ZeroRanger

It is very difficult to innovate in a genre nearly as old as videogames themselves. So why not to just rely on well tuned mechanics and try to build something clever around them? …and ZeroRanger is [i]really[/i] clever indeed. Where it comes to shooting gameplay itself, game doesn’t leave a lot to be desired. Readable action despite limited color palette, excellent feeling weapons and upgrades, balanced roster of enemies and threatening bosses. Explosive, intense and reasonably difficult: ZeroRanger is just plain fun on the mechanical merits alone and seems to be very approachable for beginners and veterans of a genre alike. Where System Erasure’s effort goes from great to wonderful is all the things surrounding gameplay. ZeroRanger’s artstyle is one of the best implementations of artificially limited color palette I’ve seen in recent years. Soundtrack is absolutely spectacular and full of bangers that will make you buy an OST immediately after playing. And the story? Ha...

I play Zeroranger like it's "No Children" by the Mountain Goats, we are in a stylish failing marital codependency, because flashy fast paced action games lubed with pure ludo gloss are the only things I can play anymore I guess. The grind is rough and I won't lie sometimes it's just putting in the hours so I can finally see the other side of this goddamned samsara. But what, am I gonna turn around and find another bright lights shoot 'em up this accessible? I couldn't magic up a core mechanic this good if you gave me a hundred million years. And you did, or at least Zeroranger did, because it feels it will be an eternity before I see the other side of this shit. Whatever. The time will pass anyways.

It was so good for all that time, and then you ruined it

[h1]This game is Art.[/h1] Critics love to say "games are art", but they usually mean just a video game that has a seamless, high-budget presentation and story. Games that are impressive and maybe even profound but could just as well be a show or a movie, the interactivity is just a bonus. Rarely do they mean a story that could only be told under the medium of video games. ZeroRanger is one of those games. Never had I seen something successfully gameify [spoiler]the struggle toward Buddhist enlightenment [/spoiler], entirely with mechanics. And yet, the ambitions of its storytelling aside, it still never ceases to be an excellent spaceship shooter about fighting alien invaders. It is both a masterwork of art and also just a game. I can't give these devs high enough praise for what they accomplished. I look forward to trying their next game after I've had my fill, done some 1CC runs. Shooting Game never die.

I have to play again?? my steak is too juicy and my lobster is too buttery

The Final Gamer sent me and he was right.

Jesus Christ, what are these indie devs doing? This is easily one of the best games I have ever experienced, and I do not even like shmups. (im terrible at them) The art style is perfect and I adore it, but the soundtracks… the soundtracks I worship. I can already see myself listening to them for the next 2 years. While playing, the game was never-EVER! behind! No matter how good i got or how godly i cleared the levels, it always caught up to me. In fact, the better you play, the more fantastic the moments become. You will feel like a god at stage 1-4, and by that time, you will already have unlocked the drill and soon realize how powerful it is. [spoiler](wink wink)[/spoiler] The game will not tell you what to use. It will not tell you what each weapon does. in fact the game wont tell you anything! But eventually you will figure it all out. That's the best choice they made, and while playing, you will realize the beauty of tit...I accidentally wrote tit...well, that too.

This game is like if Ikaruga developer enjoyed the smell of their own farts. I mean, enjoyed it even more.

Best shoot-em-up game I have ever played. The pixel art is gorgeous. Truly the Undertale of shmups.

i was lost once in a mountain, and i found a monk meditating, when i asked him where i was, he said "ZeroRanger" and that's when i knew, i was at the peak.