Shmups are a genre that developers can do a lot with. You have horizontal scrolling shmups like the Darius series and horizontal shmups like Capcom’s 1943, but then there are the more experimental games. These can include Taito’s Arkanoid vs Space Invaders and Galacide, as shmups that try to do things that are outside the box for the genre. Enter Project Starship X from Eastasiasoft and Panda Indie Studio, a follow-up to Project Starship and a very offbeat game.
Project Starship X is rogue-lite shooter that describes itself as a wacky take on cosmic horror, and the game certainly lives up to that description. Project Starship X is less about actually shooting your enemies and more about dashing and dodging at the right time. There are a number of obstacles and enemies that appear in your way and dashing is key to getting past them, but there is a small matter to keep in mind. After dashing once, you need to wait a few seconds before you can dash again. This may not seem like a big issue at first, but the game throws so many attacks at you so you need excellent timing to ensure you do not lose your dash before hitting a laser or other attack.
Project Starship X warns you right at the start that there is a risk to players with photosensitivity and the game is not lying at all. The flashing effects are very intense but they are part of what makes the game what it is. Project Starship X is a game that will stimulate your senses and drive you to keep playing, but you will be fine as long as you do not have photosensitivity issues and take breaks between playing. The issues are not as severe as some other games with powerful flashes, and at most I received a slightly elevated heart rate for a few seconds.
As mentioned, this is a rouge-lite shooter and the goal is to see how far into the game you can get each time before beating it. This is easier said than done and depending on the pilot you choose, you will be warned you are not ready for what is coming. Considering that the first boss is zombie Adolf Hitler whom you fight twice, and enemies just get weirder from there, Project Starship X definitely throws you for a loop. Some sections of the game are procedurally generated and will throw you off at times, and the bizarre nature of the enemy attacks just seems to exist to disorient you.
The hazards as mentioned, will appear randomly and you will need to use your dash to avoid them. You can link your dashes to attack enemies or received powerups as well, so it is a multifaceted ability. In some ways, the many hazards of the game remind me of Hypership out of Control, where avoiding the many hazards are a key part of the game. With the offbeat nature and intense gameplay, it may seem that Project Starship X is a bad game but that is not the case. It is simply a very different type of shmup and has a lot going for it.
I rather like Project Starship X and feel it is worth checking out. Just make sure you do not have any photosensitivity issues and take breaks as you play. Otherwise, there is a good amount of enjoyment to be had here and the intense gameplay definitely will keep you coming back for more.
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch
Also available on PS4 and Xbox One
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