Cryptark

This game is the best SHMUP-like game ever made. It was too hard for me but im in my late 30s and not dedicated enough to get good.

This one is a real gem. A tough 2d infiltration style roguelike shooter that just plays and feels great. You have to enter large maze-like ships, fight or avoid defenses, disable systems, grab upgrades, and eventually take out the core so you can move on to the next ship and do it again in a completely different situation. It's an action game, but definitely a thinking action game. You are going to study your map and work your way cautiously to your goals.
You can play campaign mode, where everything in your loadout--every point of health, every bullet you carry--comes out of your thin budget and you have to both succeed and stay afloat, or rogue mode where you've got no finances to worry over because you've got nothing but what you pick up and carry as you go, and no resupply waiting between ships. I definitely prefer rogue mode and recommend doing a campaign start or three to figure out the game, then some rogue runs until you unlock a couple ships (each has a unique starting loadout and special ability), then whatever suits you.

A very well made rogue-like with gameplay and core concepts that are in my opinion rather unique to the genre. The idea of breaking and entering into a series of derelict spaceships to collect loot and (hopefully) destroy the AI core within before automated defenses overtake you is really cool to me. It's like the reverse of FTL where instead of managing crew and ship systems to avert the odds, you are the one meticulously taking apart the ship and trying to maximize your profits while the ship itself is trying to fend off the invader. In that way it very much reminds me of Satellite Reign which runs with a very similar concept of breaking into and out of various heavily guarded locations while also sporting a sci-fi aesthetic. The two could not be more different gameplay wise though.
So the framing device around the game is that you're a group of mercenaries hired by some shady government officials to scour a variety of shipwrecks in order to discover the location of the Cryptark, a legendary vessel with an ultimate and unknown prize waiting for whomever is able to discover it and bypass the near impenetrable defenses inside. With all that in mind, every mission you go on costs a certain amount of money based on how much you bring with you (health points included), and every mission ends with your payment varying based on whether or not you were able to complete various side objectives. It's a system that very much tests your ability to manage resources, as well as requiring you to evaluate whether or not you really are capable of carrying out every objective you set out to complete. It's a rather humbling experience to lose a run by going bankrupt due to several failed attempts with every secondary objective effectively requiring you to go in naked.
There did come a point though where I could go in naked and consistently clear several ships in a row with all side objectives cleared too, and that's when this game is at it's most rewarding. To be presented with and eventually overcoming the challenges thrown at you, not because the game held your hand or were given a sick upgrade that triumphed over all the others, but because you had the skill and ability to do it all on your own.
There's a fair bit of crunchiness to the gameplay too. Everything from the sound design, the camera shakes, the gun recoil, the art and the way everything explodes into a bunch of little giblets makes everything feel a lot more impactful. The weapon variety too is nothing to scoff at either. While I'd say explosives are generally a bit overpriced compared to the other weapons you can potentially discover, there isn't really any one weapon that is objectively superior to another. My only real complaint though is that not every weapon is capable of damaging ship systems, making certain cheap combinations of weapons nonviable.
Originally I picked this game up because I remembered that a content creator I that I was a very big fan of, Jerma985, voice acted the tutorial, and read that the game itself was pretty good. Later I'd find out that the character Jerma voice acts sticks around for later in the game too which came as a pleasant surprise to me, and I think that sums up my experience with CRYPTARK pretty well. I came in expecting a nice game with a cool cameo, and was pleasantly surprised with a very well polished game with a lot more to offer than a mere tutorial cameo.

8.5 out of 10 - it's really good
Twin stick shooter with rpg elements.
Graphic presentation is good, harkens back to 90s arcade graphics done well.
Control response is tight, environments are varied, enemies are interesting.
Sound is good with immersive environmental sounds and enjoyable soundtrack.
Not something I'll play for hours on end but it stays installed for a run or two every now and then.

This game is being slept on pretty hard, it is an excellent roguelike. You would do well to play it.

Alientrap is fast becoming one of my favourite Indie developers / publishers. After Capsized and the wonderful Apotheon they came up with something completely different.
At first glance Cryptark may seem like a roguelike twin stick shooter but it's so much more than that. If offers a surprising amount of depth with some tactical and even strategical aspects. You really need to plan ahead how you are going to tackle each alien star-ship.
The game has a unique atmosphere and a great artstyle that has a cartoony flavour. The Voice acting is top notch as well.
Overall I'm just really impressed with the creativity this small Canadian developer has again shown.
If you like twin stick shooters and prefer them to have some actual planning instead of mindless shooting you should not miss out on this brilliant game.
With Gunhead they are soon releasing a sequal to this game that will be very different since it will be a an FPS interpretation.
8/10

this shit kicks ass dude. shooting up waves of alien skeleton robots in zero-g? hell yes.