User Review : Soldner-X: Himmelssturmer

Ups

• High-resolution, 720p graphics, running at a smooth 60 frames per second{Sound effects are very well-done, and the music fits the action perfectly{Varied level design and challenging gameplay

Downs

• Sometimes cheap level geometry and enemy placement{Weapons look a bit more powerful than they really are

Hearkens back to the days when "shmups" were king

Ever since Soldner-X was announced mid-last year for PC, I have waited patiently for EastAsiaSoft & Sidequest studios to port it to consoles. Upon learning that a PS3 version was in the works, my excitement level increased dramatically for the game. Now that the game has arrived on the Playstation Network, console gamers everywhere are finally able to see what the hype is all about.

To start off with, the story in this game is mostly secondary, like most games in the scrolling shooter genre (casually referred to as "shmups", or shoot-'em-ups). The player is presented with a brief introduction, explaining the history of the planet that the battle takes place on and how they were thrust into the midst of everything. It's rather straightforward, leaving little to the imagination. It does, however, provide a good backbone for the player to feel as if he or she is fighting for a cause instead of just mindlessly hopping into the game and blowing up everything in sight.

Soldner-X is a visually striking game. Presented in full 720p resolution, and running at 60 frames per second, the game is a feast for the eyes. No matter how many enemies are on screen, or how many explosions are happening at once, the game's engine never skips a beat. Not everything is perfect however, and while the game looks great, the visuals can also tend to become a bit distracting to the player. This is magnified by the fact that when a particularly large enemy explodes on screen, or there is a lot going on, the player can find themselves lost for a few moments. Coincidentally, enemies find this the perfect time to assault the player's ship with a well-timed bullet or missile.

The few reviews that I have come across have mentioned that there are a few irritating parts in the levels. I can definitely say that these "complaints" have some weight to them. There are some stages where the walls are really narrow, and because the collision areas are at times a bit too "wide", the player finds themselves having to worry more about crashing into the scenery instead of trying to dodge the massive amount of projectiles that are thrown their way. Also, there are some spots where there will be mines and other hazards that seem near-impossible to destroy, and yet will be placed in such a spot that half the time are unavoidable. I think that's why the developers opted for a health bar, because they probably knew the difficulty level of some of the stages when they were designing them. If this game was a one-shot, one-kill affair, I think I would have given up on it already. I had enough of that nonsense trying to beat R-Type II without dying so I could retain my weapons for the boss fights.

There isn't anything in the way of online play, but the game does have local two-player co-op, online leader boards, and plenty of hidden stuff to unlock. The game starts out with one continue, and as more points and hidden pickups are gained, the player's "pilot rank" increases and more chances to continue the fight are enabled. Among these pickups are "hidden keys" that unlock special features in the game, such as artwork and other secrets that are viewable in the main menu.

Despite the few flaws listed above, the core game itself is still fun. It's got a great old-school, almost arcade-like feel when the announcer calls out the player's performance (or derides the player for a mistake), and the HUD is bold and neo-retro enough to fit in with the game's art style. I'm a "shmup" fanatic and haven't played a modern one in quite some time (the last one was Gradius V on the PS2). Soldner-X fits the bill quite nicely. Anyone looking for a flashy, challenging shooter definitely owe it to themselves to pick this game up. At 9.99 USD, it's a rather reasonably priced title.

Sidenote:

he game weighs in at nearly 900 MB. While that may not be very surprising to anyone who have downloaded a lot of games over the PSN in the past, anyone who is hoping for a Xbox LIVE port of this will probably have to end up playing it on the PC or PS3 due to the size limitations of many Xbox LIVE titles. In my opinion however, it's worth it.

Score

7.5

Graphics

It's got a wonderful retro feel in both gameplay mechanics and level layout (think R-Type), but the level design also leads to frustrating situations and cheap hits when enemies appear from out of nowhere. The controls are tight, and the buttons are easily remappable for ultimate playability.

9.0

Sound

Wonderful scenery and crisp visuals, though things can become overwhelming when there is a lot on the screen.

8.5

Gameplay

An energetic electronic soundtrack does a great job of elevating the player into the game, and a boisterous announcer does a great job of adding input based off the player's performance as a pilot.

8.0

Fun Factor

The game rewards patient players, but anyone who has a short attention span or gives up easily in games won't find much in the way of enjoyment here. Anyone who is a shooter veteran will find plenty to love, however.

7.0

Online

The game has online leaderboards, but no online co-op. Understandable, considering the PC version didn't have online play either

Overall

8.5

[shadowghost752]

Very good review, i got the game after seeing the trailers but i did not know what to expect as i have never played a schmup before and the game is great, go download it, i think it is hard but it is well worth it

[thereapersson]

Thanks, it's my first review!

I'm really liking the diversity of the PSN game library as of late. Have you played Crash Commando yet? The demo is awesome, but I still haven't purchased the full game.

[shadowghost752]

Yeah i have got Crash commandos, the online mode is incredibly addictive. Add me on PSn if you want to play : ShadowGhost752