Grimrush
Bosses are fair with their tells and you will learn by dying and trying. Best lesson.
– Real player with 14.8 hrs in game
Read More: Best Boss Rush Action Games.
Full disclosure, I know one of the devs and even helped to game test it a bit.
But with that said, I’m going to try to be as unbiased as I can with this review, this is both for the consumer and the devs.
With this out of the way, let’s jump into it.
Grimrush is a bullet hell, boss rush game. There are many different bosses and 3 character classes.
Each character has different abilities and stats, catering to any kind of playstyle. I found myself personally changing classes quite often, depending on what kind of experience I wanted at the time.
– Real player with 6.3 hrs in game
Nowhere Patrol
Cuphead-like boss rush game with its own online leaderboard. The characters and weapons are all interesting, but they’re not all balanced equally. The Brisky Brumal + Screwdriver combo just SHREDS through bosses and you can skip entire phases if you time your ability right.
Besides that, your first playthrough will be quite difficult and a lot of fun while you experiment with all the combinations. The game has a bit of depth, you don’t only hold the shoot button until the boss is dead. Well timed dodges will give you extra points and they will also deal extra damage to the boss. Timing and positioning is everything, to quickly kill the bosses. You’ll learn that their projectiles are also your weapons and that they’re not only there to dodge them.
– Real player with 23.6 hrs in game
Read More: Best Boss Rush Indie Games.
I think this game deserves more attention, it has a solid foundation and all of the mechanics work well together. Decent amount of content as well as offering a rewarding challenge.
Nowhere Patrol has enough going for it to feel unique but for the sake of trying to explain the game i’d say the closet things to this would be Cuphead and the Boss fights from Touhou Luna Nights. Nowhere Patrol is a 2D Bossrush game with bullethell elements and a large emphasis on i-frames used to dodge incoming attacks. Each character has 2 special moves to utilise for example one character can stop time for a short period, as well as multiple weapons to pick from.
– Real player with 20.0 hrs in game
The Void Rains Upon Her Heart
BEST Shoot em' up/BulletHell/Roguelite I’ve ever played in my entire life. It has my HIGHEST recommendation! I don’t have enough thumbs to put up!
Goodbye Raiden! So long Space Invaders Extreme. Take care Crimzon Clover! Nice knowing you Ikaruga! Was fun R-Type! Move aside StarFox. Bye Bye Gradius! Nice try JamesTown! Will miss you Stellar Interface! Rest in piece to every bullet hell shooter before TVRUHH!
I believe in a little thing called LOVE..
The theme of the game and a very powerful sentiment! The premise is you play the story of a young woman who is tempted by monsters to let go and become on of them. These monsters are mean, spiteful and vile beings. She doesn’t want to become like them, become like those evil monsters.
– Real player with 51.0 hrs in game
Read More: Best Boss Rush Indie Games.
I picked up TVRUHH during the winter sale, and I was pleasantly surprised to see how well put together the game is. It is filled with great design decisions that let it avoid every single pitfall in the roguelite genre.
The Strengths section lists many of the major areas where you went above and beyond in making the game good and balanced.
I highly recommend it.
STRENGTHS:
The Beginning of the Game is Not Slow or Boring
The start of a run is probably the most important thing in a roguelite. You are going to do the first area, first fight, first whatever, many more times than you do anything else. Yet nearly every single game in the genre screws it up. Nobody likes the basement in the Binding of Isaac. The Mines in Noita are tedious. The Mines/Dwelling in Spelunky 1/2 make people stop playing the game. Roguelites, due to their fast and steep power curve, suffer from basic and boring beginnings.
– Real player with 46.3 hrs in game
ITTA
This isn’t what I would define as just a game, but rather a form of art. Not only are the VISUALS absolutely outstanding, the MUSIC for every area of the game, every boss, every bit of scenery, it is wonderful and a blessing to listen to time and time again.
The MECHANICS are something else as well. Dodgerolls are clean and flawless, providing I-frames in-between rolls for hectic scenarios which there are plenty of.. believe me. Since a lot of these boss fights can have very high bullet density, the variety in DPS and play style that each of the different guns provide is stellar.
– Real player with 189.5 hrs in game
g̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶s̶e̶e̶m̶s̶ ̶f̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶a̶ ̶f̶e̶w̶ ̶h̶i̶c̶k̶u̶p̶s̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶e̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶i̶g̶n̶;̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶n̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶i̶n̶s̶t̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶e̶l̶e̶p̶o̶r̶t̶ ̶a̶t̶t̶a̶c̶k̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶w̶o̶r̶d̶ ̶k̶i̶n̶g̶,̶ ̶s̶e̶r̶i̶o̶u̶s̶l̶y̶,̶ ̶w̶h̶y̶?̶ ̶I̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶s̶t̶r̶e̶a̶m̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶g̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶f̶r̶i̶e̶n̶d̶s̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶l̶d̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶i̶c̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶u̶n̶t̶i̶l̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶2̶0̶t̶h̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶.̶ ̶I̶t̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶e̶s̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶W̶A̶Y̶ ̶T̶O̶O̶ ̶F̶A̶S̶T̶.̶ ̶I̶t̶ ̶n̶e̶e̶d̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶e̶x̶t̶r̶a̶ ̶h̶a̶l̶f̶ ̶s̶e̶c̶o̶n̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶f̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶t̶t̶a̶c̶k̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶e̶s̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶r̶e̶'̶s̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶e̶n̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶e̶e̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶b̶u̶l̶l̶e̶t̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶k̶e̶e̶p̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶e̶y̶e̶ ̶o̶n̶,̶ ̶a̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶w̶e̶i̶r̶d̶ ̶f̶a̶c̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶r̶m̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶m̶a̶n̶ ̶h̶a̶n̶d̶l̶e̶'̶s̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶s̶t̶u̶p̶i̶d̶,̶ ̶m̶a̶y̶b̶e̶ ̶i̶'̶m̶ ̶t̶o̶o̶ ̶g̶o̶o̶d̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶b̶u̶l̶l̶e̶t̶ ̶h̶e̶l̶l̶s̶ ̶a̶f̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶a̶ ̶f̶e̶w̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶u̶s̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶h̶o̶u̶r̶s̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶e̶n̶r̶e̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶s̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶c̶r̶u̶d̶d̶y̶ ̶f̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶i̶g̶n̶;̶ ̶a̶r̶t̶i̶f̶i̶c̶i̶a̶l̶ ̶d̶i̶f̶f̶i̶c̶u̶l̶t̶y̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶w̶i̶s̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶o̶r̶y̶ ̶d̶r̶i̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶g̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶n̶e̶e̶d̶ ̶s̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶b̶o̶t̶t̶l̶e̶n̶e̶c̶k̶s̶.̶ ̶I̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶d̶o̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶a̶p̶p̶r̶e̶c̶i̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶p̶a̶r̶t̶ ̶I̶'̶m̶ ̶a̶t̶,̶ ̶d̶e̶v̶'̶s̶ ̶p̶l̶e̶a̶s̶e̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶s̶w̶o̶r̶d̶ ̶g̶u̶y̶'̶s̶ ̶m̶o̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶t̶a̶d̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶,̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶r̶y̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶i̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶p̶a̶r̶t̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶r̶t̶s̶ ̶u̶s̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶I̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶a̶k̶e̶n̶ ̶z̶e̶r̶o̶ ̶d̶a̶m̶a̶g̶e̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶r̶y̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶i̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶e̶c̶o̶n̶d̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶g̶e̶,̶ ̶i̶ ̶i̶n̶e̶v̶i̶t̶a̶b̶l̶y̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶s̶t̶r̶u̶c̶k̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶t̶e̶l̶e̶p̶o̶r̶t̶.̶ ̶I̶t̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶c̶h̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶p̶p̶e̶a̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶r̶a̶c̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶ ̶s̶p̶l̶i̶t̶ ̶s̶e̶c̶o̶n̶d̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶I̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶k̶e̶e̶p̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶e̶y̶e̶s̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶w̶e̶l̶l̶ ̶e̶n̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶i̶c̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶i̶n̶y̶ ̶t̶e̶l̶l̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶d̶o̶d̶g̶e̶ ̶b̶u̶l̶l̶e̶t̶s̶,̶ ̶i̶t̶'̶s̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶p̶o̶s̶s̶i̶b̶l̶e̶.̶ ̶I̶'̶m̶ ̶s̶u̶r̶e̶ ̶I̶'̶l̶l̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶p̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶b̶e̶f̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶ ̶u̶p̶d̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶o̶v̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶g̶o̶d̶,̶ ̶h̶e̶a̶r̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶p̶l̶e̶a̶.̶
– Real player with 12.2 hrs in game
Furi
What will you fight for?
Furi is a top-down, boss rush, indie bullet hell action game hybrid developed by an indie studio named The Game Bakers. The game is about our protagonist, referred to as “The Stranger” by the other characters, trying to escape the jail he’s in for the “bad things” he has done.
The Jailer is the key. Kill him and you’ll be free.
[Detailed Story Analysis] The protagonist after one of his routine torture sessions, is rescued by a man wearing a rabbit mask. He tells him in order to be free, he has to kill the jailer. After this, our protagonist fights the jailers in order to regain his freedom. After each fight, there are small walking sequences, these sequences are accompanied by our rabbit masked friend, The Voice. During these sequences, The Voice tells us about the story and what the upcoming jailer did to us or what we did to him. The walking sequences are great, it builds the tension, you get to see the beautiful landscapes and listen to glorious music also learn a bit about the story.
– Real player with 176.2 hrs in game
What a game. Immediately upon finishing the first boss, I knew I was in for a treat. This game is an emotional rollercoaster, resulting from the player’s own struggles to improve, the design of each fight, and possible unexpected feelings from the plot. Pardon the excessive gushing, but I think it’s proportionate to the crazy ride this has been.
This is the kind of game where you’re going die repeatedly, saying “Aghh, I could have dodged that!” There are no levels, gear, stats, or customization in this game. This might be an instant turn off for some, but this also means that there is no need to grind and that any improvements in your performance can only be attributed to your own growth in skill. There is also no penalty for dying and having to restart a fight, other than a decrease in your performance score, which takes into account the duration of the fight, how many hits you took, and how many times you died. No grind, no resources, just get back in there and try not to suck this time!
– Real player with 39.5 hrs in game