Developer: R C Knight
Publisher: Charlie's Games
Platform: PC, PS Vita
Tested on: PC
Son of Scoregasm – Review
Bullet hell games have always been a true nightmare for slower paced gamers, while most titles ported overseas were adjusted to our needs, the real Japanese ones are those that require skill and finesse. This might scare off most gamers but what if you could play a hectic shooter with the skills of a mortal but have the feeling you are on par with the gods? Son of Scoregasm is here to feed your needs.
Story
Humanity has reached the point in which they created very strong spaceships to keep outer space safe. But one day something terrible happened. The ‘King of the Earth’ his biscuits got stolen by alien invaders and now they are threatening to destroy our planet. So you are enlisted to protect our lovely Earth and retrieve those essential crackers!
The core story is just one screen with the text of the king saying this, that short piece is as far as the game’s lore goes. As this is an arcade game, this does not affect the gameplay whatsoever, but naturally it is fun when developers embed a little story to keep us extra motivated to play through it.
Graphics
As this is a very fast paced top down shooter you will probably not expect very high details, and while the game looks good there is simplicity in the designs of the ships. While ours reminds us of an upgrade from R-Type Delta, other objects feel new and fresh. The overall aura of the game feels light and colorful at first but when the shit hits the fan it turns into this dark and morbid setting. You can compare it with a gentle stroll through the park and then suddenly the storm starts.
The overall visuals are a blend of old-school pixilated and modern smooth edges. In this aspect it is easy to notice the homage to the old arcade styled shooters and how beautifully they can be made with today’s computing.
Sound
Just like the graphics this is again old meets new, and this is a good thing. At one side you have some fresh sounding beats mixed with the real classic sound effects. The music brings a smooth atmosphere at first when all is calm, but after the battle truly starts you get treated with a fast paced adrenaline pumping music track. Sound effects from the weapons and enemies take all the way back to the 1980’s arcade era.
Gameplay
Son of Scoregasm is an arcade shooter game with bullet hell mechanics. The object of this game is to clear all the levels in order to save the planet and retrieve the cookies that got stolen from your king. The campaign mode is divided into 28 levels that are placed in a triangle form just like in the old Outrun games if you have played those. This means you start from one level and after completing this you can select between easy and hard (this splits to two, three, four etc). This difficulty tree also allows the player to freely play through levels and the ability to backtrack or try again for better high scores.
The main goal to Son of Scoregasm is beating the level and completing each scenario. If you like to set a high score you best chain kills together and dodge incoming fire. Each level will start you out with a basic laser machine gun and this will get upgraded to a three way shot when enough enemies are killed. When the battle gets too hectic you can always rely on your handy pulse attack to clear the field. This move allows you to destroy enemies and absorb bullets to keep you alive since one hit and you are done, plus it is a great way to get points.
If killing extraterrestrials was the only thing in the game, this could get stale very quickly, luckily each level is very unique in that some are shooting and surviving but others are more like puzzles. In one scenario you are trapped between two moving rollers and to destroy the enemies you must use dexterity and smarts to turn your death trap into a rolling pin.
Controlling the game is quite easy with controller or keyboard thanks to the simple button layout. While the keyboard controls seem complex you can learn them quite fast and the setting allows for easy access to all the moves
Conclusion
Son of Scoregasm is a fun fast paced title that will tap into all your skills and reflexes in order to be completed. The graduating difficulty will allow rookie players to learn the ropes at a decent pace and you can always go back for the harder first levels as you are not restricted to a pattern. Patience is key since with one hit you will die, and it takes willpower to complete this insane title.
No Comments