Hypnorain Demo

In order to survive in a shmup, you need to display exquisite reflexes and quick thinking, because realism is out of the question almost entirely. The genre is not as popular as it once was, but it can still hold a few surprises for those who want a new challenge. On the other hand, there’s always the risk of getting bored because of the repetitive gameplay, although that’s normal with shoot ‘em ups.

Hypnorain looks and feels like your typical arcade shooter, but there are a few differences here and there that make it worthy of a playthrough. In fact, the gameplay is engaging enough to make you forget about the fact that you are doing the same thing over and over again. Moreover, the difficulty level is a great way to keep the players distracted from everything else.

One of the things not part of the deal is a story, and it’s actually a great decision on behalf of the developer, because there’s rarely a need for something like that in a vertical shooter. Hence, you just pick one of the two anime chicks and start shooting, without too many explanations as to why you are doing all that. Because of this, you are free to focus on the gameplay and come up with a strategy to avoid death.

Speaking of which, the gameplay is about simple as it gets, depending on how experienced you are with shmups. As such, your character has multiple attack modes and special abilities, all of which should be used with due consideration. Moreover, the enemies have intricate attack patterns to fight back, and that forces you to stay alert and even choose whether to sacrifice a life for a few more points.

Thankfully, the controls are smooth enough to keep up with the fast-paced gameplay, so you won’t have to struggle with that, at least not on the lower difficulty levels. The game runs pretty smooth as well, although it must be mentioned that the graphics are modest to say the least. On the other hand, it doesn’t really matter how everything looks, especially since you do not have time to admire the scenery.

After every is considered, it’s clear that Hypnorain has a few downsides, such as the repetitive action and the rather disappointing visual appearance, but everything else is worth your time. Hence, if you find yourself aching for a bit of old school space shooting, Hypnorain might be a good cure for your cravings.