Jamestown+ Review

 

Extreme Colonial Combat-A Jamestown+ Review

It's no understatement to say I'm a pretty huge fan of the "shoot em up" (or often abbreviated schmup) genre of videogames as a whole. When I picked up Jamestown+ I went in with the expectation that this would be a different and more modern take on the formula, in a similar ilk to monolith of reviews past. 

What I found was an equally wacky and deep traditional schmup, with enough modern tough ups to reduce the often frustrating past of the genres past. 

Old Time Charm With New Age Mechanics

What immediately stuck out to me in my first playthrough was the unique setting of Jamestown+. Taking place in colonial America with a mix of sci fi futuristic aliens and technology. While it is an unusual mix, it is nothing so jarring that it would lead to confusion. Another point of note here is the fairly detailed story. While it may not be that grandiose, there is enough of a story here with cutscenes that I'll refrain from spoiling it other than saying it is quite robust.

Jamestown+ also surprised me in its variety and dynamic selections. With 12 ships to use and unlock alongside a healthy selection of campaign levels, there was not a stale moment through my whole playthrough. Unlocking ships in the shop was a treat, making the process of trying to get as many points possible to unlock them a fun goal. Jamestown+ also allows the player to select between 5 separate levels of difficulty, allowing for a more laid back experience for casual players. I will never knock a game for accessibility options, and I love that more and more developers are willing to put these settings in for others. Choosing harder difficulties will change how many bullets enemies fire as well as their fire patterns, providing a decent amount of variety in choosing them.



My absolute favorite part of Jamestown+, however, has got to be the vault system. In addition to all ships having a primary and secondary way of fire, the vault system allows for even more ways of tackling every situation that comes at you. To explain, killing enemies grants gears which fill up your vault meter. Upon activating this meter, you gain a temporary projectile shield and enhanced weaponry for the length of the meter. If you find yourself in a bind, you can end your period of increased damage early for another short burst of shield from fire. 


The vault system reduces the overall frustration of feeling like you are trapped in enemy fire by giving you an out. It dares the player to make a decision, to take the extra damage of the full meter or short it out early to get another period of projectile protection. Most of my deaths in Jamestown+ came from a lack of resource management, not blind difficulty.


Verdict

Jamestown+ is a perfect example of both a hidden gem and of how to modernize a retro formula without alienating a core audience. By improving on what is great with fantastic game design, a fun soundtrack, detailed visuals, and accessibility options you'd be hard pressed to find another game in its genre with this much polish. 

10/10-A bullet hell of a good time 


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