Tastrion
Somewhere in the vast unknown, a rogue planet drifts endlessly into space, once belonging to an advanced civilization that has now been consumed by Tastrion, an artificial mutagen that is the most potent genotoxin ever made. The last hope of humanity has been deployed from Ginsaria 9, a space colony that has developed a gunship titled ”Desolazor” wielding a powerful weapon to fight back and eradicate the infestation before it spreads further across the galaxy…
Tastrion is a Shoot ‘Em Up inspired by 90’s classics such as Gradius, Arrow Flash, and Gleylancer. The weapon system is simplistic. 4 Buttons, 3 shots. Main frontal Photon lasers, multi-directional Ion spread, armor-piercing rail gun, and an all-powerful solar-powered radiant bomb. with the help of upgradable pickups across your missions, turn your weaponry and ship into the ultimate massacre machine.
The game includes:
– 6 Stages, 12 bosses, 5 secret rare power-up containers, and 1 secret super difficult stage.
– 1 Single-player game mode
– Weaponry upgradable up to 8 times.
– Dark-synth and industrial-themed music.
Tastrion is a modern take on 16-bit 90’s era shmups with modern aspect ratio, it isn’t entirely a bullet hell, but expect a challenge.
Notes:
– The trailer is not a complete representation of the final product, so expect enemy placements and details in stages may be slightly different on release.
– There will be some future updates after release and it will be added to the game.
– supports Xbox and Playstation controllers but mainly focused on Xbox users.
This game has been made with SHMUP Creator! A versatile tool for creating Shoot ‘Em Up genres.
Kudos to the talented creators and the community!
Steam User 7
Tastrion is a horizontal shmup made by Remorasoft. The first thing that jumps out to me is the inspiration of 16 bit era shmups. The game has a sort of dark and gritty soundtrack that reflects on the artstyle and gameplay. A game made on shmup creator which in my experience, has been used to make pretty cool shmups that I’ve enjoyed in the past.
The gameplay involves a red ship that has three different shot options with the forth button being your bomb. The game allows you to increase your shot power by obtaining power containers either in hidden places or by defeating certain enemies. There are secret containers as well that are hidden in stages. The secret containers will allow you to either fully upgrade your shot, give you an extend (1up) or give a shield.
The game is 6 stages long and includes a secret 7th stage that will challenge you on everything you’ve learned. The time it took to 1CC(Credit Clear) this game was probably 1 hour. This is usually too long for my tastes but surprisingly I was kept engaged by the later stages with its catchy music and variety of enemies. I wish there was an option in the settings to allow us to see a small hitbox of the ship. I eventually got used to where I needed to dodge but that won’t be the case for newer players that might believe they have to use the entire ship. The game actually doesn't have difficulty options but I felt like it was a moderate challenge for your average shmupper.
That being said, the game is actually very generous for survival and being able to jump right in shouldnt be an issue. The charge shot is super useful when you can’t reach the boss or you want to do quick damage up close. There are tons of ways to gain energy which is what is used to restore your health and as long as you're shooting everything, you'll uncover the hidden max power containers too. Overall I had my fun with this game and if you’re a fan of old school 16 bit horis then I’d give it a try.
Steam User 4
I've played Tastrion throughout its development and the project has come so far. The developer has taken a great deal of time to refine the gameplay and balance throughout the experience. You can expect a mix of old and new school SHMUP mechanics with an R-Type like aesthetic. Highly recommended for SHMUP fans of all types. This game was made using the awesome SHMUP Creator Engine which you should also check out.
Steam User 3
Here is my play through for reference -
I've actually sunk about 12 hours into this game so far, and got my first official beat today! Silky smooth analog stick controls, great world progression adventure vibes (reminds me of Life Force/Gradius as you make your way through the world). Good weapon system that will have you thinking about rapid fire, spread shot, and power rail shots for each of the situations. Insane tasty sub and main bosses with some bullet hell lite influences. Gameplay overall keeps you on your toes. Visuals remind of the joy around roaming through Super Metroid, R-Type, and Gradius. A play through is about an hour, but it will likely take a few hours to get good enough to play through it because you only get 1 continue (not a complaint, but it's fun to push against the game to beat it as opposed to credit feeding your way through it). Support the dev, support the community, making shumps is a passion that needs your support. Play it now!
Steam User 3
This is a superb shooter that also plays well on the Steam Deck.
It reminds me of the classics from the 16 bit days, and is a lot harder than the trailer leads you to believe. But it is not at all unfair. I always want to try again whenever I am killed. Bit by bit I am getting better and it's not a frustrating experience. The developer has put a lot of effort into the enemy patterns and it shows.
Visually it is a real treat. Lovely hand crafted levels with some truly horrific mid and end of level bosses. And the music is stellar! Great industrial beats to get the blood pumping.
This is a new indie developer to keep an eye on. I for one eagerly look forward to what they produce next.
Steam User 2
This is a great throwback to the 16-bit era and you can tell the developer really enjoyed making this game. It's challenging without being punishing and really scratches the itch for a pick-up-and-play title. Give it a go!