ARENA 3D Demo

Shmups have always been designed to be fast-paced and extremely difficult, and the trend is still going to this day, regardless of whether we are talking about old-school developers or new studios. Hence, gamers expect a lot of action in the genre, but there are a few other things that are very important too, such as the controls or the non-repetitive levels.

ARENA 3D is an interesting take on the genre, given the fact that it features a few new ideas. As such, the action takes place on the orbit of tiny planets, which are basically just spheres in this case, given the lack of detail. Hence, you are free to glide along their surface and use every bit of space to your advantage in order to destroy enemies and increase your score.

To begin with, the full game promises more modes to choose from, including cooperative and competitive. However, the demo allows you to experience a classic mode that has you continually shoot enemies in order to increase your score. There is a time limit that keeps you on edge, so it’s important to move as quickly as possible in order to get the highest possible score.

The global leaderboards should keep shmup fans busy for a long time, especially if enough players pick up the game, otherwise it might not be as fun. In terms of mechanics, the ships moves very smoothly and precisely, and the shooting is very refined as well. The enemies come in multiple varieties too, ranging from the ones that are stationary, all the way to extremely quick ships that hunt you down.

In terms of graphics, you shouldn’t expect an awful lot, but then again that’s not a huge issue in the genre. Even so, the neon style goes nicely with the overall atmosphere, and the special effects are actually quite nicely done. The same can be said about the electronic soundtrack playing in the background, which keeps you pumped and excited.

ARENA 3D is more than capable to attract a decent fan base, especially if the developers deliver on their promises. Hence, this should turn out to be a very polished and enjoyable shoot ‘em up.