Angel at Dusk

[b]“You guys have big brains and telepathy, why didn’t you invent sunscreen?”[/b] [i]- Lanmoliwf[/i] [hr][/hr] Akiragoya did it, with [b]Angel at Dusk[/b] he proved the [skeletal] theory of Shoot Em Ups. [h1]X-Factor[/h1] Its Biomechanical aesthetic with a skeleton white and blood red color palette sets it apart from other games visually, while the complete refusal of a gameplay gimmick to make itself unique instead focusing on bringing an unadulterated “simple” Shoot Em Up experience is, strangely enough, the very thing that makes it unique. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] Simplicity is the name, selecting an [angel] and clearing the 5-stage arcade mode is the game. Each [angel] has a default firing mode, a charged one that also doubles as projectile clearing attack, and a strong special attack that can only be fired after filling a bar. [Angels] can also regenerate health during play by attacking enemies while being near to them, so it rewards over-aggression more than hugging a corner of the screen for the whole game. An extra mode called Original Chronicle has a tree progression path system where enemies will become stronger until you are inevitably defeated, however, enemies in this mod…

Angel at Dusk isn't overtly a horror game (it's a shmup after all), but the art style and lore is definitely scary in a sense that I lack the ability to properly describe. Is it biomechanical body horror? Religious horror? Apocalyptic horror? Is it inspired by H.R. Giger or Lovecraft? Sci-fi horror? All of the above? I'm not sure, but the developer Akiragoya certainly made something unique. I don't know if his name has any significance, but I have convinced myself it's a mashup of the common Japanese name Akira, and the Spanish painter Francisco Goya. The game is weird, unsettling, and has a shocking amount of lore for a shmup. If you want to see it all and lack the ability or desire to play through the entire game for it, someone took the time to play through the entire thing and compile all of it in a google doc you can look at [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1L-9TgQkAIDm4XGteFJYPFYDmBvmfbCJa/edit]HERE[/url]. It's a lot to absorb, some will like that and some won't. As a shmup it's not bad. I don't have extensive experience in the genre, but I feel like it has a lot to offer in terms of content for the price. I also have enjoyed most of the soundtrack so far…

Good visuals. Goes against the genre a bit, since with a lot of upgrades you can't see much of the visuals due to all the giant projectiles your ship shoots. But it is beautiful and music is amazing too.

I've never been good at bullet hells but can't help trying new ones when I see them. Angel at Dusk has one of my favorite art styles in the genre by far with a strange story to match it. As someone who is bad at these games, I agree with other reviews that this game is much more approachable than others, which is great for people like me. Even though I haven't played much since completing the story, it looks like there is still plenty of other content to do once the itch to play comes back. I have yet to unlock many of the ships are weapons available and haven't made it far in the survival mode.

Not really a shmup person but I loved this one. Don't be deceived by some of the suggestive art, this is a quite bleak and sometimes surprisingly scientific sci-fi story that deals with themes like sapience, identity, transhumanism and entropy among many others. It is told exclusively in the form of unlockable lore excerpts which gradually help to create a larger picture through a timeline across millions of years. The way it builds up from the distant past in various eras across history, all the way into the current events was a satisfying reveal. I will add however that as someone who mostly played the game for its narrative, I would've preferred if the last few lore entries hadn't been locked behind so much grinding. My second reason for playing it was the art, having some really creative body horror and fantastic designs with a unique style, using a mixture of the grotesque and the beautiful in a contrasting but coherent way. The designs of the angels from the unlockable artwork are particularly remarkable. I can't speak much for the gameplay but I did have a nice time. I particularly want to note the extended tutorial, which acts as a standalone experience, in an "interactiv…

A surprisingly accessible Shoot Em Up game that uses distorted human anatomical shapes to evoke images of angels we can't comprehend so you can shoot em for points. Pros: +Unique art style, I have never seen a game with UI like this. It's bold! +There are a lot of difficulty options and ways to play with mode Arcade modes and progressive skill modes which give you new weapons and upgrades to make the latter stages easier. + Mechanically, it's got some depth with the stamina recharge, enemy bullet deletion / movement with your sub-type shots, and it has a lot more leeway for failure and extra hits than other SHMUP's would give you. Cons: - The music is, uhh, strange. It's not bad, just kind of ill-fitting for the type of game this is. Maybe it's on purpose? Overall, I enjoyed my time with Angel at Dusk and I recommend it to people who can engage with it for newcomers to the genre or even veterans looking for something that looks fresh! 9/10, really fun game.