FUR Squadron Phoenix

FUR Squadron Phoenix is a short, fun rail shooter that seems designed to be played in short bursts, and that's where I think its strength squarely lies. Besides some unpolished areas with the UI and some rough translations here and there, I'd say it's a rock-solid game that executes the core gameplay loop right while experimenting just a tiny bit with its meta-progression. The only significant complaint I have regarding the game is that it's relatively short, even for a game that's meant to be replayed. Still, I find it to be a good pick-up-and-play sort of game.

What do you mean the Y-axis isn't inverted by default? Oh boy. Honestly, I don't know what I was expecting. I played the previous game some time ago, it was [i]fine[/i] but it certainly didn't blow me away or anything. I liked it enough for what it was, so when I saw this had come out I decided to give them another shot... and I can't say I feel like I made a good call there. It does at least [i]look[/i] nice, but I dunno, I'm just not feeling it. Maybe I'm just biased because I actually played SF64 on original hardware not too long ago, but this just does not feel [i]right[/i]. It doesn't help that the character voices are kinda annoying. Might give it another chance in the future, but for now I'm going with my gut. And my gut's telling me I'm not having fun right now, and that it's certainly not worth the price they're asking for it ($26 Canadian at time of writing; no, I'm not going to refund it, I'm going to hope that the money from this title might help them to make a better game later - that's hopefully [i]not[/i] just more VR training, dang it).

I haven’t had the chance to play the first game, which apparently focuses on the leader of the titular squadron. Although this story is a sequel, it stands on its own, and you do not need any prior knowledge to follow it. This is reflected in the main character, Robin, the newest recruit of the squadron after his entire unit was wiped out. Seeking revenge, Robin joins the legendary team and must complete intense simulation scenarios before going after the villain. The game belongs to the on rail shooter genre. While you can move freely around the screen, the path through each stage is predetermined. This allows you to concentrate on what matters most, destroying enemies with your main gun or special weapons and rolling to avoid incoming fire. The main gun must be pressed for each individual shot. However, holding the button briefly triggers a homing bullet that locks onto the first target passing under your crosshair and deals splash damage, taking out nearby enemies. Most foes can be defeated with the standard weapon, but shielded enemies require a homing bullet to break through their defenses. There are four special weapons in total. You begin with a bomb, while others such as a laser beam and nuke unlock as you progress. These weapons are powerful but require energy, which is charged by destroying specific enemies. Some enemies also drop shields that function as your health, so targeting them is essential. Another ability, Override, fills gradually through certain kills and almost completely when you assist teammates with special tasks. At certain moments during a mission, a teammate enters the area and gives you a quick objective, such as flying through rings or destroying a priority target. Activating Override restores some health and special weapon energy, and temporarily increases your fire rate. Teammates level up the more you help them, improving their perks. Each new level unlocks a scene at the base, which you return to after both victories and defeats. Regardless of the outcome, the points earned during a run are converted into mod chips used for permanent upgrades. You can increase shield capacity, damage output, speed, and energy reserves, and enhance special weapons. This progression system makes the game accessible, as you can replay stages repeatedly and continue earning upgrades. There are eight stages that must be completed in order, though any finished stage can be replayed. Each stage concludes with a fair but challenging boss fight focused on targeting weak points. Bosses can defeat you quickly, but their attacks are clearly telegraphed through marked danger zones and safe areas that must be used strategically. To reduce the sense of repetition, the game introduces mild randomization. While each stage remains largely the same, smaller sections and enemy waves may or may not appear during a run. For completionists, each stage contains a visible chest that must be destroyed. Collecting all chests unlocks a new skin. Additional skins are awarded for reaching point requirements, with your score multiplier increasing with each kill and resetting if you take damage. Perfection is not required, and some bosses spawn additional enemies that help you reach the necessary score. These skins are purely cosmetic and offer no gameplay advantages, but they are required for achievements. Overall, this is a very enjoyable shooter with colorful and distinctive stages. However, the overall amount of content feels somewhat limited, as there is little left to do once all stages have been completed.

Great

Un shooter bastante entretenido y muy bien hecho, con guion y personajes sorprendentemente elaborados. De hecho solo el prólogo es casi como un pequeño cortometraje. A nivel técnico está muy bien, aspecto sonoro también, la música no solo acompaña sino que le da bastante vidilla a los niveles, el arte está para mí incluso por encima de otros juegos del género y sobre todo quiero destacar la jugabilidad. Es que se maneja bien, súper fluido, es entretenido, ni fácil ni difícil y nunca se tiene la sensación de que se pierde el control ni en los momentos más trepidantes

Llevo poco jugado pero en esta precuela de Fur Squadron se nota que el programador le ha puesto mucha ilusión. Es un proyecto muy indie (un solodev) pero tiene más carisma que juegos mucho más grandes. Tiene el tono clásico tipo Star Fox y la sensación arcade de los juegos de los '90 con el toque rogelike que hace que la curva de dificultad esté ajustada a tu capacidad para avanzar sin necesidad de mejorar la nave. Todo bien! Está lejos de ser el más grande o el más espectacular, pero desde luego es un buen homenaje a los juegos con los que crecí y me encanta. Buen vicio de sofá!

[b]Русский:[/b] Нет (Много текста и сюжета) [hr][/hr] [b]Мультиплеер:[/b] Нет. [hr][/hr] [b]Геймплей:[/b] 3D shoot em up + Рогалик [hr][/hr] [b]Графика:[/b] Милые существа болтают о предательствах и другом, а в боях приятный лоуполе + космос [hr][/hr] [b]Цена:[/b] 710 рублей. Очень мало играл в предшественника данного жанра с Нинтенды, но могу сказать, что эта игра разве немного геймплейно на нее смахивает. По сути если вы любитель не очень сложных в управлении, но довольно сложных (иногда) в прохождении шутемапов, то вам должно зайти. [hr][/hr] [b]Спойлеры:[/b] [spoiler] Do a barrel rool! [/spoiler] [hr][/hr] [b]Оценка:[/b] Да. [hr][/hr] (с) Ваша покорная Шиза: https://www.twitch.tv/krisophrenia

FUR Squadron "1" was already a good time, but it was only a 30 minutes long playthrough with frankly very easy and short levels, and a setting that overstated its welcome. It was a tech demo, and it showed in the price. FUR Squadron Phoenix scrubs most of the annoyances and genuine bad elements from the first game and presents itself as a real, fully featured campaign with genuine extras and more fleshed out cast. The campaign being 8 levels long may sound dubious given the first game had levels ranging anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes long, but these 8 levels here are easily each triple the length of the previous game and are way harder & with a speed roughly equal to Kiro Mode (+15% speed). Unlike the 1st game, I actually died many times on a first playthrough, leading to it lasting around 2h30 to 3h, and this is still without unlocking all the ship upgrades which makes th Unlike the first FUR Squadron, no two levels are alike, thankfully. I was holding my breath a little when levels 6 & 7 started me on the same starting point as levels 2 & 3, but they thankfully branched into brand new level designs pretty quickly. What's also neat about the level design is that there're slight changes of paths within levels when you retry them again and there are possibilities of new banters as well, meaning you don't exactly get the full experience in just one run of the level. I have yet to tackle the extras, but this is already a definite get. FUR Squadron 1 was not exactly worth sticking to unless you were chasing achievements, but Phoenix just does everything better and has more depth to it. As an aside, I also salute the presence of translations, the French translation is pretty good apart for one or two moments where it had me tilt my head. Can't wait for the sequel teased by Axel.

Full breakdown📺 https://youtu.be/9K0TkVad9Ic An arcade-style rail shooter built around precision and momentum, and it feels really good in motion. You’re constantly balancing accuracy, timing, and positioning while chasing higher scores. It sticks close to that classic Star Fox 64 blueprint, but adds just enough to keep things engaging. There’s more going on under the hood than you’d expect. I break it all down in the full video.

Way too little content which consits mostly of Starfox 64 elements.