The game gives us the option of picking either one or two player mode. Once we select a mode, we will be given the option of picking one of three modes.
TIME ATTACK: Getting the highest score possible within the time limit.
NORMAL: Surviving as long as possible
POWER WAVE: Destroying enemies to get more time.
Active Time Remaining: 01:55:35
Time Attack's main objective is simple: You've got 3 minutes to reach the highest score possible. So there's no need to explain what's going on, except for at least reaching 50 million points to unlock all the achievements of this mode. Since there's no life bar for the character, technically it's impossible to die by taking damage.
Its only flaw is that you don't have enough time and your gameplay has to be perfect and with no collisions if you want to keep your precious Streaks, which they become the main factor to reach higher scores.
Basic, yet non-stop asteroid blasting action and bewildering destruction of weird-looking faces.
Normal is the main game. The objective here is to get as much score as possible until your Shields drop to zero and die. Unlike Time Attack, you have an energy gauge replacing the time limit, so that means you can die by taking hits. Fortunately, your life can be restored by making chains, even if the Extra Shield can only be obtained randomly.
POWER WAVE: Get the power, feel the power, until time takes the power away from you.
Power Wave's objective involves around reaching the highest score by completing tasks like destroying asteroids, multiple enemies, player-slowing clocks, etc. Your time limit there is different from the Time Attack as it is displayed on your status gauge as a "dotted" circle depleting itself. Completing tasks refills your timer.
Regardless of which mode you select, the game seems to be a basic Twin Stick Asteroids clone, there's much more beyond what we see in the game. The game includes high scoring mechanics starting off with a combo system similar to that of Blazing Star which gives you an increased value of the enemy's score as you keep destroying more of them within the time limit. If that wasn't enough, the game throws the Streak which increases the value further as its multiplier level increases as long as you don't take a hit, taking a hit decreases the gauge. When the combo time is up, the overall multiplier you've get it will be added to the combo bonus.
To complete the "Increase your score and go wild" thing, the game throws more element: The Reflex Bonus, which works based on how fast you destroy the enemy as soon as it appears, pretty much like the High-Tempo Bonus from Thunder Force V, the only problem is that it suffers the same problem as in Thunder Force VI because it doesn't display an indicator to know how much time has passed since the object/enemy appeared on screen. Another issue is the way too fast depleting ot the multiplier gauge, because sometimes you'll face strong enemies and before you know it, the multiplier has gone. This is a near-fatal flaw during Time Attack since you need BOTH the multiplier and the streak if you're planning to get the achievements of said mode.
But the worst of all is the lack of after-hit invincibility and damage tolerance to both the shield and the Streak gauge (the Turrican life depleting effect), because they will drain your shields and deplete your streak gauge down to "x1" with consecutive hits.
To finish the high score craze, there's the Chains which are activated by destroying four enemies of the same type (4 white asteroids, for example). Killing more of the same type adds more until you hit the maximum of 25,000 point in bonus chains.
Fortunately, the game gives you weapons to provide additional firepower like the Quantic Explosion which is the bomb of the game. This also increases any possibility of bonus by eliminating all the enemies on the entire arena, increasing the multiplier into dozens. However, it can only be used three times since it consumes the same energy gauge used by the Temporal Anomaly.
The Temporal Anomaly is the time slower ability that helps you to navigate through tight spots in very desperate situations slowing the game's speed as long as you keep holding the button. Like the Quantic Explosion, the Anomaly uses the same gauge so i only recommend to use it in desperate cases.
Other weapons and shield recoveries are randomly obtained as you destroy enemies and keep making chains. The Vulcan Laser is the machine gun of the game as it fires a fast stream of laser beams that causes great damages to anything on its path. The Power Bullet which is the spread shot type that shoots bullets that scatter wider as they move further away from the ship, it is also stronger than the Vulcan Laser, and finally the Fast Shot which is your three way fire that gives you a brief moment of power when the situation needs it. Keep in mind, These weapons have their own power gauge in pure Megaman style, and like such, they will ran out of energy as you keep firing, downgrading you to the regular bullets.
The Two Player mode features two exclusive modes: Co-op and Versus. Co-op puts Player 1 into taking control of the ship's movement while Player 2 fires the weapons. Versus sends both players on their respective ships to the arena where thousands of enemies will be waiting for them. If one player die, the other could have a chance to break the loser's record.
Graphically, it brings new life to the classical vector traced graphics of games such as Asteroids and Omega Race, the neon styled glowing is well executed and is visually enjoyable unlike Super Space Serpent SE's eye-harmful graphics.
The music is amazingly incredible, from the beginning of the game until you quit playing, you'll be delighted with electronic paces that bring a pounding non-stop beat, which really adds rhythm to the overall game atmosphere rather than just composing only to have something to hear like in most games. I've never got such a enjoyable musical experience since Blazing Star, Rez and Child of Eden, so Debris Infinity makes a splendid job in musical execution.
CURIOSITIES INFINITY
- The achievement name "Za Warudo" comes from the japanese pronunciation of the english word "The World", the name of Dio Brando's Stand on the third part of the popular manga and anime series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, which became an internet meme.
- "Where No One Has Gone Before" is the name of the sixth episode of the 1994 TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- "Time is of the essence" is a term used in contract law in England and Wales, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, other Commonwealth countries and the United States expressing "the need for timely completion", indicating that one or more parties to the agreement must perform by the time to which the parties have agreed if a delay will cause material harm.
In the end we've got an fast-paced addicting vectorial based game that brings a new twist to the classic Asteroids-like gameplay like we've never seen before. Debris Infinity is definitely a must get in your collection.