Developer: KaleidoGames
Publisher: KaleidoGames
Platform: PC
Tested on: PC
Beekyr Reloaded – Review
A while ago we’ve gotten the opportunity to test a preview from Beekyr Reloaded but now the game took off for real and is in full flight. Most of the side-scroller shooters get their inspiration from more mechanical sceneries like aircrafts or spaceships but this game takes you to nature. Are you ready to take up arms against wasp, birds, spiders and other animals?
Story
Life in the animal world can be cruel and the hive from our little bee soldier took a big hit. You return to your home, finding a lot of corpses of your fellow soldiers and friends along the way. When you arrive at your hive, the queen is devastated as all the honey and pollen were stolen by the wasps. These evil actions aren’t going to stop you from getting the stolen goods back and restore the hive back to its former glory. Your dangerous journey starts and you’ll have to face quite some enemies before you’re able to get revenge for all the suffering.
In-between the several worlds and levels there isn’t that much extra story value, although it makes you wonder why a lot of insects are against bees. When you complete the ride, you get some more details, so at least this story has an ending, giving you the drive to start anew or at least have the feeling you’ve crossed all those levels for a reason.
Graphics
Just as in the preview, you’ll be flying around in several colorful locations, each with their own characteristics and even the weather conditions can change. Your enemies are all clad in wonderful colors too, but don’t let their nice hues trick you that they’re friendly. You’re the only one in this story, so shoot everything that moves. The mobs stand out in the environment and the elements in the foreground are much sharper, so you have an idea what will cause you harm and what is safe to fly though. It’s also rather nice that your little bee has his fighting gear on, making him actually quite adorable.
Sound
There are several tracks for you to enjoy in this title, some of them are a bit slower while the other ones will get your blood pumping thanks to the beats. This already starts when you just start the game as the menu has a really upbeat track. Of course, sound effects are just as important, so there are several ones to hear while you’re flying and dodging incoming artillery. In the end, it makes a rather nice entity, urging you on to kill some wasps.
Gameplay
Beekyr Reloaded is a side-scroller action game where you have to shoot a lot of enemies to get your stolen pollen and honey back. To do so, you can shoot projectiles at your opponents. Of course, the foes get stronger and more numerous, so upgrading is rather necessary. At the beginning of your adventure, you’re not able to do much but defeating enemies might grant you a power-up. You have two slots at the start, but progressing might grant you an extra one so you can upgrade even more. Next to the power-ups, you can also collect bombs. These are collected similarly and can be used whenever you want. Gathering more bombs means that your attack will be bigger when you unleash the strength of the bees. When you’re defeated though, you will lose some of your obtained powers so keep this in mind.
The game has several difficulties for you to tackle and whenever all your lives are depleted, you have to start all over again. There are several worlds for you to explore and if you complete one, you’re able to begin from this point onwards. You will get some power-ups from the beginning, so you have a real shot of beating the upcoming levels. Losing a life is bad but you’re able to get them back if you get high scores. After each level, there are some calculations and depending on how much you gathered, the bigger the chance you’re rewarded an extra life. For instance, the accuracy and the number of enemies slain are rather important so keep this in mind when you dive into a new level.
There are actually different in-game modes to exploit, namely the horizontal and the vertical one. Most of the times you’ll be going to the right while firing everything you got, while at other times you’re going up or down. During these levels, you need to collect honey and use the power of the bees when you’ve collected enough. Sometimes you need to dodge incoming attacks though. Although your little bee soldier seems a lone wolf, you can play the game with two people in local co-op mode. Together you’re able to tackle more field and do more damage but as there is a shared life pool, you might see the game over screen faster than expected.
Conclusion
If you like side-scroller shooters with quite a punch and a unique story, it might be an idea to check Beekyr Reloaded. You’ll be dropped in a bee-tastic environment where you have to survive hordes of insects or other murderous animals in your quest of getting the stolen goods back. Both the graphics as the sound will help you immerse in this story while the gameplay is smooth and engaging. Don’t be stung when you die though.
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