The times when you often eliminate hordes of opponents with your plane or spaceship, while the screen slowly creeps upwards is actually something out of the arcade years. Still, the developer Infinite Dreams did not stop bringing Sky Force Reloaded to the current consoles. You can read how this works out in the Sky Force Reloaded Review.
A year ago the classic shoot 'em up game Sky Force Anniversary was released for contemporary consoles. Sky Force Reloaded adds some new elements to its predecessor, although there are not that many. There are slightly more levels in Reloaded, plus some new upgrades, but often the same upgrades, planes and enemies from Anniversary can be found in Sky Force Reloaded.
Schietles 1.0
Sky Force Reloaded does not differ much from its predecessor, but it does contain the strong foundation that Anniverary also has. You control a plane in a top down shoot 'em up title and you get lots of enemies in front of you. To you to survive and to destroy everything. That is the premise of Sky Force and that is how it has been for a number of years.
Fortunately, this part works very well. Constantly floating through the levels to eliminate all kinds of airplanes, tanks and helicopters without being hit is fun, plus that there are several aspects that come into play. So you have to save each level a number of civilians, who are standing on the ground and waving, waiting for your protection.
This element adds a refreshment to the shoot 'em up game. Where you usually fly like crazy to not be hit by bullets and lasers, meanwhile, and letting go of your bullet barrage on the hostile, you have to slow down. The citizens require that you hang over them for a short time to be saved by your plane. A principle that works well and that makes you have to pay more attention to everything that happens.
Upgrade everything!
Because everything happens on your screen. The hordes of enemies usually do not stop, plus that you have to keep your eyes open for the citizens in need and also see all kinds of symbols coming by. Every opponent you crush will drop a few stars. These stars are your currency with which you can buy upgrades, such as a stronger base weapon, more lives or a magnet that will drag stars to your plane.
From the first level you notice all this is essential to strengthen your weapons and ship, because in no time you will see the game screen over. You then quickly re-level a few times to get as many stars as possible and make yourself as powerful as possible. In principle, this is not bad, since Sky Force Reloaded is pretty addictive and you quickly get the 'one-level' feeling.
It will be annoying if you have to play a previous level five or six times again, because you are not strong enough for the next level. And with only fifteen levels in Reloaded, you will often see the same thing go by and you know the reasonably short levels as quickly out of your head. At that moment, Sky Force Reloaded can get bored pretty quickly. If the game had more than fifteen levels, grinding would not have been such a big problem.
Full screen
The grinding can quickly get bored, but you can make this more fun by playing the game with two people. Just like in Sky Force Anniversary, Reloaded includes a local co-op so that both players can manage and fire one side of the screen. Unfortunately, Reloaded, like its predecessor, does not have an online co-op and that is a missed opportunity.
Luckily the grinding quickly becomes less boring with the two of you, and you notice that pretty quickly in the gameplay. Your plane can absorb more bullets and your lasers and rockets suddenly crush bigger opponents with ease. That is an aspect of Sky Force Reloaded that works very well: the game catches you with its simple, but addictive gameplay and does not let you loose a good time.
Conclusion
Despite the needless grinding, Sky Force Reloaded remains a game that can do something very well: grab you and let you return to the battlefield several times. It may be short sessions, but these sessions do offer a lot of fun. In addition, slowly seeing the growth from your drizzly ship to a full fire canon is fantastic. And whether the game can be seen as an extension or not, for just nine euros, Sky Force Reloaded has a good grip on you.
Pros
➕ Shooting works fantastic
➕ Rescue citizens ensures refreshment
➕ Upgrades are cool and much needed
Cons
➖ A lot of grinding
➖ More an extension
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