ProtoCorgi developed by Kemono Games, and published by Ravenscourt in collaboration with Plaion, have made a beautiful retro styled game that grips the player immediately upon booting up the game. Moreover, this game is reminiscent of those old side scrolling shoot’em ups like the Gradius series with a focus on just having fun. This retro feel does not extend to the music as it is vibrant and colorful as the game goes on. The developers must have had a blast making the game as it feels unique from most shoot’em up side scroller with memorable bosses that oozes anime aesthetic to a large degree. ProtoCorgi is a fun game with fun gameplay, inspirations, and music that define the experience for the player.
The gameplay boils down to shooting enemies on a moving screen and progressing through the level till the end. This is no different from any other games in the side scrolling shoot’em ups genre. What makes ProtoCorgi stand out is the style in all aspects making the game a unique experience that stands out from the rest. One of the more unique aspects of the game would have to be the boss fights where they feel refreshing and a fun take necessary to make the genre keep up in contemporary times. Aside from that, taking into account that the controls feel smooth ensures that those with a lot of skill in the shoot’em up side scroller genre will have a pleasant experience playing the game. While the controls are nice and fluid they stick out from the norm as they rely on the arrow key pads instead of the usual “WASD” for movement. Furthermore, this game supports controller and from the looks of the UI it heavily implies that the controller is the preferred method of playing as there is a controller layout on the bottom right of the UI screen. To reiterate, the UI is crisp and clean as it is easy to understand allowing the player to easily identify their powerups, abilities, and what buttons they are using. While good gameplay can make a game feel great, that is only one aspect of a game, and this game focuses on another theme that elevates the experience to a higher level.
The anime inspirations are front and center extending into the opening of the game where it plays out like an anime opening with vocal music completing the tone. Furthermore, the anime inspirations are all throughout the game from the genre it is in all the way to the bosses. One memorable boss fights the player in an armored mech shouting attacks as if it was in a Super Robot Wars game. By focusing on the anime aesthetics, the game has a life of its own making sure it stands out amongst the crowd. The defines the identity of ProtoCorgi as an anime inspired side scrolling shoot’em up which is very rare to come by in the genre in contemporary times. There are several references that include Gundam, Super Robot Wars, and an emphasis Kawaii subculture, of which are all present in the game. There are very few games now adays that have this sort of style incorporating popular culture as a part of the key identity. This focus on anime culture is also extended into a portion of the soundtrack of the game.
The opening of the game is unexpected, but a welcoming one in all honesty as the anime aesthetic is quite popular nowadays as it is apart of the main stream media. Moreover, the enthusiasm presented from the opening is extended into the original soundtrack for the game. The soundtracks in the game are all high-quality chip tune like sounds that impacts the overall experience in a positive way. This positivity is then to be embraced by the player uplifting their current mood as the sheer amount of love the developers have put into the game is immense and the player can feel it through the game. In addition, the love for the game, the developers have made sure that the anime like opening at the beginning is made exceptionally well reminiscent of those old high quality anime music videos on YouTube. By making the opening of the game like those old videos really shows how in-depth the developers are in the medium.
ProtoCorgi is a game that focuses on making the player enjoy an anime inspired game that focuses solely on enjoyment. The gameplay is nice and smooth with a unique default control scheme for steam with controller support. Moreover, the controls are supplemented with a clean UI that informs the player the lives they have and powerups. Aside from having good gameplay the anime inspirations are a welcoming one as the developers really incorporated it to the shoot’em up side scroller. The inspiration also includes the soundtrack of the game with it being predominant in the opening sequence of the game upon booting up. Kemono Games the developers of ProtoCorgi have made an 8/10 game in my opinion, a good addition to the shoot’em up side scroller with great gameplay, inspirations, and music.
ProtoCorgi is available for PC via Steam.
Related: Reviews by Kyle Manila
I would describe myself when interacting with games as a strategist with a pension for stealth and loud explosions.
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