Steel Vampire

Steel Vampire is an excellent, unconventional shoot ’em up that is well worth taking some time to get to grips with. It’s a game that rewards continued play over the long term — and which is enormously satisfying and enjoyable in the short term. If you enjoy playing this kind of game very aggressively, this should be an essential purchase — and if you’ve been bottling up a bit of stress and are looking for a good outlet, this might be just the thing for you! Get blastin’!

Refreshingly unique and lots of fun, Steel Vampire is well worth checking out. Its inspired take on rank control makes for a shmup that can be approached in a number of ways. The RPG elements are also quite interesting. Finding the right build can lend all sorts of advantages to the player's ship. There are even rare and legendary drops, which is an amusing novelty. Best of all, this game's usage of high speed bullet spreads and strong weaponry create an aura of ferocity not often seen in the genre. The impact of crushing legions of enemies before they can shoot is oh-so-satisfying.

Steel Vampire's concept of on-the-fly difficulty settings has merit, but it proves to be far too challenging from the get-go. Its focus on offensive play ultimately puts players at a disadvantage, making it only worthwhile for the most hardened of shmup fans.