Tucked away in the back of the Konami booth, developer Kaminari Games (via publisher BushiRoad) was showcasing their upcoming arcade shoot ‘em up Macross -Shooting Insight-. It’s possible that you might not even be aware of this game’s existence, however this is something that fans of Macross / Robotech should have their eye on. We got a chance to try this out at Tokyo Game Show 2023 and are here to tell you all about it. Let’s get into it.
Note on Booth & Demo
It’s been years since I watched anything Macross / Robotech related, but it’s a series that I’ve enjoyed in the past. While there are definitely more hardcore fans out there than me, this game has been something that I’ve been somewhat interested in. For those who don’t know, Shooting Insight is a brand new Macross story mixing pilots, divas and characters from across Macross’ history. The game puts players in control of a Valkyrie in a variety of 2D stages. The PR for the game goes on to say that this is “the latest entry in the landmark franchise! Embark upon a galaxy-spanning mission to rescue the missing songstresses.”
The version available on the show floor made use of a PS4 controller and I’m not entirely sure what hardware it was running on (likely PC). There were only two stations available for the game, but since it was kind of hidden, I had a chance to try out the game several times. The demo consisted of one stage with three different parts. While there wasn’t a whole lot related to the story available in the demo, it did give a great feeling of what to expect from the game in terms of how it plays.
Gameplay
Shooting Insight offers three different shooting styles - horizontal, vertical and 360 degree gameplay. Controls here remain the same, with R1 being the standard shot, Circle for rolls, Square for an “assist attack” and the right stick used for lock-on missiles. For a little bit more clarification, the “assist attack” unleashes a barrage of firepower taking out all enemies in the field of play. Using the lock-on missiles requires players to hold the right stick in the direction of enemies. Once your target is acquired, the missiles will fire and take out them out. This is beneficial for multiple on-screen enemies or for nailing individual foes, such as bosses, with a slew of missiles.
Your Valkyrie starts out with a generous amount of health and can take several hits from enemies before being blown away. While the game can be challenging, it always felt fair. Movement is fluid and any hits that you take don’t feel cheap. The demo stage features all of the shooting styles that were previously mentioned, starting with horizontal shooting and then moving to vertical and finally culminating with a boss fight with the 360 gameplay. It took me a few tries, but I did manage to take out the boss and clear the demo. Overall, Shooting Insight was super smooth and fun to play.
Visuals & Performance
Macross -Shooting Insight- sports a clean look with 3D assets moving over a 2D plane. Even when the actions gets frantic, things on screen remain super smooth. Of course you have your own Valkyrie, a partner, enemies as well as detailed backgrounds that are constantly changing. It’s not going to blow your socks off, but for what it is, things do look quite nice. Although the Switch version of the game was not available at the show, I feel that the visual style lends itself well to the Switch. The game looks great, but it doesn't appear to be doing anything that would inhibit a smooth experience on Nintendo’s platform. Of course, we’ll just have to wait and see on that front.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a fan of old school shooters or Macross / Robotech, Shooting Insight is a game that you should have on your radar. It’s fast paced, challenging and a completely original story using a license that is seldom used these days. Of course, what I got to play at TGS 2023 is just a snippet of the full game, but I really had a good time with it, visiting the booth multiple times while on the floor. The game is set to come out on January 25, 2024 for the Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Steam, so at least be sure to keep an eye out when it launches.
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