Author Topic: Planet Apolion - a hubmle indie shmup with 2d, metroidvania-style exploration  (Read 1478 times)

I heard about a game in development called Planet Apolion today.  It's a shmup + metroidvania. (!!)  The game is being made by a small team (and with a small budget it looks like), and it is also being pitched to be part of the Square-Enix Collective.   Short trailer here.

I don't think anyone is talking about this game, but it might be one of those tiny games to keep an eye on.  For a while now I've been very interested in thinking about how the shmup genre could be molded more like traditional game (with conventional exploration and movement elements).  It's not really a thing that people have developed a settled approach for yet.

Planet Apolion's approach appears to maintain the basic sidescrolling perspective and controls of a 2d shmup, but puts it inside a large, interconnected map instead of regular levels.  They say you can fly from one point to any other.  The trailer shows what appears to be sections that play like a normal fixed-scrolling horizontal shmup.  But it also shows other screens where you can turn around at will or stop completely.

There is a demo available (which I haven't bothered with yet).  They appear to be eager for feedback and have appreciative replies to all the feedback on their site.  Honestly it seems like you would have a big voice if you gave them notes or feedback because there isn't a massive crowd for this one.

You can visit the site for some more info (https://collective.square-enix.com/projects/308/planet-apolion/), I copied the biggest chunk below:
Quote
Key Features

* Open world, where the player will be able to explore, investigate, and think while maintaining the arcade essence.

* Leveling up system: as player you can feel how your power and stats increase as you defeat ever stronger enemies, starting from small enemies to fearful huge creatures, which will increase your power as you enter the deepest of each Dominion.

* Equipment system, with more than 150 slots to combine, that you will have to obtain in the different secret zones, looting it from the different enemies or by crafting.

* Multiple secrets and hidden areas to find: If you explore the different zones you can find hidden doors that will take you to new areas with new challenges, where you can get items that will make you stronger.

* Puzzles to solve: In many areas of the planet you must prove your skills in different puzzles themed by zones in order to obtain new equipment or access to restricted areas.

* Forty weapons divided into four categories  (main weapons, special weapons, secondary weapons and sidekicks) that of course you will have to find if you want to make use of them!

* Free control of the spaceship to freely take any direction at any moment, an important movement regarding the classical shoot 'em up gameplay in which the screen always moved forward in a single direction, forcing the player to advance automatically.
« Last Edit: July 02, 2017, 06:30:29 AM by dosboot »