/review-de-fur-squadron-phoenix-pc/