Shmup Club September 2022 - Operation STEEL

[MetalFRO]

Okay, multiple posts incoming to show off my final scores! First up, Normal Mode! Funny enough, this wasn't even a clear, but I managed to score the best regardless. Pretty happy with this score.

[MetalFRO]

Time Attack was difficult, and I know if I could find a way to get through it without taking damage, I could score better, but some bullet types, patterns, and attacks I still struggle with.

[MetalFRO]

I managed to beat Boss Rush this evening, and got a nice high score! Again, if I could do this without taking damage, my score would be higher, but I'm still pretty pleased with this. I managed to get into the top 20 on the Steam leaderboard, so that counts for something!

[MetalFRO]

And finally, Hard Mode! I didn't manage to clear this mode during the month, though I came close a couple times. It definitely feels more approachable than you would think of a higher difficulty, but the game's dynamic rank really helps in that regard. I think with a bit more practice, and a little bit of good RNG, I could probably make it happen. Happy with this score, as well.

Anyone have final thoughts to share?

[4_T_en]

Final thoughts:
I had a great time with this one. I don't think I ever would have given it much attention if it weren't featured here because the art style is not my thing. (One of the main things I love about shmups is the sci-fi pixel art; something like Truxton or R-Type is my ideal... with scan lines, please.) And honestly, it is possible that I may not have even heard of it because Operation STEEL doesn't seem to have a high profile in the online shmup communities I frequent, which is a shame, because it is a blast. I'm grateful that it was the Shmup Club game of the month.

As I mentioned before, I'm a fan of shmups, obviously, and rougelites, so I've always been waiting for a killer combination of these genres. Operation STEEL definitely succeeds in the sense that it feels like a good shmup while adding a fair amount of the compelling replayability of roguelites. The first few hours really were powered by a mix of trying to get further in the game (shmup style) as well as trying to get all the unlocks and explore different combinations (rogue style). And yet, I get the sense that BB really wanted to keep that shmuppy level of challenge, the demand for some memorization and quick reactions that characterize the genre, because I never felt like I was able to put together a game-breaking amount of firepower. Some runs were more powered than others, but I always had to keep my wits about me, and there were always bosses that I couldn't get past without getting hit (Sagittarius and the Observatory, foremost among them). Part of me wanted to find myself in a run where I could just melt everything I faced, but it either never happened to me due to bad RNG mojo, or it was designed to not really happen. And I think that aspect of the game will keep it appealing to more traditional shmup fans.

The second half of the month was a really busy one for me, so I'm glad I got to put in a good amount of time earlier in September. I agree with Guru that the hard mode was, dare I say, pleasantly accessible, especially after honing skills in normal and time attack. But I honestly haven't gotten a chance to try that many runs on hard. The real unexpected discovery for me was how tight and fun time attack turned out to be. I haven't hit my goal on that one, and I can definitely see myself coming back to give it another couple weeks of effort in the future.

I'll finish with a question for everyone, including BB: What would you think about additional content? I was a little sad when the unlock train ended, and part of me still wishes there were more weapons and combos to explore. I would pay for a DLC pack, honestly. But I can also see that there is something nice in saying, this is the finished game, which is a limited experience that is not intended to keep spinning forever. When I think of some of my most-love rouguelites, like Isaac and Dead Cells, I have to admit that they have mutated so much through expansions and DLCs that I miss the core game that I first fell in love with. I played the heck out the originals, took a break for some months or years, and then came back to a game that felt a lot different, and that is a slightly alienating experience for me.

[BB]

Part of me wanted to find myself in a run where I could just melt everything I faced, but it either never happened to me due to bad RNG mojo, or it was designed to not really happen.

Some items are definitely better than others (Shield being particularly useful) but you're right to have noticed and this was by design. Eventually I would like to make another roguelike shmup (probably horror-themed) and lean more into that crazy synergy side of roguelikes. If Op. STEEL is 2 parts Shmup and 1 part Roguelike I'll try turning the dial the other way...

I'll finish with a question for everyone, including BB: What would you think about additional content? I was a little sad when the unlock train ended, and part of me still wishes there were more weapons and combos to explore. I would pay for a DLC pack, honestly. But I can also see that there is something nice in saying, this is the finished game, which is a limited experience that is not intended to keep spinning forever. When I think of some of my most-love rouguelites, like Isaac and Dead Cells, I have to admit that they have mutated so much through expansions and DLCs that I miss the core game that I first fell in love with. I played the heck out the originals, took a break for some months or years, and then came back to a game that felt a lot different, and that is a slightly alienating experience for me.

I've thought about it and have a few ideas, but honestly working on something new is much more appealing to me right now. I was a bit burnt out finishing this (my first) game so a few things I wanted to add were left on the cutting-room floor in an effort to get it out the door.
The saying goes something like "A work of art is never finished, only abandoned" which feels apt to me in this case, but I am very happy with the game in it's current state and the reception it has received from the community

[MetalFRO]

Wow 4_T_en, thank you so much for the thorough final thoughts! And thanks for jumping in this month, I'm glad you discovered a new game you like, and were able to get some real enjoyment from it. That's the goal of the Shmup Club, to help introduce players to games they might otherwise not have played, or not played seriously.