Studio Siesta's new PC doujin STG title, Varstray...

[-S.L-]

yes, but, if you don't play in Story mode, you won't unlock the secret weapons and the hidden characters

and I play with style and panache, obviously

[clippa]

if you don't play in Story mode, you won't unlock the secret weapons and the hidden characters

Aaaah! I did not know that. Had my first go the other night and finally got past the 200 million mark - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/143 ... _00002.jpg
I'm comin' for ya!

[rtw]

Latest twitter (https://twitter.com/varstray) says something about steam updating soon...

[clippa]

The patch is up now (v1.10) (30mb)

v1.10 Patch Details
●The function that was added
Addition of the "Steam Leaderboards"
I add a function to change a game screen to Window mode and a full-screen mode to setting

●Fix problems
Fixed screen tearing
Compatible sound does not play a problem when you start the game
When having started a game, the problem that a screen becomes utterly black out is corrected
Steam was offline, but coped to start a game
※For offline leader board is not available.

Adds a nice big dollop of input lag. I'm having to force vsync off in the nvidia control panel. Leaderboards are working.

[z0mbie90]

Do you need to unlock the Caravan Mode (challenge mode) or is it coming later in an update?
Havent tried it much more then start it and play few minutes. But I want my Caravan!!!

[MathU]

So I notice this doesn't seem to be available for purchase anywhere but the Steam store. I guess it needs to be asked then: Is there DRM?

Edit:

Doesn't run in Steam's offline mode = refund.

Oh lol, well I guess that answers that question. Looks like I was right on the money when I predicted that Treasure's, MOSS's, and now CAVE's foray into screwing PC ports with DRM would start affecting the doujin scene. It really hurts being right. Fucking disgusting.

[Aisha]

You can get someone in Japan to proxy-buy you a physical copy from here. Something to keep in mind is that it looks like they're planning on selling DLC/updates in the future, so if you own the physical version outside of Japan, getting your hands on those might be a bit complicated depending on how they go about it.

[MathU]

Not seeing it on amazon.co.jp or Rancor's shop either.

[Tyjet]

After spending some time on this, I have an odd feeling that they are still working on this. I still don't see a difference in each mode besides the number of lives acquired. I'm starting to see my score looking exactly alike in each mode. But, I'm sure a huge patch will be released to include some major updates and gameplay changes/tweaks (like how they did it with the original trouble witches).

Not seeing it on amazon.co.jp or Rancor's shop either.

Rancor already has it in stock:

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.ph ... 6#p1156446

[Cuilan]

This actually looks pretty good (except for those ugly-ass character designs). I think I'll pick up a physical copy of this at some point. But I really do hope they go back to working on Trouble Witches 2 once they're done with this.

[Milspex]

This is a great game. Looks great, sounds great, character design not so great. Gameplay is a lot of fun and that's what counts imo.

I thought I was gonna 1cc this thing on first try, but I made it all the way to stage 12 without dying, then got killed by the last boss a bunch of times and had to use 2 continues. Guess I need some training.

[CRP]

10% off (PROMOTIONAL PRICE! Offer ends 7 March)
http://store.steampowered.com/app/416380

[Heavy Viper]

So I notice this doesn't seem to be available for purchase anywhere but the Steam store. I guess it needs to be asked then: Is there DRM?

Edit:

Doesn't run in Steam's offline mode = refund.

Oh lol, well I guess that answers that question. Looks like I was right on the money when I predicted that Treasure's, MOSS's, and now CAVE's foray into screwing PC ports with DRM would start affecting the doujin scene. It really hurts being right. Fucking disgusting.

It sounds like this might have been addressed in an update:

Steam was offline, but coped to start a game

[drunkninja24]

I picked this up on steam yesterday, fun game imo even if its not the most difficult around.

The engrish is strong with this one though lol

http://imgur.com/a/KozqB

[Squire Grooktook]

^^^Beautiful dialogue.

Not so beautiful character portraits. They look a lot worse then what I remember on the games website.

[CloudyMusic]

This is like if Rogue Warrior was a shmup.

[Ebbo]

Holy F-bomb Batman, is that translation for real?

Cover me now if you're not a prostitute.

I really should buy this game.

[drunkninja24]

Yep, that's the honest to goodness english translation in all its glory

[Heavy Viper]

Extreme translation aside, I'm diggin' this! It's like a crossbreed of danmaku-style gameplay and caravan/"Star Soldier" style. Given the speed of the player ship, I'm having a better time playing it with a pad. It's pretty simple system-wise, but the action rarely lets up - the screen is always pretty busy.

Controller support (and options/set-up in general) is kinda wonky. The only controls you can re-bind are directions, shot, weapon change and bomb/hyper. Plus, if you're using a DirectInput controller, Pause seems to be hard-bound to Button 1, which is irritating. Really could have used a config launcher or something. (EDIT: Up and Down also change weapons when I'm playing on my Saturn pad. Huh.)

Are the character designs that bad? "Hard" and "sharp" are words that come to mind, but I don't find them nasty to look at. Kinda reminds me of Skullgirls.

[Observer]

The designs reminded me of Kill La Kill in that the promo art shows them all RAWR angry and badass like "MOEGE THIS IS NOT". A bit too try hard. I just installed this and after three patches I got the special retail version I got at Tora No Ana working. (What made it so special: came with the OST, patch 1 in a CD-R and a gigantic A1 or something poster of the game cover with the prostitute who doesn't offer cover, lol.)

MAN, that dialogue. I played Arcade mode but after that I HAD to check "Story" mode and, well, hilarity ensued.

For MathU when he checks this thread, the retail version is non-Steam/DRM-free, just make sure to download and install updates in order (game, patch 1, patch 2, patch 3).

[Aisha]

The retail version has English too? I might go that route instead of Steam then, because boxes are fun.

[Observer]

Yup, English is included!

While this may not be like Crimzon Clover (and the story is beyond good & evil and perhaps in the territory of so bad it's good), I'm actually starting to have fun. It's very fast paced, and I didn't see any slow button assigned so, once again, I keep getting those Super Aleste vibes (especially in the destructible -sp?- scenery).

I can't quite get pass the shitty bosses, I agree with the comments there. They are like a bullet-spewing texture at worst and simply random geometrical platforms at best. No memorable Hecatoncheir or Diabolos or transformable mecha robo girls or surreal space mecha-fishes.

I faced 13 stages. Does this game have any secret/Extra stages I may have missed for being a scrub and continuing mid-play?

[qmish]

How much this game is "caravan"?

[Observer]

How much this game is "caravan"?

I always thought caravan shmups where about destroying as much as possible while scoring well under a timer to see how far you can reach.

This one is just a regular shmup, 13 stages, you shoot down with a regular+alt shot to charge up a bar that puts you into a massive hyper mode that destroys everything and the you charge a second bar. Fill to increase the timer of the invicibility you get after the hyper by scratching the entire screen for bullets, enemies, you name it. Once the invincibility is out, cash in shiny huge medals and 912x multipliers everywhere.

There is a sort of organic flow going in this where you can keep unleashing the hyper and scratching for multipliers and connect these two moves through the stage. I also think you are encouraged to let the screen fill with as many bullets as possible before triggering the Destroy Everything button and then cashing with the Scratch Everything on Screen invincibility.

Still trying to get a grip of the mechanics but so far, like I mentioned, a lot is uncreative but the sound, voices and general presentation is quite clean, so long as you are not coming in thinking it's Crimzon Clover 2. (It's not. It's "fucking fuck prostitute masturbation vodka, something something!")

[mamboFoxtrot]

"fucking fuck prostitute masturbation vodka, something about anal penetration!"

fixed

but no, seriously, wtf is this dialogue? Is it just a jumble of quotes taken from teenage Xanga blogs and Xbox Live FPS-match chatter?

[z0mbie90]

How much this game is "caravan"?

There is a Challange Mode in the menu but its locked. On their homepage it says it will be unlocked in a future patch. Can just hope there is a REAL Caravan Mode there.

[qmish]

Thanks for answer! I was hoping for that because i misread this review
http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/7656 ... ed/416380/

[z0mbie90]

Anyone else having trouble with the game after the new update?
When I try to start the game it freezes Steam and the game, I need to restart PC cause I cant kill the Varstray.exe in taskmanager, and Steam wont respond or start until I reboot.

[Zaarock]

Anyone else having trouble with the game after the new update?
When I try to start the game it freezes Steam and the game, I need to restart PC cause I cant kill the Varstray.exe in taskmanager, and Steam wont respond or start until I reboot.

Do you have an antivirus blocking the game executable? Avast does exactly this for me with more unknown games. In previous versions it performed a quick scan and run normally but now just fails to run things & breaks Steam until restart..

[z0mbie90]

You where right, I turned off Avast and started the game in Admin Mode. Then it start, but a new problem starts, the game runs x200 times faster.