The Hurricane of the Varstray -Collateral hazard- Demo

Not everyone is a fan of fast-paced shmups that feature a cacophony of lasers and explosions on the screen at all times, but there are enough fans out there for the genre to continue thriving. Hence, there are dozens of games released every year that tackle the same set of gameplay mechanics, although they obviously have different approaches most of the time.

The Hurricane of the Varstray -Collateral hazard- is a shoot ‘em up that takes things to the extreme in terms of action, given the fact that most of the time you can barely see your ship underneath all the bombs, enemies and lasers. Fast reaction times and a lot of patience are needed in order to get through the levels, but the fans of the genre should have plenty of both.

There are multiple game modes to choose from, depending on whether you want to go through a story mission-by-mission, or you just want to tackle one level after the other without worrying about a plot. The arcade mode features a variety of missions that get increasingly more difficult as you manage to complete them, and you also get stronger along the way, or at least your ship does.

Speaking of which, there are many power-ups you can pick up along the way to improve your weapons and increase your damage. Sometimes it’s tricky to get to these power-ups, given the fact that you have to avoid all the bullets and watch your health bar while doing so. The rewards are worth it, on the other hand, especially since you can hit multiple enemies the more advanced your weapons are.

Lastly, the graphics are about as classic as you can expect from the genre, which means that the game features a retro top-down view and very colorful environments. However, the artwork is very intriguing, especially since there are many interesting environments that scroll past you along the way. The soundtrack keeps you pumped as well, although it can be a bit too much sometimes.

In the end, The Hurricane of the Varstray -Collateral hazard- is difficult to approach if you are a newcomer to the genre, but it’s exactly what the veterans are looking for. Hence, it should be the perfect game for those who are aching for a challenge.