A cyberpunk samurai abandons her wrecked motorbike and makes a final stand in opposition to a tide of futuristic Yakuza goons, sword in hand and revolver at her hip. I’ve performed a couple of rounds of Akane, Ludic Studios’s debut arcade slash ’em up and had fun with it, so wished to share some fast ideas.
Akane feels a bit like a cooler, extra thought-about Tormentor X Punisher – a brief, fashionable arcade game the place demise appears inevitable and the music makes all of it really feel like a spin round a very blood-slick dance ground. It’s out now, solely prices a pair quid, and is trailered under.
While Tormentor X Punisher was about twitch reflexes and filtering order from chaotic screen-shake, Akane feels extra thought-about in its pacing – becoming for a cyber-samurai. It’s all about useful resource administration. You die in a single hit, however to keep away from that you simply’ll juggle stamina in your melee assaults, dash-steps, a short lived block stance and a restricted however recharging inventory of bullets on your gun. There’s additionally a pair of particular strikes, charged by prolonged combos. The cheaper of the 2 cuts a path by means of foes, the opposite is a satisfying screen-clearing reset.
While I’ve not managed it but, there’s extra weapons, swords and boots to unlock that change how your strikes work – one thing I’m wanting ahead to exploring. I additionally discover that one of many unlockable weapons is the Graviton Beam Emitter from moody manga Blame!, a reference I’ll at all times recognize. There’s more and more powerful boss battles with a recurring rival, a gradual escalation in enemy density and assault varieties, and a few beautiful neon lighting results that masks any shortcomings within the small however energetic character sprites. It’s good enjoyable and the value of a good cup of espresso.
While I’ve not performed sufficient of Akane for the cracks to begin displaying, one criticism I can increase is that there doesn’t appear to be any on-line leaderboards. You’ll be chasing no person’s scores however your individual right here, I’m afraid.
Akane is out now on Steam and prices £2.16/€2.46/$3. Ludic are additionally engaged on The Keeper, a game about a big, burly woodsman who battles the undead by evening. Find it on their site here.
