Void Gore

Not even a month ago, when I reviewed Project Starship X, I told you that Panda Indie Studio was a developer to keep a close eye on. They had already proven themselves with stylish shooters like Red Death and Null Drifter, and it seemed like everything they touched was instantly worth playing. Now, not even four weeks later, they have done it again with Void Gore, a simple yet addictive new shoot 'em up that finds the right balance between fast-paced action and replayability. It's a horror-themed shooter with a cool throwback look that may in fact be Panda's best game yet.

Forget flying through space, because Void Gore wants to send you straight to Hell. There's not much of a story beyond piloting a small spaceship through level after level of the underworld, all while shooting down monsters and detached body parts. The goal is to survive as long as humanly possible, collect coins and, most importantly, get a really high score.

At first glance, this looks like a lot of other vertical shooters on the market. You fly around a narrow stage avoiding bad guys, picking up power-ups and shooting everything that comes in your path. But while that sums up a lot of what's happening in here, Void Gore has a little more depth than you might expect. Around your ship is a giant shield that can, if used correctly, be all the difference in your fight against the creatures of Hell. The rechargeable shield can be used in both defensive and offensive ways, simultaneously erasing fast-moving bullets and destroying a lot of the weaker enemies. This not only gives the player a fighting chance, but it also gives us a new way to keep the combo meter going and rack up high scores.

This is one of those shooters where the progression is in buying and upgrading the ship. We start out the game with slow and weak weapons, requiring a lot of shots to take down most of the enemies. However, after using the coins collected from each run, we'll be able to slowly build a fighting machine that is ready to take on the many challenging obstacles found in Hell. We'll be able to buy faster bullets, secondary missiles, extra lives and even shorter levels, all of which will help you stay alive longer and earn an even higher score.

Because so much of the game is about earning points, Void Gore doesn't even bother changing up the background from one stage to the next. In fact, it doesn't do a lot of the level construction you find in shoot 'em ups, opting instead to throw wave after wave of enemies at you with the same backdrop in the distance. Of course, you'll hardly notice, because most sessions will only last a few minutes before your ship inevitably blows up. You can also choose between different backgrounds and even unlock new ones as you earn higher scores. My only complaint about this setup is that you can't change the background between games without going all the way out to the main menu. A minor but still annoying gripe.

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Similar to Red Death and Project Starship X, Void Gore continues Panda Indie Studio's love affair with horror-based shooters. While I like the weird and often gross enemy designs, I prefer the Lovecraftian creatures found in their other games. This is an example of a game that would have benefited by going even more over-the-top, especially in the early stages. There's a repetition to the waves and enemy patterns that will start to become apparent after only a few plays. Void Gore is a game that would have been better with a little more variety and randomness to the waves.

While I may prefer the enemy designs in Panda's previous efforts, that doesn't take anything away from how great this game looks. I love the pixel graphics and the old school aesthetic. I want to channel all of the critics who wrote for Die Hard Game Fan and endlessly gush over the independent scrolling backgrounds. The truth is, I love the entire presentation, from the start-up menu to the different backgrounds to the catchy tunes. This all works on me. Even though the style isn't as distinct as Red Death or Null Drifter, I prefer the look of this game. I wouldn't mind seeing the developers play in this sandbox a little more going forward.

As both a budget title and throwback shoot 'em up, Void Gore hits the mark. It's a stylish action game that controls well, has gorgeous pixel graphics, is loaded with otherworldly creatures and, most importantly, is a Hell of a lot of fun to play. Collecting coins, buying upgrades and chasing those high scores will keep you coming back and ensure that you get your money's worth. It could stand to have a little more variety and the enemies are occasionally lacking, but that's not going to stop Void Gore from being Panda's best game yet. Keep 'em coming!