Gearshifters

THE LORD of THE RINGS (TLTR): If you like SHMUPs, Gearshiters offers some new mechanics that feel "fresh" and engaging. If you like driving, you may want to look elsewhere. I have been following the game for some time now.. I found it at an irressistible price so I had to get it and play it. Full price I would say it is a bit pricey for a SHMUP. All in all, the game is OK. It feels OK and plays OK. The gameplay is engaging and satisfying. The visuals are very nice (for a SHMUP) and some combat situations feel stressful but not unfair, as they should be in a game like this. I can see the amount of work and effort that has been put into the game as it's very polished and offers many upgrades/habilities/cosmetics for your car. Having been developed by a very small team I think it's fantastic. There's however one thing that bothers me particularly. It's the fact that you know you're driving a car, but it doesn't feel like it. It feels like a normal SHMUP would. It's true that you can orient your shots by "skidding" but you're not trully drifting either. The physics overall feel like you are controlling a standard "ship" in a SHMUP rather than an actual car. This is not a bad thing, if you like classic SHMUPs. I, however was expecting more of a car driving experience and couldn't find much of it in Gearshifters. For instance, I would have liked tracks that you have to navigate, using a car that feels like one (with proper car physics) and making use of your driving skills. Indeed, the SHMUP aspect would probably have to be dialed down a tiny bit, but I'm sure it could still offer plenty of intense combat situations, mixed with tight corners. Shooting while drifting! Let the player develop their own shooting mechanics, based on how skilled they are at drivivng their car, instead of giving them an "hability" that makes your car skid in place while you orient your bullets (which is the coolest mechanic of the game, to be honest). Right now, having straight tracks (pretty much) becomes boring after the first couple of missions. To the point that I don't think I will be going back to the game, unfortunately. A couple of other minor things that didn't really cut it for me: The story/characters. Too much/boring. But that's just me. I came here for the action! The mandatory grinding of already completed areas. I would leave that as optional for grinding/farming. In any case, the game is really well done and if you like SHMUPs you may enjoy it. It's just not for me. It's a shame because I really like the idea behind it.