Has the side-scrolling shooter genre given it its all? Although this is a particularly inflated trend in the era of 8 and 16-bit systems, we imagine that things can still be done with this type of formulas, and obviously we are not the only ones given that it has just been released for PC. and Nintendo Switch a title like protocorgi.
Developed by Kemono Games, the game focuses in particular on the sweetness of its protagonist, Bullet, a corgi but different from the usual, as he is cybernetically enhanced by his brilliant owner so that he can act as guardian not only of his house but also of the entire world. planet, threatened by a horde of alien parasites that soon take control of the Earth troops and launch a devastating attack, also dragging down the young scientist.
There is no time to waste: having activated his thrusters and awakened the fighting spirit that lives within him (literally, although it is not very well explained), Bullet goes in search of the aliens, determined to eliminate them and save his creator. A mission that is as captivating as its assumptions? We reveal it to you in ProtoCorgi Review.
Structure: between levels and difficulties.
Let's go back to the initial question: do horizontally scrolling shooters still have something to say? To find out, the guys at Kemono Games started experimenting with different solutions, taking a lazy style approach. Roguelite to solve one of the most common problems of this type of titles, namely the often limited duration.
Completing the ProtoCorgi campaign doesn't take long at just over forty minutes (and given the price, that's fine), but it's decidedly unlikely that you'll be able to unlock one of the two endings available On the first try. This is because you'll face unusually tough enemies and seemingly ineffective weapons, as well as a low number of lives and continues.
To do this you will have to chain attempt after attempt, add points and eliminations, try your hardest within the levels and in this way unlock some permanent updates which will make subsequent attempts easier. The problem is that the process will necessarily see you repeat the same scenarios and boss fights over and over again until you manage to surpass your previous record.
It is therefore a short blanket, embroidered for the occasion by the Chilean development team, which has otherwise implemented quite traditional elements in terms of the weapons at Bullet's disposal (several missiles, lasers, beams that open in various directions, smart bombs, etc.), which are placed within four slots, but which you will have to learn to recognize to avoid ending up fighting with tools that do not lend themselves to to your personal style.
Gameplay: Bullet Hell Experimentation
ProtoCorgi therefore stands out for a considerable degree of challenge, even at the intermediate difficulty level, and which necessarily materializes in a series of game overs that are also quite frustrating due to the way in which they are developed, mainly due to a system of collision detection a bit particular, which we didn't really appreciate.
In fact, it seems that the protagonist's body is largely intangible and only his "core", so to speak, fears the impact of enemy bullets and any object wandering through space, according to the ruthless rule according to which a only impact corresponds to the loss of a life. If this configuration makes sense to alleviate the dynamic of bullet hell in which the screen literally fills with projectiles and obstacles, in combination with a back button that allows you to slow down and therefore move with greater precision, does not lend itself equally well to other interactions.
In fact, Bullet's partial intangibility also applies when trying to collect items and power-ups, which means that the sprites must be completely covered with that of our character for the desired collision to occur, and when there is an urgency to recover certain things (for example the power-ups lost immediately after dying) it happens that the great required The movements become a nasty trap leading to further loss of life.
This aspect is also compounded by the management of the attack, which begins with a second delay due to the presence of two different firing modes (one in which a button is repeatedly pressed to "bark", causing the letters to appear "BAU!" ) and throw them at enemies, and another in which you must hold down the button), and enemy placement, which from the second or third level of the campaign we will often see placed behind us during alternative movement phases, with the frustrating impossibility of reaching them and the urgency of dodging their projectiles while we face the dangers that are presented to us by in front of.
The integrated editor
The ProtoCorgi experience does not end with its campaign, but includes an editor that allows you to create levels from scratch, using the resources of the game itself, to then test them and possibly share them with other users, and in the same way download them. community creations. Unfortunately, ProtoCorgi Maker's interface seemed really complicated and cumbersome, which quickly dampened our enthusiasm, so plan to have a little patience if you want to try this specific tool.
Graphic: canine pixel art
Upon closer inspection, it is exactly there. pixel art graphics to become the most characteristic element of ProtoCorgi. The authors' intention to target a certain type of user is evident by placing a friendly corgi as the protagonist of a horizontally scrolling shooter, and there is no doubt that a good job has been done from this point of view, although the design Enemies in general tend to seem generic and uninspired, as do the environments.
La chiptune soundtrack gives a strong push to the whole experience, especially in the first songs, only to then lose strength and take refuge in less inspired melodic solutions, while the sung piece that accompanies the introductory sequence is certainly notable. It's a shame that the technical framework occasionally wobbles on the Nintendo Switch, leading to obvious stutters and crashes that should have no place in a similar product.
Conclusions
Tested version Nintendo Switch digital delivery Vapor, Nintendo eShop Price 6,99 € Holygamerz.com 7.0 Readers (3) 6.3 your voteProtoCorgi starts from a very nice idea and puts it into practice in an interesting way, but the final result seems only half successful. In fact, if the vaguely roguelite approach to overcoming the campaign length problem can make sense, the solutions identified by the developers regarding collision detection and enemy positioning, all in view of a scenario of Bullet hell, they don't. They didn't convince us. Of course, at such a low price, you should initially try a scrolling shooter starring a corgi.
PRO
- Beautiful protagonist, beautiful graphics.
- Some ideas work well
- Really low price
AGAINST
- Problematic collision detection
- Frustrating enemy location
- Interesting but cumbersome editor.
