As a small disclaimer/heads up. I actually am an up and coming indie developer myself. NORMALLY this would have no relevance, but long story short I actually became friends with the developer of this game while doing some networking and he was kind enough to provide me with a review key. To the developer of the game, you have my thanks and utmost appreciation. I won't be bias or anything, nothing more than me disclosing needed information.
Now, on to the review
Operation Steel is basically a passion project that right out of the gate SCREAMS and OOZES "Hidden Gem". Upon talking with the guy behind this (Will not be named for privacy concerns. He told me that schmups were his favorite genre to dip into during his arcade and Commodore 64/C64 days. And it shows.
At it's heart, Operation Steel is a rogue lite schmup/rogue lite bullet hell Smörgåsbord that takes notes from the greats and at the same time, mixes and matches elements of them
I feel like the game takes tidbits from the following:
Starfox 64
Galaga and Galaga 88
Gradius
Gyruss
I'll take a brief moment to mention the quote on quote "non essentials" of this game (i.e. music, art, and things like that), then I'll move on to the gameplay elements, design choices, and inspirations further below.
The art right out the gate took me back to my pre teen and teenager years playing flash and web browser or early Popcap titles.. It felt like inviting, vibrant and colorful but still basic enough to show it's here for the fun, not to have the visuals be center stage.
The music gives off vibes that feel like a hybrid between Sonic, Bomberman, and Mega Man while definately screaming 90s and early 2000s regarding the vibes it gives off
But make no mistake and don't let the basic looking presentation fool you. If anything, Operation Steel was reminding me of one of those HIGHER END (big letters=emphasis) flash games, It was designed to give off the vibes of a game that was made to suck in your money and emulate that difficulty without the need to worry about pouring in quarters, but still giving off that "just one more go" vibe while also keeping you entertained and kicking your ass.
I mention this because, much like arcade schmup games of the 80s, 90s and early 2000s this game looks easy enough, but it's only easy to understand, and gets hard quickly. Harder than it looks is an expression that fits this game perfectly since it took me 3 tries to get past stage one. But thankfully this wasn't stressful. The unlocks and the vibes of the games atmosphere and meta progression do well giving off that "just one more go" hook of an arcade or arcade like game and therefore make it less stressful than you'd initially think
I also see some light bullet hell vibes, especially because you need pixel perfect timing to dodge, but its a double edged sword because that also is how hit detection works
The enemy designs and vibes feel like something out of a Popcap game and is creative enough at a basic level, but as they say, graphics don't make a good game, gameplay does. , Thankfully, in the gameplay department there are very few problems.
Gameplay wise this feels like a rogue lite take on Gradius in regards to being able to mix and match different weapons and secondary powerups that you get from enemies you defeat. The game also adds just a PINCH of Galaga given the emphasis on horizontal scrolling and incentives to kill all the enemies as this gives you a score multiplier.
Credits even play between stages, as this is your currency to upgrade and repair/enhance your ship between levels to further better your chances of survival
Galaga 88 I also see comes into play with seeing how far you can go by displaying a similar map as you progress and when you get a game over. as well as being able to choose between two different ship types. The small Starfox elements come into the ability to pick between different planets during each run. Although one could argue that on a 2D Schmup "scale" for lack of a better term, this also feels a bit like Gyruss.
Thankfully for those that want a bit of an easier ride, there IS a novice mode. Boss Rush and a Time Attack mode are also later unlocks if you as a player are craving something different.
Top this off with the fact that the rogue lite meta progression giving new passive and primary upgrades for your ship and the fact that this game essentially "feeds itself" playtime, since the progression towards unlocks is based on score.
Let me emphasize, your PROGRESS on the unlock bar is based on your time spent and score you have, which also is influenced by multipliers if you kill an entire way of enemy ships. The UNLOCK ITSELF however is your primary incentive to get a high score. In short, how long you last and how well you do factor into WHAT you unlock and WHEN you unlock it.
A decepitvely basic/simple game but enough sprinkled into it's innards to make it stand up on its own and be more than meets the eye. Not the greatest thing ever, but a game like this just proves you don't have to always reinvent the wheel in order to make a fun game, just take things people like and know and change up enough for it to come off as "inspired by" rather than rip-off, and take your own spin on things to bring enough originality to the table (:
I can absolutely see this as being a dumb fun hit. It's doesn't necessarily bring anything brand spanking new to the table as I already mentioned, but I can absolutely reccomend this as a sale buy or even full price if you want to show support. Just be sure you go in not expecting anything grand, but thankfully, what you get is pretty good overall.
Here's to this game hopefully getting to Switch. I see this as a PERFECT game to port on there
