GameHag rewards below 500SG: Project Starship

Having trouble getting enough SG? Got your big rewards and still have some SoulGems to spare?
In this new series of small reviews i'm doing called "GameHag rewards below 500SG" i'm going to test and review some of the gamerewards you can get on GameHag for 500SG or less.
In this episode i will be reviewing Project Starship, a frantic Bullethell schmup released 5 april 2016 on Steam.
Project Starship has a "Very Positive" rating on Steam is available as reward on GameHag for only 400SG.
Find out more about it by reading the review and stay tuned for more!

An homage to Bullethell Schmup

Project Starship is an homage to the classic vertical Bullethell Shoot'Em Up genre filled with retro-stylized pixelated graphics, great soundtrack, many different powerups, voiceFX and a great soundtrack.
It's a fun little game with a "Very Positive" rating on Steam.

At the start of each game you have the option to pick one out of two avatars (Garret or Gwen), each with a slighty different ship, and select easy or hard although i'd recommend even hardcore schmup veterans to pick easy and get used to the game because hard is really insanely hard.



The goal of the game is pretty straightforward, blast everything in sight while collecting powerups and shields but more important is to avoid getting hit by the swarms of bullets that the numerous enemies shoot at you. Collect powerups, defeat minibosses and eventually take on the mighty Cthulu himself in your effort to save the world.


Randomly generated

Contrary though, compared to classic Bullethell schmup's, Project Starship's levels are randomly generated and so your game experience will never be the same on each play. While classic Bullethell schmups rely heavily on you memorizing all the enemies and patterns to proceed, Project Starship keeps surprising you with different waves of enemies and powerups. Still you are able to memorize shooting patterns of specific enemies so there definitely is a learning curve that can will help you beat the game.
During gameplay you may encounter "Mad Events" resulting in great amounts of projectiles flying onscreen testing your dodging skills. These event can be very hard and sometimes seem unfair even, so you better picked up a shield powerup and do your best for the few seconds these events last.




Unluck new gamemodes

After beating the game the replay value remains high, since enemies and powerups are randomly generated on every play. Beating the game though does unlock a local co-op option and various game modes.


All joking aside

Project Starship doesn't take itself too seriously and is clearly a nod to 90's arcade gaming. There is a video mode that simulates playing on an old CRT screen complete with scanlines and and even a powerup called "TV Doesn't Work" that temporarily changes the screen to static while wiping the playing field of all bullets and enemies. The graphics are colorful and frantic and there are hundreds of things going on on your screen at any moment. The downside about this is that since many projectiles are big and flashy, it can be hard to determine the exact hitboxes.




Conclusion:

Recommended!: -Project Starship is a fun little shooter that is mostly enjoyed in short bursts of gameplay. The randomness keeps it fresh on each play but can also be the downside. It's "90's Arcade Hard" aimed at eating your (virtual) quarters at rapid pace.

Pros:
 Humor
 Retro stylized colorful graphics
 Can unlock co-op mode
 Great soundtrack

Cons
 Hitboxes hard to determine
 Difficult even on easy mode
 Randomly generated sometimes results in near impossible situations

If you are interested in trying out Project Starship there is a playable demo that you can play in your browser on Newsground.com:
http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/650697

Project Starship is available as reward on GameHag for only 400SG - go get in now!