I haven't played many shmups, so I can't properly say much interesting stuff by comparing this game with other shooting game references, but ZeroRanger is one of the few games that made me feel astounded by the developer’s vision, even though the game is quite small.
One thing I really liked about this game is that the show-sets, obstacles, level progression, and narrative bits are connected like a monstrous circus train, and it runs at you full-speed with no downtime.
Even though the game’s runtime is around 1 hour (for 1 cc), The game is dense with “interactable” spectacles that are comparable to other lengthy indie games like Celeste. I don’t know if that was the right comparison, but there were so many cases where I thought the game developers grind too much to make every moment explosive and memorable even though they took only 20 or so seconds to move on to the next scene. I can’t pick my favorite scene out of all the transitions and build-ups, but the seamless flow between round 1 and round 2 was noteworthy.
Every section has a different-looking enemy with bullet patterns that work differently, so you must change the positioning strategy and weapon constantly. Unlike Sol Cresta -which is the first shmup I played-, there is no slow-down for changing the weapons, so there are no delays in between bullet swaps, and fitting to this gameplay style, enemies come in horde from 360’ degree. The dynamic flow of shooting down the enemies with fitting weapons and finding the right position to shoot enemies and also dodge the upcoming attacks is almost comparable to Doom Eternal or Ultrakill’s dynamic combat flow which are also my favorite shooter games.
Another thing I want to mention is the unconventional level structure, Sometimes, the levels are working like moving mazes that you have to navigate through carefully. Sometimes you have to navigate horizontally alongside the level that moves in sideways, which is an unexpected thing from a shooting game that looks like a vertical scroller. And thanks to the multiple tools the player has, it was less awkward than I’d imagined but it also provided interesting challenges. In the game, there is a choice related to the secondary weapon option where you have to pick the bullet that goes backward or sideways. A backward shooter is a good generalist problem solver, but the sideway shooter is great for areas full of enemies stick at the side, which are usually located at those “unconventional” sections. That alone made me consider weapon choices because just like other arcade games, you have to try your best to blast through the risky sections to save up the chances for later.
The level design aspect shined in stage 1-4 where you have to go through super-speed vertical shmup sections, then slide through the horizontal gauntlets full of enemies that charge side by side, and then navigate the hive-like structure that is intertwined with non-linear diagonal hallways and awkward (in a good way) enemy placements. Also, the boss in that level somehow mixed the elements of Space Invader and Undertale, which are the things I would have never expected when I hear the term "shmup", and I was genuinely surprised. Even IF they reuse level concepts like the continuation of part 1 and part 2, there were so many changes in the contents that I thought the repetition is just justifiable. And I think “justifiable” is a weak word to describe the great surprises like the new colossus boss fight in 2-2 and the crab chase sequences in 2-3.
I’m still confused about the lore and narrative overall, but one thing I really liked about the theme is that they really dedicate themselves to the theme of repeating suffering and overcoming the suffering. The Buddhism imagery, the quote; “Even the sweetest treats get bitter with each bite”, and the way to see the true ending. Those components work in harmony to create the mindset of “a monk going through a constant ordeal”. It may sound pretentious, but not many punishingly difficult games make me think this way. It is something akin to Pathologic where the suffering in a video game is contextualized so beautifully that I couldn’t stop playing it, even though the punishment is rather harsh thanks to its arcade-like nature.
That said though, deleting the save file to see the conclusion is a little bit too much. Yes, it makes the stake really high, but to get to the past, the player has to beat the teeth-grindingly difficult final boss, and spend all the credits to life bar after the borderline-impossible-to-not-get-hit escape section. That alone is enough to make the situation spicy in my opinion. Not only that but there is also some stuff that seems counter-intuitive in the final section: I had to stand middle in the danger zone where it shoots out bullets. I was kinda salty about this because I failed two long runs because of this cursed section, but then again, that is just my taste, and I don’t want to condemn it like a massive design failure. It was true to the concept, and just like the other elements in this game, it made me feel good at the end. I hope this is a great kickstart for my journey through other shmup games, and I’m glad that I ate a great orange as an appetizer.