Countless rivals have emerged to challenge Vampire Survivors in the popular bullet heaven roguelite genre. From Vtuber cats to Nic Cage’s Renfield, and even Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor, the competition is fierce. However, the recently-released game, Whisker Squadron: Survivor, presents the most unexpected challenger yet. This unique game dares to answer the mind-expanding question: what if Star Fox was a Vampire Survivors-like?
Whisker Squadron: Survivor takes the iconic on-rails shooting and anthropomorphic animals in space concept from Star Fox and applies it to the Survivors formula. With its recent arrival on Steam’s early access, the game offers a launch discount, cutting its price down to £10/$12 until August 28th.
During each 20-30 minute run, players are immersed in randomly-generated space corridors. In their pursuit of blasting baddies, they are rewarded with flashy new skills that enable them to blast even more baddies. While I once loved the auto-shooting sub-genre, my interest has waned over time. The allure of soaring damage points no longer keeps me engaged. However, the prospect of engaging in more active gameplay by piloting a cat shooter might just reignite my passion for the genre.
Whisker Squadron: Survivor is the brainchild of developer Flippfly, known for their minimalist endless dasher Race The Sun. This previous game aimed to test players’ ability to avoid obstacles at high speeds, but without the overwhelming barrage of bullets. Craig Pearson of RPS in peace fame spoke highly of the game a decade ago.
Whisker Squadron: Survivor is actually just the beginning for Flippfly. The studio had previously announced and launched a Kickstarter campaign for another game, simply titled Whisker Squadron. This upcoming title is set to be a more faithful throwback to Nintendo’s dormant Star Fox series. The sequel will take the cosmic shootouts to an open world (or rather, open space) environment and is scheduled for release on Steam next year.
As the bullet heaven roguelite genre continues to evolve, Whisker Squadron: Survivor stands out as a fresh and unexpected mashup. By combining the beloved elements of Star Fox with the addictive gameplay of Vampire Survivors, this game offers a new and exciting experience for fans of both series. Whether you’re a long-time aficionado of the genre or simply looking for something different, Whisker Squadron: Survivor is definitely worth a try.
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