Shoot and dodge
I do love a good shooter game. With the rise of indie developers and resurrecting classic titles it has been a virtual smorgasbord of this genre as of late. The latest in this trend is a debut game from Brazilian developer Banana Bytes called Sophstar. While it has the usual trappings and design of other shmups, the unique teleport and shot firing speed mechanic combined with a great mini-mission mode really help this game stand out from the pack. Combine that with a cheap entry price and availability on pretty much everything makes recommending this game super easy.
The game follows Soph on a standard recon mission through eight stages across the galaxy. In between each mission there are story beats that help flesh out the world. Nothing here is going to blow your mind, but I always appreciate world building in these types of games. It helps with the transition between just constant shooting. There are also multiple endings depending on the difficulty level chosen so there is plenty of replay for those wanting more narrative.
MSRP: $12.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $12.99
One thing Sophstar excels at is options. There are plenty of modes including the standard arcade, but within that there are multiple options as well. The aforementioned difficulty settings as well as nine unique ships to choose from. There are also scoring options to change how things play out. It lets beginners as well as novices customize the way they play while also giving incentive for getting better. These types of games live and die on keeping players coming back for more as the game play rarely changes up as you progress.
The teleport mechanic is easily the most defining feature of Sophstar. It has a minimal cooldown and must be prepped to be used. It is unique in that it lets players plan out the way they progress through stages. It adds an extra layer of complexity to just shooting and dodging bullets. I found the mechanic just what I wanted in a game of this type. Think of it like the color-changing bullets in Ikaruga and you get the idea. It is something to also think about as you weave in and out of enemy attacks.
Cadet School is where I spent the majority of my time though. This mode has 60 mini-missions that have varying objectives to spice up the game play. There are score attack ones, passive ones where I had to dodge without shooting, and of course just earning a set number of points. These tiny missions really feel fantastic. Being able to jump in and knock out 3-4 of them at a time is immensely satisfying. It also helps differentiate the game from the standard level-to-level pace of most shooters.
Visually the game opts for the vertical style seen in a lot of games of this type. I love that there are tons of filters and screen borders to unlock as well. Even more incentive to keep playing. Banana Bytes knows how to dangle a carrot in front of its players. The filters range from varying color palettes to old school CRT scanlines. It is novel and unlocking them was just enough to keep me coming back.
Sophstar is a fantastic game that feels like it was made by a team that loves shooters. Being someone who will play just about any one released, this one stands out among the pack with its unique teleport mechanic and addictive Cadet School mode. There is a lot here to enjoy and for less than $10 it is a no-brainer for fans of shooters. Don’t sleep on this team’s debut game, cannot wait to see what they deliver next.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
