Winstratos Demo

Sometimes old ideas in a modern setting can be just the thing people were waiting for, although it’s still pretty difficult to get everything right. Shoot ‘em ups were a thing a few decades ago when arcades were still around, but nowadays the genre is not very popular, given its simplicity. Even so, a dose of nostalgia can be quite healthy every now and again.

Winstratos is a challenging shmup with great retro graphics and snappy controls, and it aims to remind you of a simpler time in the video games industry. Although the core idea is as old as the industry itself, the whole thing has been polished to be as enjoyable as possible even to newcomers. Granted, the difficulty level is still pretty steep, although it really depends on your reflexes.

There’s not much of a story in the demo at hand, but there’s really no need for something like that anyway, given the fact that most of your time is spent shooting and dodging obstacles. Speaking of which, your main goal throughout the game is to destroy the ships that attack you and steer around various obstacles that damage your craft if you touch them. It sounds fairly simple, but it’s anything but that once you start playing.

It’s possible to choose from a couple of different weapons at the beginning of each round, although the demo is rather limited in this regard. There are also only two stages to play through anyway, so don’t expect a lot of variety. On the other hand, the fluidity of the gameplay is worthy of a mention, especially since it feels so natural and smooth to move the ship around using the mouse and shoot by simply clicking.

As far as the graphics are concerned, they may be two-dimensional, but the quality of the artwork is undeniable. Granted, the backgrounds and the world objects tend to get repetitive as you keep dying, at least if you get a chance to notice them while the action unfolds. The music is reminiscent of a simpler time as well, and the sound effects contribute to the atmosphere in their own way too.

In the end, Winstratos is far from a revolutionary game, but it has the necessary elements to keep you busy for a while. The full version should feature a lot more stages and customization options, and you can help the developer get some recognition by voting for the game on Steam Greenlight.