[Eschatos/エスカトス] Original Normal ALL CLEAR (Score: 10,103,585)

Channel:

Weeb Nerd Gaming

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512

Published on March 19, 2021 7:04:30 PM ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGyPwqFG0jc

Game:

Eschatos (2011)

Duration: 29:19

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4

Boy, it's been a while since I've played a game that I both love and hate at the same time!



So... Eschatos... a shmup made by a Wonder Swan genius, published by a medical equipment company that was also experienced with Wonder Swan stuff, bada bing, bada boom, Eschatos, Qute's first shmup on their website list. Was this game purely a passion project or was for medical purposes!?


The game describes itself very simply: Shoot the invading aliens out. That's it. Admitably promoting its subtler game design stuff is harder to do First, the movesets. You can do one of these 3 shots at all times: straight shot, this is your primary way of DPS, wide shot, limited range and sucky DPS, but for popcorn enemies on the sides this is perfect, and the most important feature of the game: Shield! The shield is pretty small and is placed at the front. Awkward, but usable. But it's a pretty potent melee weapon! While you kiss your target at their butts you'll both chip away their HP and absorb incoming shots, so shield is the most fun "shot" to use. But the shield is limited and use it too long, your shield will be gone until you recharge it. And you can't shoot with other shots when shielded so it's best to know when to and to not shield! You can also change your speed. In some parts, you'll need it. The thrusters won't do any damage, though. Disappointing.


The game has no bombs, but in Original mode you can pick up the F items that will immediately clear the screen and do some damage to on-screen enemies. While you can't stock them up at least you can keep them on screen and only grab them when needed. Nice.


In general the game's stage design is a mixture of frantic fast bullets that you'd find in Toaplan or Seibu Kaihatsu titles, and it will also throw you some thick, slow bullets like CAVE's. Or having enemies directly ram at you. So it's a bit difficult to classify. I think it's pretty close to be called a Compile shooter. Perhaps a PC Engine shooter, with its shield and all? It's refreshing to play a PC Engine shooter style shmup in this modern time.


The game actually gives you a pretty small hitbox judging from the hitbox show cheat. But due to the fast and frantic nature of the game at times it feels like you have a fat hitbox.


Its real main charm, or depending on how you perceive it, achilles heel, is its camera work. The camera will swivel around everywhere, giving you weird perspectives at times! Spinning UFOs, front-facing camera, camera jerking left and right following the big boss, and so on. It makes the game look really, really cool and roller coaster-y to play, which is great! What is not great is often the camera is THE bane for survival.


The way the camera jerks around at times makes it difficult to judge the bullet trajectories. Well, that's fine. It can be learned. But then the boss will shoot out a homing laser far away from the camera so while you're busy dodging bullets you'll get killed by a sudden homing laser attack that actually can be shielded provided you noticed it. The other time the game will swivel left right following the big boss' erratic movements to the point of making your playing field out of your view! Pray tell you still have your shield avaiilable! Then combine this with weird hitbox rules! Actually the GROUND ENEMIES CAN BE SHIELD-MELEE-ED! The enemy hitboxes work in a scanline manner, so the shield works like a downward laser or some sort. You wouldn't think like that considering this is a 3D game, but that's just how the game works. When you're used to this rule, then you'll fight a boss that can be shield-melee-ed too, until when you're forced to fight at the boss' center, without warning the game places hitboxes on the boss parts and upon collision you'll die! Due to this often times deaths feel cheap! The warnings, please!!! Stuff like this must be memorized! Some attacks are also so 3D it's very difficult to judge which hitbox / position that will hurt you! Area 13 and 16 comes in mind to this! Very, very annoying! I often scream when I lose lives at those spots!


Now that you're horrified about the alien nature of the game's stage design, you'll think about accessing the stage practice... But nope! You must grind to unlock the stage select, not by accessing them for the first time... Like... WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!? A game this alien must be practiced!!!


Complaints aside, while I HATE this game, I also LOVE it. When the game doing things right, and most of the time it is, it's very pleasant to shoot stuff and experiment what's the best way to blow things up. I'm not a fan of the scoring system, though. The main point is to keep the multiplier by keeping your destruction rate as 100% as possible. Due to the relatively weak firepower of your ship, that is easier said than done. The good news is the game is generous with extends! I think the game will give around 7 - 8 extends in a single run? They will drop it based on your enemy shoot down count, I think.

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