Shockwave Triggers – Bullet Hell Shmup Review

Overview

Shockwave Triggers is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up (shmup) from Shinu Real Arts, the creators of Wings of Bluestar. In classic bullet hell style, Shockwave Triggers is all about navigating intricate patterns of enemy projectiles. In the game's story, the hero/heroine pilots a flying vehicle to rescue a girl who has been kidnapped by an evil crystal-hoarding organization.

Tiny aircraft vs giant robot: Classic shmup stuff.

Aesthetics

Usually, when modern indie games feature pixel art graphics, they aim for an NES, Genesis, or SNES aesthetic: peak nostalgia. Shockwave Triggers, by contrast, aims for the other end of the pixel art spectrum: high-resolution and highly detailed. I liked the way it gave the game the vibe of a mid/late 90s arcade game, which feels just right for bullet hell. It's also cool to see how Shinu Real Arts adapted their hand-drawn art style from Wings of Bluestar to pixels.

In the cutscenes, you can really appreciate the art, particularly in the game's arcade-style “attract mode” animation. During the gameplay, I really enjoyed all the attention to detail put into the backgrounds, despite the fact that they whiz by at blazing speed. Occasionally, keeping track of your character amongst the chaos of enemies and projectiles can be challenging, but that's par for the course in bullet hell games.

The attract mode animation is so good!

When it comes to story and writing, Shockwave Triggers keeps things light and breezy. Before and after each boss battle, there's a quick exchange of banter between the protagonist and the enemy, and then you get right into the action. This banter often features jokes or references to other shmups or retro games, so your mileage may vary with it. I found the dialog to be amusing without being obtrusive, which is perfect for this type of game. A shmup can certainly be story-heavy and make it work (including Shinu Real Art's prior game) but keeping it brisk was the right choice for the arcadey feel Shockwave Triggers is going for.

If you've been playing games for a while, you'll catch most of these references.

The only aesthetic quality that Shockwave Triggers doesn't excel at is music. The opening theme is simple but catchy. However, most of the other tracks didn't really stand out to me. The music serves as a good backing to the gameplay, which is the main point, of course. It's just that, unlike many other shmup soundtracks, I don't find myself wanting to listen Shockwave Trigger‘s music outside the context of the game.

Shockwave Triggers has a “tate mode” display option for all you oldschool arcade enthusiasts.

Mechanics

Shockwave Triggers is a fairly traditional vertically-scrolling bullet hell shmup. Enemies launch waves of bullets at you in intricate patterns; your main focus will be on weaving your characters through the gaps while laying down fire of your own. While you're managing that, you'll need grab crystals and powerups while keeping tabs on your special meter and the enemies' HP. However, that's all just Shmups 101. What makes Shockwave Triggers unique is its Shockwave mechanic, a special attack that works differently depending on the character you're playing as (Amira or Turbo).

When playing as Amira, the Shockwave radiates outward from her like a force field when first activated, converting enemy bullets into collectable crystals. WIth the right timing, the field can be launched forward as a projectile before it dissipates to damage the enemy. Playing as Amira encourages a defensive style of play during boss battles; your Shockwave is primarily there to keep you alive as you chip away at the enemy's HP.

In contrast to Amira, playing as Turbo prioritizes offense. His Shockwave takes the form of a charge beam; you're vulnerable while charging it up, but once it's ready to go, you can deal massive damage. As Turbo, I found that I either tore through bosses like they were nothing, or was turned into a smouldering wreck in short order: high risk, high reward.

A well-timed Shockwave turns deadly bullets (first image) into helpful crystals (second image).

I found that having these gameplay options really enriched my experience with the game. Either character presents a totally valid apporach to tackling the game's 6 levels and makes it more fun to come back for additional runs. The only potential downside this presents is that it causes the difficulty curve to be somewhat uneven. Levels that are tough with Amira may be easier with Turbo and vice-versa. Thus, I didn't get the smooth ramp up in challenge I usually expect from a shmup.

Verdict

While not quite as polished as the works from the masters, like Cave or Touhou Project, Shockwave Triggers is a strong entry in the bullet hell shmup subgenre. With fun mechanics between its two player characters and gorgeous pixelart graphics, it's an easy recommendation.