The Red Star

Paying homage to some classic games

Despite being in limbo for a while after Acclaim went under, The Red Star turned out alright. It doesn't look the best, the character models are a bit crude, but the key thing here is the variety in game styles. This game is part Contra, part Streets of Rage, part Loaded, and part Gradius all rolled into one. There's many little quirks and nuances from past games everywhere, you can really tell who inspired these developers. When you come across a "Kontrawall" you'll know what I mean. Makes us old school gamers get all nostalgic when we play a game like this. It's not a blockbuster, must have title, but it's still a pretty fun throwback to when games were simple yet still challenging. Each enemy presents a different challenge because they all have a different way they can be defeated. It's not all blasting and slashing everything in sight, there is a bit of strategy in there, which is nice. Each of the three playable characters have their own strengths. One is strong and slow, one is fast and a bit weaker, but all of them balance out pretty well. Sound is decent, the game is even in dolby surround. Control is ok as well, although for a twitch game, the characters move a little slow for my taste. Two player coop was a smart addition as well. This game would probably be a blast with a friend. Why the low score? Well, it's not really a groundbreaker, but the melding of the multiple old school styles like this is the first time I've seen it. It's a little crude in some departments. Some extra refinements here and there would have turned it into an eventual classic in the eyes of older gamers. It's a decent game by itself if you're not experienced in older games, but it made me smile a few times with the little similarities to games I remember from the past. If you're an old school gamer or a gamer who wants a taste of a few classic styles of gameplay, definitely give this one a rent.