Void Gore (XB1 Series X|S - PS4 - Switch - PC)

Submit your reviews here - please see guidelines topic
Post Reply
User avatar
Sturmvogel Prime
Posts: 841
Joined: Sat Oct 11, 2008 4:23 am
Location: Autobot City, Sugiura Base

Void Gore (XB1 Series X|S - PS4 - Switch - PC)

Post by Sturmvogel Prime »

It's February, love is in the air, stores are playing Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" (and no, is not just for the Top Gun: Maverick "Hype") and Nazareth's "Love Hurts" all month long. Well, in my case I was hearing those songs when I was buying an XBOX and a PlayStation gift cards to buy a couple of shmups to increase my collection of games in my XBOX One and PlayStation 4.
Unfortunately, I've pick the losing number once again. So, here's my review of Void Gore.



Image
That can't be a good sign...

As soon as I read the phrase "DEVELOPED BY PANDA INDIE STUDIO" I knew I've bought a trash game and they threw me a [EXPLETIVE] sentence 'cos after playing four titles of the Project Starship series which were already a bunch of useless gaming garbage, I've developed a sense of "If you see the words "Panda Indie Studio" on your TV screen, run. 'cos everything is [EXPLETIVE]". While any of you should consider that as an advice, here I am playing another of their done on the cheap shooters for the sake of reviewing it.



Image
I'm good to die as you are good to be uninstalled from the console.

The game doesn't take the concept of dying as a humorous prank, it goes serious as it initally sends you with one hit point. That's right, one miserable point of energy and then you'll enter on "Danger Mode" where your firepower is increased until you regain your health or die, and this is not one of those games that grant you extra lives. If you die, the game is over and you have to start all over.



Image
"Eye" know a thing: These enemies will end up in tears.

The gameplay structure of Void Gore is more basic than any of the Project Starship games. While omitting the Dash-kill function and the frenetic bullet hell elements, this game focuses on one thing: Killer Field, which is a chargeable blast radius that destroys everything within it, including bullets and enemies. To inflict the maximum damage, you'll have to fully charge the Killer. This is helpful to reach a reasonable combo when your weapon power levels are low in your first time plays. Despite being slower paced than Project Starship X, Void Gore includes a score multiplier that increases as you keep killing enemies constantly. However, the multiplier gauge depletes after clearing a stage as the inbetweener "Hell 'x'" takes time as it blinks before starting the next stage. Along with the multiplier, you can get power ups to increase the fire rate and add missiles as a secondary weapon, but the dropped upgrades only work for the game session you're playing, and they can increase your fully powered ship much further, granting you a super advantage making the game way too easy and too boring.

Like everything from Panda Indie Studio, this game features achievements/trophies which are extremely easy to get, once again landing in the Gamerscore Milker category.



Image
Even on Hell there's prices to pay.

Everytime you die, you'll be given the option of restarting the game or entering the Upgrade shop, this is where you can buy upgrades for your ship like speed up, increase your HP, have a faster rate of fire, more power, and bullets per shot and buy "Per game only" upgrades like getting more bonus items, make the enemies drop more coins (useful for quick ship upgrading) and unlock the boss $@+4n at the end of Stage 10.



Image
Every once in a while, you fight Doom rejects.

Graphically, it tries to focus on the demonic themes due to the name of the game and the use of infernal things, but the only hellish thing is the purchaseable $@+4n boss fight at Stage 10, the rest is skulls, eyeballs, intestines and mouths, this remindse me not just the rest of the Project Starship series (minus the Lovecraftian references), but also like the visceral NES shmup Abadox: The Deadly Inner War, the first background is a visceral-intestine background that completes the Abadox reminiscence. Not to mention, $@+4n looks more like a Sci-Fi monster rather than a demonic being, the kind of freak that you'll pulverize with UAC weaponry.
The unlockable backgrounds are more of a horror-esque theme as they have skulls and bones, there's a tentacle themed one (a nod to Project Starship's Lovecraftian themes) and a dark rocky cavern, but one of them is somewhat familiar.



Image
Looks like the "Highway to Hell" took us to Belsar's BBF.

The third background, for an eagle (or [Silver] hawk) eyed Darius fans will probably recognize the whirling clouds as a nod to the Big Battle Field, the boss background of Darius.

The music is sometimes good, since the rocking style tries to mimic Thunder Force III and IV, which is a good idea, but there's two small problems: One, the music tracks are too short as they last for a minute or so, and second, that stupid speed-up pace of Project Starship and Null Drifter is still present, making it sound horrible.


VOID CURIOSITIES
- The mention of M.O.M.M.Y. OS implies this game is part of the Project Starship series.
- E.V. Horizon and its "Experimental Warp Spaceship" description are a reference to the spaceship Event Horizon from the Sci-fi-Horror movie of the same name.
- $@+4n is obviously a reference to Satan.




Image
Die, you wretched convulsing intestine!
This game has a long road to go if it wants to be like Abadox.


Basically this game is Null Drifter II minus the 1-bit eye torture as it has similar mechanics to said game and a similar store feature. As the rest of Panda Indie Studio's shmups, this game only serves as a Gamerscore Milker / Trophy Milker that grants you a few quick achievements and trophies and then it's purpose is all done, sentenced to be forgotten in your shmup library and is quite a shame since it has some good music that can be ear candy for Thunder Force fans, and this game is a lesson of "Good Music doesn't make a bad game good".
If you're aiming for a quick, easy achievement/trophy hunt then pick it. If you are looking for a challenge, then play something else. Like I said on Project Starship X's review: "Stick to Triggerheart Exelica and Ginga Force".

After playing this game I realized why the shop's music player had "Take My Breath Away" and "Love Hurts" playing in the sound when I've bought that XBOX card. Thrash games like Void Gore and Redout: Space Assault didn't took my breath away, instead they did something worse: Took my cash away, and my love for shooters hurt me, scarred my XBOX, wound my PS4 and marked my shmupper heart once again.

*Sing "Trash Shmups" To the tune of "Love Hurts" by Nazareth*

Image
Bad Shmups
Trash Shmups
They Suck
They've took
All of my cash

My cash
Is gone
Oh, no!
They've robbed me once again
With another trash of game

Trash shmups are like the dump
Holds a lot of $#@%!

Bad Shmups
Boo-oo-oo-ooo, Trash Shmups!



Image
You're cheap, I know
But even so
I know a thing
Raiden
Is more than you

I want my money back
Want my money back
Buying a shooting game
Should not cause regrets

Bad Shmups
Boo-oo-oo-ooo, Trash Shmups!



Image
You guys claim to be the best
The ultimate shooting game
Then the game's a total wreck
I mean "What the hell!?"

Another worthless junk
What is wrong with you?
Why the game you've made
Is less than barter junk?

Bad Shmups
Boo-oo-oo-ooo, Trash Shmups
Boo-oo-oo-ooo, They Suck!

Another worthless junk
What is wrong with you?
Why the game you've made
Is less than barter junk?

Bad Shmups
Boo-oo-oo-ooo, Trash Shmups
Boo-oo-oo-ooo, They Suck!
Boo-oo-oo-ooo!!
Fan of Transformers, Shmups and Anime-styled Girls. You're teamed up with the right pilot!
Bringing you shmup and video game reviews with humorous criticism.

STG Wikias: Thunder Force Wiki - Wikiheart Exelica - Ginga Force Wiki
Post Reply