Spooky, kooky and musical shmup Black Bird hatches today

A wierd and inky crow-like creature rampages throughout the land, burning and killing all. A wierd dreamlike world crumbles, and a nonsense vocal refrain summons contemporary defenders to the sphere. Black Bird, newest from Onion Video games (Million Onion Hotel, Dandy Dungeon) is a visit. Whereas it arrived a little bit earlier on Swap, it feels solely proper that this unusual little shmup makes its PC debut in the present day, because it feels a bit like Sega’s outdated Fantasy Zone if it have been directed by 90s Tim Burton. Wrap your head round that as you watch the ferociously fowl trailer under.

Whereas I’ve not but completed a run by Black Chook, it looks like a sport designed for score-chasers. It’s a horizontally scrolling shooter with free Defender-like motion. Every degree duties you to information your bubble-spitting hen monster by the sky to destroy plenty of marked targets. Further harm is greater than inspired, as fast destruction cranks up your level multiplier, and the scoreboards are extremely contested. On the finish of every of the 4 (pretty brief) levels, you struggle a bizarre boss. The primary three are simple, however the final one requires focus.

What actually units the sport aside is its look, sound and musical integration. Every degree has its personal palette, however the sport is generally darkish and sepia-tinged. Bullets are usually brighter, extra simply processed colors and your hen solely takes harm if hit within the eye. It’s readable, which helps you to spend just a few psychological cycles taking within the unusual sights, and the wonderful music. A bombastic vocal nonsense refrain accompanies the motion, and enemy formations spawn round you in time to the music, permitting you to foretell when sure threats will seem regardless of its ranges being non-linear.

Given one other couple tries I’m sure I can beat Black Chook’s preliminary run of 4 ranges, though I collect there’s a more durable mode unlocked later, accompanied by more unusual story vignettes between levels. From what I’ve performed, it feels prefer it’s conditioning me to push more durable each time. Powerups fade in worth over time, so that you rush to seize them, and combo multipliers degrade except you push the offensive. Whereas none of its bullet patterns are particularly hellish or exhausting to keep away from, the push to aggression makes them difficult – it’s a enjoyable balancing act, and a deal with to see and listen to.

Black Chook is out now on Steam, and prices £15/€20/$20.