Crystal Comet

Crystal Comet is a twin stick shmup meets party game. Choose between local coop and/or play together with AI partners in a squad of four. The AI players are actually pretty good. It looks like a shmup but feels more like a chaotic twin stick shooter with the enemies coming from all directions. Even though you play together you get separate scores which makes it fun to try to outscore each other. Quite a few different themed stages, bosses and three modes to keep you (and your friends) entertained for a good while.

As of this moment, I'm the first paying customer to review this game, which is a little sad considering how AWESOME Crystal Comet is. This game is a delight to play. It's a twin-stick shooter built for four players, and it's gloriously messy in the best way. I can't wait to do some four-player runs with this. Single player is fun enough while you're getting your bearings, but I managed to rope a second player in and seeing who could get the highest score was an absolute blast. The presentation hits all the right spots in an age where I'm constantly trying to escape bad AI art. The graphics remind me of old shareware games where artists spent hours making cool weird stuff in Deluxe Paint. My favorites were the cow monster that lactates aliens and the dragon girl twins. The soundtrack is mostly cool metal, and the writing has a lot of dry sarcastic wit. I've only played enough to unlock a couple of bonus ships for Random Mode, but I'm already hoping to get some people together for this at my next couch co-op night. I think there's enough going on under the hood to get my friends hooked for a couple playthroughs at a time.

[quote]A review copy was provided by the developer.[/quote] [quote]Follow my Curator page, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41363546-Fruit-N-Doggie-Reviews/]Fruit N Doggie Reviews,[/url] so you can be updated whenever I post a new review.[/quote] [h1]Overall Rating - Mediocre ★★★☆☆[/h1] [h1]First Impressions[/h1] When I saw Crystal Comet (CC) available for review, I contacted the developer about it with some questions. I was warned that it'd be a chaotic SHMUP, but wasn't really sure why that'd be the case, as the images and trailer didn't convey it'd be any worse than most games of that nature. After trying the game briefly, I saw what he meant, and tried it again later when my friend visited on the weekend. It made for an interesting experience, as I was surprised we actually beat it. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] The main distinction about this SHMUP is that there's always four ships on screen, with the AI controlling all of the ones not played by a person. With how many enemies flood the screen, you'll appreciate having the AI covering your blind spots. Annoying, when looking at the results screen, they always seemed to do better than I had, no matter how consistently I'd avo…

Story mode: https://youtu.be/zj_fMIxDofI This is an excellent SHMUP, and if that's the only thing you read here - that's the important bit. You have a few characters to choose from, though outside of the ship you fly there isn't a huge difference in what you'll experience from a narrative aspect. The story plays out through various conversations between enemies, bosses, and your teammates. There are branching paths, which encourages multiple play throughs so you can experience new things. I won't say every run is going to be a new experience, but there's enough content here to really have you go through many, many times. It's worth it. The game has somewhat distinct art, something that makes me nostalgic for the 90s. I personally love this style of pixel art, because I can jump forward 10 years in time and I'm still going to think this looks great. Pixel art never ages. It's timeless. A very cool thing about this game is that there is an immense amount of variety. There are dozens of unique looking enemies and bosses. Even your teammate's ships look fairly unique. But, combat. That's probably the real reason anyone plays a SHMUP. Is it good? Absolutely. It's gre…

I got the game for beta testing. It was fun testing it and even more so playing it after 1.0 release! You can feel the dev's love for retro shmups on every level. Great pixel art, chaotic action, and a fun narrative. This game is easier (or less hard) playing alone due to a strong AI helping you getting through. I also played it with 2 friends a few runs, but we didn't manage to beat it. Still, it was a good time. Crystal Comet isn't perfect, but why should it be? I recommend it, especially if you're a fan of the genre and of that awesome retro style.

Engage in exhilarating chaos with a squad of helpful companions! This shoot 'em up game offers a simple story and balanced difficulty, making it accessible to players of all skill levels. The fun and easy-to-learn mechanics add depth, while a diverse array of bosses, a number of power-ups, and ships—each with a unique ability—keep the gameplay fresh and exciting. What truly sets this game apart is the intelligent AI that controls the other 3 companion ships in the fleet. Anyone here can drop power-ups and repair each other's ship damage, and believe me, their teamwork feels incredibly natural like playing with your skin & bones pals. You'll find yourself saving them at times, just as they will support you when needed The game's music is outstanding. While the action is addictive, play sessions are designed to last an hour+, preventing excessive gaming and promoting a balanced experience. With multiple ships, modes, branching paths, endings, and a wide variety of enemies, you can easily get 6 hours of entertainment from this game. The on-screen action is intense to the chaotic level, but embrace the mayhem! It's all part of the game's charm and unique, action-packed fun. This i…