Well it's time again for another of my browser game reviews. The generally good feedback I've received from them has given me the motivation to do some more. Now on to the review
Frantic is a shoot em up (here on out known as a shmup) and that is a pretty good description of the majority of the gameplay. You shoot at the bad ships and they shoot at your ship.
At the beginning you are given the choice of three ships. One ship has high offense and low defense while another is reversed with a middle ground ship for in between. But really it doesn't have too much effect in the long run other than how many shots you can take before dying. And like the arcade games of the same genre you get 3 lives before a game over.
The name Frantic becomes apparent very quickly. You will see shots coming at you from everywhere, the screen shakes after explosions and the sheer number of enemies is plain amazing. It can be very difficult to keep track of everything at once, especially during the ten boss fights. The bosses themselves are quite a sight. Their ships are huge, and shots will come at you in insane patterns, oftentimes leaving only maybe just enough room for your ship to maneuver out of the way. The game however is a bit forgiving in that there is no ship to ship hit detection, but when everything starts shooting you, sticking to them probably won't be the wisest course of action.
As with many shmups you receive things from kills. Be it money, shields, or even a level long weapon power up. Dodging bullets while destroying enemy ships also increases your score multiplier which also increases money earned. Getting hit however reduces the multiplier to one. Now money is used to buy cards which are like perks for your ship. Be it increased fire rate or damage, to increased money, or even buying some wingmen who can shoot lasers or homing missiles. Getting these can make it a whole lot easier.
Getting kills also fills up a power bar. You can activate a shield that converts enemy attacks into money, points, or even health. The final power up is something that I can only call a Kamehameha (sp?) Wave that annihilates normal ships and eats away at the bosses health as well as pretty much blocking all attacks.
The music is rather forgettable but still has a retro feel and you know when you have to deal with a boss other than the "Massive Entity Incoming" message with it's rather distinct theme. But really you probably will be focusing too much on not getting hit anyway.
Another flaw is the lack of a save feature. And beating all ten levels can take quite a bit of time. Granted it's a browser game but if you have to go somewhere, you'll have to start all over.
Final notes: Despite it's flaws, it's an enjoyable thing to spend about a half hour with.
Playable at: [link]kongregate.com/games/polymerrabbit/frantic[/link]
I'll be writing another in another 2 weeks, but will probably switch to every week at some point.
EDIT: Apparently the above url isn't working. Try this one: [link]http://www.kongregate.com/games/polymerrabbit/frantic[/link]
Frantic is a shoot em up (here on out known as a shmup) and that is a pretty good description of the majority of the gameplay. You shoot at the bad ships and they shoot at your ship.
At the beginning you are given the choice of three ships. One ship has high offense and low defense while another is reversed with a middle ground ship for in between. But really it doesn't have too much effect in the long run other than how many shots you can take before dying. And like the arcade games of the same genre you get 3 lives before a game over.
The name Frantic becomes apparent very quickly. You will see shots coming at you from everywhere, the screen shakes after explosions and the sheer number of enemies is plain amazing. It can be very difficult to keep track of everything at once, especially during the ten boss fights. The bosses themselves are quite a sight. Their ships are huge, and shots will come at you in insane patterns, oftentimes leaving only maybe just enough room for your ship to maneuver out of the way. The game however is a bit forgiving in that there is no ship to ship hit detection, but when everything starts shooting you, sticking to them probably won't be the wisest course of action.
As with many shmups you receive things from kills. Be it money, shields, or even a level long weapon power up. Dodging bullets while destroying enemy ships also increases your score multiplier which also increases money earned. Getting hit however reduces the multiplier to one. Now money is used to buy cards which are like perks for your ship. Be it increased fire rate or damage, to increased money, or even buying some wingmen who can shoot lasers or homing missiles. Getting these can make it a whole lot easier.
Getting kills also fills up a power bar. You can activate a shield that converts enemy attacks into money, points, or even health. The final power up is something that I can only call a Kamehameha (sp?) Wave that annihilates normal ships and eats away at the bosses health as well as pretty much blocking all attacks.
The music is rather forgettable but still has a retro feel and you know when you have to deal with a boss other than the "Massive Entity Incoming" message with it's rather distinct theme. But really you probably will be focusing too much on not getting hit anyway.
Another flaw is the lack of a save feature. And beating all ten levels can take quite a bit of time. Granted it's a browser game but if you have to go somewhere, you'll have to start all over.
Final notes: Despite it's flaws, it's an enjoyable thing to spend about a half hour with.
Playable at: [link]kongregate.com/games/polymerrabbit/frantic[/link]
Sonny (Unofficial) [link]http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.122347#2458742[/link]
Sonny 2 [link]http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.124662#2573466[/link]
Sonny 2 [link]http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.124662#2573466[/link]
I'll be writing another in another 2 weeks, but will probably switch to every week at some point.
EDIT: Apparently the above url isn't working. Try this one: [link]http://www.kongregate.com/games/polymerrabbit/frantic[/link]
