A game that takes a lot of its style and aesthetic from classic Run ‘n’ Gun Grand-daddy Contra, it looks, sounds and feels a lot like the title it apes but in doing so fails to move the genre forward in any way and instead feels like a fan-written love letter to the game.
Robots have taken over the world and almost wiped humanity out (in the year 21XX, natch) and so it’s up to you (and a friend, if one is available) to blast your way through five stages of action soon to be riddled with bullets and save the day.
The two main characters, a female soldier and a Mohican-sporting cyborg (a couple more are available to unlock upon game completion) move the same way and have the same weaponry, it’s a case of 8-way aiming with a handy motion lock control so you can stand still and have more precise control of your firing.
I will say, however, that my friend and I fiddled with the controls and couldn’t quite get the set up that we both wanted…twin-stick with L2 locking and R2 firing which seems like a natural fit for a modern 8-way shooter, it wasn’t a deal-breaker but definitely a niggle that seemed a strange choice to not have available.
The visuals and style of movement in the game will definitely be familiar to fans of Contra, down to the hand-over-hand rail travel, one-handed shooting and even the ‘I’m on the phone to my boyfriend, twirling the phone wire whilst lying on the bed’ feet-up pose whilst lying on the floor, blowing enemies to smithereens.
The five stages definitely all feel different as they take you across ruined landscapes, trains and futuristic hover-bikes et al and call for some seriously fast reflexes, especially as it’s a case of one-hit kill unless you are lucky enough to snag a shield power-up.
A variety of weapons along with a pulsating soundtrack also helps mix things up but the boss fights didn’t grab me and the ‘wow’ factor that the shows of technical expertise on limited 90’s hardware brought to the fore obviously don’t exist anymore so there aren’t too many memorable moments.
Summary
Blazing Chrome is a game with a high challenge (especially due to the ability to unlock further difficulties) and stands up to replay value for those who love speed runs and pitting their scores against online leaderboards. For more casual fans of the Run ‘n’ Gun genre, it doesn’t bring anything new to the table beyond being a solidly fun game that is a great way to spend a couple of hours in local co-op with a friend.
💧❄️ RATING: MELTING ❄️💧
Ratings Explained
ICE COOL (Great Game Recommended)
MELTING (Recommended with reservations, one to consider if you are a fan of the genre)
MELTED (Not A Recommended Purchase)
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