As far as shooting is concerned, using a shield has rarely been so satisfying.
It’s always exciting to see new entries in a well-used genre like shooter that add unique features and mechanics that set them apart from other games of their kind. DRAINUS from Team Ladybug and WSS Playground, creators of Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth, is a horizontal shooting game that literally emphasizes switching between offense and defense. With the touch of a button, he can summon a shield that absorbs most enemy projectiles, but can also return that energy with a burst of Homing his laser. The end result is a genuinely fun and satisfying experience that’s only lacking in terms of its staying power and replay value.
In order to resist the cruel and oppressive “Capital E” empire, the protagonist steals a Drainus ship and launches into space. Quite long, he has 6 stages where he fights different enemy ships and mechs until he gets to the final boss. Every level culminates in a multi-stage battle against a variety of oversized ships, and the overall journey is definitely enjoyable. Other than no additional difficulty modes, there’s little to unlock after the credits roll. The lack of online leaderboards is another interesting oversight given how common shooting games are.
Luckily, DRAINUS has a great gameplay loop, reminiscent of both Gradius and Ikaruga. At any time, you can use accumulated currency to view a menu where you can purchase and equip ship upgrades, but upgrades accumulate and do not activate until you pick up a powerup dropped by a specific defeated enemy. Each level of an upgrade you activate during also acts as a pseudo-life meter, allowing you to take extra hits at the cost of losing that upgrade. There are various types of upgrades, such as more powerful base guns, missiles that fire in different directions, miniguns that rotate around your ship, and shields that absorb different projectiles. But what really sets the game apart is the Reflector’s ability, and how satisfying it is to absorb an enemy’s shot, store its energy, and then detonate it off the ship to rain down destruction is a beauty is.
While the stages themselves aren’t necessarily filled with visual variety, they do include some nice effects, for example regarding how ships enter large stages to navigate through a maze. One level has a vertical screen wrap displaying a series of corridors to choose from. The music is solid throughout, with explosions and other visual excitement adding to the game’s charm and presentation.
I’ve played dozens of horizontal and vertical shooters on Switch, and DRAINUS is definitely in the top third of them all. The ship’s unique ability to absorb and reflect enemy fire adds a satisfying push and pull to the gameplay, and there’s enough meat in the bones for a total of six stages that it’s worth playing through. It’s a shame there aren’t any unlockables, but the number of upgrades you can open and attach to your ship allows for decent customization. is possible, so after losing a life in a boss fight, you end up kind of like a sitting duck with no way to reactivate your powerups and build your arsenal. And your “life meter”. Adding online leaderboards and content in the future would be great, but given that DRAINUS is an easy challenge for fans of the genre, and for fans of the genre, any of these would be great. It is also recommended for beginners who want to try it for the first time. .
