Horizon Shift '81
Flump Studios · 2019 · Indie, Shoot 'Em Up, Arcade, Shooter, Casual
PC
Positive91% · 11
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Screenshots
About Horizon Shift '81
TIGA 2019 Awards Nominee in the "Best Arcade Game" and "Game of the Year" categories.
Horizon Shift '81 is an explosive wave based single screen shooter (shmups) with a real Retro feel to it. You can even play the game in Tate screen mode!
The player controls a ship in the centre of the screen, enemies approach from the top and bottom and the player is able to switch up and down to deal with the encroaching hoard.
Different enemies react differently when they reach the horizon, some sit on the horizon, some destroy sections of the horizon and some run up and down the horizon. The player is equipped with a dash attack where they can knock enemies off the horizon and smash them into other incoming enemies for a score bonus. Dashing an enemy of the line refills the dash metre allowing for ‘Dash chaining’, this is where the big points are scored.
The player is also able to jump (jumping upside down is an interesting new challenge) and is equipped with a bomb which wipes the screen of enemies as well as restoring the horizon.
Just like in the arcade parlours of old, the inclusion of Global Leaderboards will keep players coming back time and time again in pursuit of that #1 spot!
"...It's also an exceptional sequel that not only improves on the original, but fully realizes the potential of its killer gimmick." A- Defunct games
“I went into this game with high hopes, and they were all met. I didn’t come across a single thing I didn’t like.” - 9/10 - The Insatiable Gamer
"...if you have the itch for some old-school arcade blast-em-up fun, Horizon Shift '81 is a great way to feed that craving." - 8/10 - The Sixth Axis
"This is one of the most charming takes on the shmup genre yet." - 8/10 - Cubed3
"...if you’re into shoot-em-ups and enjoy a good challenge, and particularly if you have a soft spot for retro games and indie games, the incredibly well-together package presented by “Horizon Shift ’81” is a compelling one..." - 8.2/10 - Infinite Frontiers
What Steam players say
Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.
Horizon Shift '81 is a little retro themed shmup surprisingly well made despite a few little bugs. [b]Ship[/b] Your basic ship can shoot, move horizontally, flip vertically, jump, dash and release a bomb when your power meter is full. With a dash you move quickly left or right and knock out any small enemies, bullets and hit bigger enemies standing on or moving through your horizon line. If you fall through a hole in your horizon line a flip will let you fall in the opposite direction allowing you to save your ship. [b]Levels[/b] The levels, 36 in total, are very well balanced with increasing difficulty, they start out easy and short and before any wave can become too repetitive a new wave sets in. Every 6th level is a boss level. Even though most enemy waves are scripted there are random elements like weapon upgrades and where the aliens drop you need to save. This keeps the game fun while playing levels over and over trying to progress or improve your scores. [b]Bonus level[/b] When you've saved 5 aliens you get a bonus level at the end of your current level. You need to clear a field of blocks arkanoid style which unlocks an enemy you then need to hit a couple times. It's pre…5 found this helpful
Horizon Shift '81 is a fun, if uneven, neo-arcade game with a compelling core loop. It's slightly inferior to the first one, but hits most of the right nostalgia points. The reason I can't recommend it is simple - there's a Unity "trial version" overlay in the bottom right corner, which has existed since 2019 and will likely never be fixed. Leaderboard support is also disappointing, you can only see the first 10 results and there's no real-time ticker to show progress as you play. I enjoy Flump's work, and it's not terribly expensive - especially on sale, but the missing polish pushes this to a no for me. If you find the premise intriguing, just play the original Horizon Shift.3 found this helpful
It's like all of your favorite retro arcade games, blended into one. Still feeling fresh, you protect your line in the middle, jumping, dashing and switching sides. Difficult like most arcades. https://youtu.be/r8D89Xx-dvk3 found this helpful
Fun arcade shmup inspired by Atari games/ 80s arcade games. If you're wanting to pick up a high-score grindy game, this one's for you. Online leaderboards and everything. But not much else. Wait till it's on sale1 found this helpful
Disclaimer: My scores/reviews are almost always based on having bought the game at close to the "lowest historical price" on steam at time of purchase. Quick score: 3/5 Things I disliked: Forced to hold fire button, even though there is seemingly no reason to ever not fire due to a lack of ammo conservation or accuracy mechanics. Would like to see an auto fire.1 found this helpful
Cool game with an interesting game mechanic. I really enjoyed my first few runs. The game has a nice array of power-ups and a few surprises that I didn't expect. For fans of retro arcade shooters! Check it out!
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