Hexapoda

Interesting game. Kinda mixed experience overall but had quite some ideas with the bug ambientation. It's probably more balanced around normal or hard. I played on "manic" the whole time and I felt like sometimes the bosses shot a barrage of undodgeable bullets, between the fast controls and the big ship hitbox. Luckily the game likes to fill you with bombs and lifes if ytou max the bomb stock so it wasn't too bad.

Disclaimer: I received my Hexapoda review key free of charge from dev/publisher TOMAGameStudio through the Steam Curator program; I'm not affiliated with TOMAGameStudio nor did I receive any kind of compensation for my review. Hexapoda is a cool, 3-colors, extremely sharp looking vertical shoot'em up. The story revolves around the player trying to explore an hostile world filled with giant, bug-like creatures, on a mission to collect alien samples to analyze. In a well known DARIUS-like fashion, Hexapoda offers several different routes that branch from the main path, each one of them sporting different enemies and different bossfight(s). Controls are fairly simple: one button to shoot your main gun, the other for a screen-clearing bomb. The powerups are also straightforward and quite traditional: there are a number of different gun types such as the laser beam, the spread fire or the homing bullets and each one can be upgraded along the way, allowing for more fire-power (or greater spread). The power-ups aren't permanent so you'll often find yourself switching from one to the other as soon as the enemy drops them in order not revert to the vanilla shot. On Normal difficulty level the game poses just the right amount of challenge while perhaps being a little too generous with extra life drops. The game isn't particularly long (around a couple hours to clear?), but it offers different endings depending on how many branching paths you've already explored, which is a nice touch that adds some kind of replayability. I liked Hexapoda (while it lasted) and I recommend it: it's a well done classic SHMUP that wins on simplicity and classic, retro feel. [i][b]Se questa recensione ti è piaciuta clicca "Segui" sulla [url=http://steamcommunity.com/groups/retrogamingcafe/curation]pagina del Curatore[/url] del mio gruppo: sarai sempre aggiornato con i miei personali consigli e le recensioni dei migliori titoli indie/retro/roguelite in circolazione![/b][/i]

🎮 Gameplay Bullet hell puro: ti ritrovi in un mare di proiettili colorati che sembrano fuochi d’artificio, ma se ti distrai un secondo sei fritto (letteralmente, perché gli insetti non scherzano). Navicelle diverse:ti sei stufato di salvare il mondo da alieni fluorescenti e astronavi cattive? Hexapoda è la risposta: qui il nemico è molto più vicino a casa… gli insetti. Giganti. E arrabbiati. Boss fight memorabili: ogni boss è un insetto gigante con pattern d’attacco che ti fanno pensare “ma davvero la natura ha inventato questa roba?”. 🌍 Ambientazione Post-apocalittica: l’umanità vive sottoterra, mentre tu sei il povero volontario che deve affrontare sciami di mostri per ridare speranza ai tuoi simili. Ironia involontaria: il gioco ti fa capire che, dopo guerre e catastrofi, il vero nemico non sono gli alieni… ma le blatte. 💡 Difficoltà Tre modalità: Normale, Difficile e Maniaco. La modalità Maniaco è quella che ti fa chiedere se gli sviluppatori abbiano mai avuto un’infanzia felice. Nonostante la sfida, il bilanciamento è buono: ogni morte ti sembra colpa tua, non del gioco. E questo è il segno di un bullet hell ben fatto. 🎨 Stile e tecnica Grafica retrò: pixel art curata, con colori vivaci che trasformano l’apocalisse in un carnevale entomologico. Colonna sonora: ritmata e incalzante, perfetta per farti dimenticare che stai morendo ogni 30 secondi. Multiplayer locale fino a 4: perché soffrire da soli è triste, ma soffrire in compagnia è divertente. 🏆 Contenuti extra 12 mondi, 3 finali alternativi, Boss Rush, classifiche online e 35 obiettivi. È il tipo di gioco che ti fa dire: “Ok, un’altra partita e poi smetto”… e tre ore dopo sei ancora lì, con le mani sudate e il cuore a mille. ⚖️ Giudizio finale Hexapoda è un piccolo gioiello indie che riesce a catturare lo spirito dei grandi arcade del passato, aggiungendo un tocco moderno e un’ironia involontaria (o forse voluta) che lo rende irresistibile. Non è solo un gioco: è un test di resistenza nervosa, un esercizio zen di concentrazione, e un modo per scoprire che gli insetti sono molto più spaventosi e ostici degli alieni. Galaxian/galaga docet. Voto : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ su 5 — perché se un gioco riesce a farti ridere mentre crepi, ha già vinto. 🎮 Gameplay Pure bullet hell: you find yourself in a sea of colorful bullets that look like fireworks, but if you get distracted for a second you're fried (literally, because insects don't joke). Different spacecraft: Are you tired of saving the world from fluorescent aliens and evil spaceships? Hexapoda is the answer: here the enemy is much closer to home… the insects. Giants. And angry. Memorable boss fights: Each boss is a giant bug with attack patterns that make you think “but did nature really invent this stuff?”. 🌍 Setting Post-apocalyptic: Humanity lives underground, while you are the poor volunteer who must face swarms of monsters to restore hope to your fellow humans. Unintentional irony: the game makes you realize that, after wars and catastrophes, the real enemy is not aliens… but cockroaches. 💡 Difficulty Three modes: Normal, Hard and Maniac. Maniac mode is the one that makes you wonder if developers ever had a happy childhood. Despite the challenge, the balance is good: every death feels like your fault, not the game's. And that's the sign of a well-made bullet hell. 🎨 Style and technique Retro graphics: curated pixel art, with bright colors that transform the apocalypse into an entomological carnival. Soundtrack: Paced and fast-paced, perfect for making you forget you're dying every 30 seconds. Local multiplayer up to 4: Why suffering alone is sad, but suffering in company is fun. 🏆 Extra content 12 worlds, 3 alternate endings, Boss Rush, online leaderboards and 35 achievements. It's the kind of game that makes you say, “Okay, one more game and then I'll stop”… and three hours later you're still there, with sweaty hands and a heart pumping. ⚖️ Final judgment Hexapoda is a little indie gem that manages to capture the spirit of the great arcades of the past, adding a modern touch and an involuntary (or perhaps deliberate) irony that makes it irresistible. It's not just a game: it's a test of nervous endurance, a Zen exercise in concentration, and a way to discover that insects are much scarier and more difficult than aliens. Galaxian/galaga docet. Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5 — because if a game can make you laugh while you crack, it's already won.

A very nicely done game.At first I thought it maybe a Mushihimasama type game but it's an old school shooter with alien insects instead. Great graphical style, atmosphere and soundtrack and very fun to play. Has proper Tate Mode too.

Rapide, dur mais non punitif, une musique qui vient aider à l'état de transe propre au shoot em up, le tout dans un style noir et blanc quasi minimaliste. Moi, j'ai adoré.

Shoot them up bien conçu, très rythmé avec de bonnes musiques. Parfois injuste et punitif sur certains passages, son design atypique en noir et blanc, ses ennemis insectoïdes, ainsi que ses embranchements apportent un souffle d'originalité appréciable. Cependant, il est dommage que l'intégralité des succès soient déblocables en moins de 4h de jeux.

All in all, I'm having a pretty good time with this game. A few nitpicks: I appreciate that the bullets are all a bright pink color, making them very visible against the dark background. But the same can't be said of the enemies, who often blend in, and it's easier than it should be to crash into them in the chaos. In a game like this, it feels unfair when you lose a life because of enemy visibility. Your ship moves VERY slowly. And that's necessary for the kind of micrododging you have to do through dense patterns, but most bullet hell games give you a focus button you can hold down to slow your movement, with a faster base speed for bigger dodges. In this game, you move at focused speed the entire time, which makes you rely on bombs for a lot of situations. The game is very generous with bombs thankfully, but I still think it would feel a lot better to play with two speeds. Other than that though, I really enjoy the look and feel of this game. The shot types are great, the patterns are beautiful and challenging, and the backgrounds and enemies feel very unsettling and alien in the best possible way. Despite having a few issues, I still definitely recommend this for people who like vertically scrolling shmups

Après les Overdriven Reloaded / Evolution qui étaient des shmups sympas mais à la direction artistique partant dans tous les sens, TOMA Game Studio revient cette fois-ci avec une proposition bien plus maîtrisée adoptant le noir et blanc pour tous les éléments, sauf les tirs qui sont roses pour les ennemis et bleus pour le(s) joueur(s). Non seulement le rendu est très joli, mais les patterns de tirs sont ainsi nettement plus lisibles. L’histoire est assez simple. Suite à une guerre des gaz se sont répandus à travers l’atmosphère et si les élites ont fui dans des colonies orbitales, le reste de la population s’est réfugiée sous terre et s’est retrouvée menacée par des insectes géants. Votre but est simple, éliminer ces bestioles, récolter des échantillons et voir si l’air est à nouveau respirable. Trois modes de difficulté sont disponibles mais on sent que le jeu a été conçu pour attirer le maximum de personnes vers le shoot’em up (et c’est une très bonne chose). En normal vous récupérerez très fréquemment des vies supplémentaires et à moins de le faire vraiment exprès, difficile de ne pas aller au bout, surtout que vous aurez si je ne me trompe pas 5 continus possibles. Et si vraiment c’est la galère ou que vous souhaitez jouer avec de vrais débutants / enfants, un mode invincible est disponible dans les options pour profiter tout de même du jeu. En Hard et Maniac, Hexapoda reste très abordable mais certains passages et les affrontements de boss se corseront. Les patterns d’attaque de ces derniers sont d’ailleurs très jolis. Un soin tout particulier a été apporté au niveau de la variété et du rythme. D’autres bonnes idées viendront également se greffer durant l’aventure comme ces ennemis qui inversent les commandes durant quelques secondes ou ces vilaines araignées qui se camouflent en arrière-plan pour vous attaquer au dernier moment. Vous aurez heureusement un bon arsenal à disposition : laser, tir évasé, missiles à tête chercheuse, etc. Ce qui est sympa c’est que peu importe le vaisseau que vous choisirez au départ parmi les quatre disponibles, vous pourrez changer d’arme au moins temporairement durant votre partie pour essayer de vous adapter aux situations rencontrées. Et si vous avez des amis, c’est encore mieux, le jeu est jouable jusqu’à 4 en local (ou en ligne via le steam remote play together). En plus de la DA très sympa proposant un bestiaire inspiré d’insectes réels, le titre est porté par une excellente bande-son composée par le groupe Double Dragon. Pour être franc je ne connaissais pas du tout mais leurs compos sont parfaites pour le jeu, chaque zone a sa propre identité. Si vous souhaitez découvrir tous les environnements vous devrez d’ailleurs faire plusieurs parties car vous aurez parfois à choisir entre deux embranchements. Trois fins sont disponibles en fonction des choix que vous aurez faits. J’ai adoré Hexapoda. S’il n’est pas destiné aux très gros joueurs de shmup car son système de scoring est un peu trop simpliste et la difficulté est globalement assez basse, il est une excellente porte d’entrée au genre et est tout simplement plaisant à jouer. Je me suis beaucoup amusé à débloquer tous les succès proposés par le jeu et j’ai continué à le relancer, juste par plaisir, sans autre but que jouer pour m’amuser, ce qui est finalement le but d’un jeu vidéo non ? Félicitations au duo derrière TOMA Game Studio et j’ai vraiment hâte de voir leur prochain projet ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o6MREhFl1o

Excellent shoot. Réalisation soignée, la DA est topissime, surtout la musique, mais je ne ne suis pas fan des décors, ainsi que de l'ambiance noir et blanc. C'est original et très beau, mais je ne suis pas amateur. J'ai moins de sensations avec un stick arcade, qu'avec la manette, dommage. Pas assez de diversité dans les ennemis, et la jouabilité, sinon le titre est très plaisant. Bien joué les frenchies.

YES