Quick Review: Phoenix Force

Always back from the ashes, no matter how many times we fail. Which is a lot.

Created by Awoker Games and released on November 13th, 2014, Phoenix Force is a shoot ‘em up game in which we control a phoenix rising up against monsters attacking all over the planet. This isn’t a regular shmup with levels and enemies to fight before getting to the boss; no, instead, it’s “Oops, all bosses!” And this, across 100 stages set around continents closely resembling our world, for some reason. (There is a story, but it’s not like it ever comes up in gameplay...)

From the UI and map you might guess that this is a mobile game ported to PC, and you’d be correct! It’s easy to find it on Google Play and other app stores. That explains the all-mouse controls as well.

Welcome to Canada, our wildlife is dire.
Also, big Candy Crush/Two Dots vibes in this map.

Also, this means that aside from one exception, you do not
control when the phoenixes unleash their special ability.

We move our character with the mouse. Characters auto-shoot a constant stream of fireballs, but most have abilities as well. As we progress through the game, we unlock more – four can be found after clearing specific levels. Each phoenix has its own special ability; the first, a phoenix with red plumage, will occasionally launch a fire wave that destroys every bullet in its wake, which can help clear the screen (though it won’t hurt the bosses). The second one is ice-themed, and its ability freezes the bosses in place when used. The third’s, when activated, slow time down, letting it move to another place on the screen. The fourth doesn’t have a special ability, but its bullets home in on enemies. Lastly, the fifth’s ability, when it triggers, creates a temporary shield around it.

This isn't even half the trouble you can encounter.

A leveling system is included; you get five pearls per boss when you beat a level. At the end of some specific battles, you’ll also earn a special jewel that will either increase the phoenixes’ speed or attack. Between stages, you can spend the pearls to go up a level, which increases the birds’ attack and decreases their ability’s cooldown by a fraction of a second. You can replay previous stages to grind for pearls and levels, if you encounter a challenge you’re struggling with.

Whoa there, not all at once! Take a friggin' number!

Why did I say “per boss”? Well, the first few stages have only one boss, but soon there are two, three or four bosses at once, and you must deal with their combined patterns. We reach Bullet Hell territory fast. And in case the original 100 levels aren’t hard enough for you, past the midway point you unlock an extra mode, the Lich Jewel, which is another 100 levels, all randomized using four of the bosses you've seen so far. If you can beat them all, you unlock a sixth and final phoenix. Did I mention that every phoenix dies in a single hit? Eeyup.

Remember: You only have one HP. Good luck.

On the plus side, if you’re looking for some challenge, you’ll find it here. Game looks alright, music's decent. Now, the downsides. Battles are about as basic as they get; avoid bullets, keep shooting till they die. That’s it. No power-ups, nothing to collect, nothing to spice up gameplay other than the pearls you already earn from winning, and the occasional stat boosts and the levels to make things easier. As for the bosses, there’s an okay variety, but we can quickly tell that the game prefers to reuse bosses over and over, or merely send upgraded versions of previous bosses, than it likes to bring out wholly new ones. This leads to a lot of repetition, and it makes the only challenge one where you must deal with multiple bullet patterns at once.

Very mediocre and forgettable if you ask me, but if you absolutely need a shmup fill at a very low price, it should work just fine. Phoenix Force is available on Steam for 0.49$ USD.

(Quick note, due to going out during the weekend, I won't have something ready for Monday. See you Friday next week.)