Saturn Quest: Shadow of Planetus
Arkhouse makes very strange games that tend to be as unique as they are confusing, but they are also very rewarding if you manage to find the patience and push through them. This game has a ‘boss rush’ and ‘bullet hell’ aspect to it, however, it is a multigenre game that incorporates some occasional platforming, space shooting, and top-down exploration, not to mention the signature ‘WTF Arkhouse narrative’. That being said, every time I play a game by Arkhouse it’s a steep learning curve as the games never work exactly as one would expect. I have been somewhat harsh on the developer in the past, but not because I did not enjoy the games - if anything I wish they were a bit more accessible to the general public. Compared to previous titles like Mirage of Dragon, Saturn Quest is not too difficult to navigate as long as you not skipping the dialogue. Arkhouse games tend to have hidden passages so you need to read the dialogue for the hints or you going to be running around the map completely clueless.
– Real player with 6.7 hrs in game
Read More: Best Aliens Indie Games.
Love me some boss rush.
– Real player with 6.1 hrs in game
Xentron Attack
Xentron Attack is a multi-directional shooter inspired by Vector graphic space shooters including Asteroids, Space Duel, Space Fury, and Solar Quest.
The evil alien forces called Xentron have invaded your galaxy and spreading dangerous meteors and missiles in the space. It’s now up to 2 elite fighters to eliminate Xentrons and save the humanity. Fight with smart enemies who calculates your movements. Turn your ship precisely and use the borderless space wisely, and use shield and warp in emergency situations. Your moving direction and firing direction are always same; this is not a twin stick shooter!
Features
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Simplistic Vector graphics
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Fast-phased gameplay inspired by classic space shooters
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3 different modes to play: Standard mode, Dogfight mode, and 1979 mode
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Dock with 8 special docking weapons to increase your firepower.
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Supports 2-player mode. Play cooperatively or competitively for greater scores.
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Online leaderboards to compete with other people.
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Select your own control method : the classic rotating, more user-friendly straightforward rotating, and mouse controls.
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Supports Xinput controllers. Arcade sticks are strongly recommended than typical game controllers.
Read More: Best Aliens PvE Games.
Devileader
A fun, frantic and sometimes frustrating spiritual successor to Sinistar, Devileader delivers that classic arcade fun in spades. I never really got into the ‘original’ a whole lot, but this game has a few more interesting elements that give the game a good depth and the difficulty setting is a nice addition that keeps things approachable and adaptable, especially for people like me who are not already experts at this game format. I would definitely recommend giving this game a try if you’re at all a fan of the original arcade shooters or fast-paced arcade action in general.
– Real player with 124.3 hrs in game
Read More: Best Aliens Twin Stick Shooter Games.
Hijong Park delivers again. This time with Devileader (Sinistar on crack).
So yes, Sinistar… but this time re-imagined with 4 difficulty levels, much larger enemy variety, interesting weapon variety, and online scoreboards. First off before gameplay begins you are given a choice of one of a handful of superweapons to equip on your ship. These are very powerful and will be used sparingly as they require mining crystals to recharge. They are great for getting you out of tough spots or clearing out a path to hit the devileader with devibombs. Careful though as some will also completely wipe out asteroids and mined cystals which have yet to be collected. Next, your primary laser has a secondary rapid fire mode that clears enemies at a much faster rate. On the flip side it heats up quickly requiring a cooldown time after prolonged use. These two core weapon changes alone already make the frantic gameplay in Devileader much more interesting than in the original arcade classic. Now lets add in a larger ever growing enemy and hazard variety as you progress further into the game and you are looking at a truly great arcade experience. Last but not least, there is a lone drop ship that enters the play area every so often to drop either more powerful ammo limited weapons or time limited items such as shields or cloaks. Be sure to check your map periodically for the drop ship as it can be easy to miss the computerized voice alerting you to its presence in the heat of action.
– Real player with 8.1 hrs in game