NeverAwake (Nightmare Coma Bullet Hell Shmup)
Wow what a literal and figurative nightmare of hellish bullets! Been awhile since I reviewed any games in the shmup category, but this has been the only one to catch my attention. Most shooters are reworked versions of everything that’s come before. Rarely have they been inventive. Occasional goodies have appeared over the years, such as the Parodius series, but these are far and few between. Most shmups just toss bullets at you with little feeling, or meaning, behind it. NeverAwake, however, takes the classique and makes it truly amazingque with its inventive take on the genre.
In NeverAwake you control a sad little coma girl who, bedridden in a hospital, faces all of the things she dreads in life in a nightmarish bullet hell. Each level is themed after childhood fears and the dual-stick play system makes for a frenetic experience. Of particular interest, however, other than the unique story, is the art style and play. Reminiscent of the most horrific of banned children’s literature, as you face arms of bully girls, grotesque dentist implements, and other creeps, NeverAwake leaves you never relaxed. But yet any level of gamer can pick this up since it tailors to a variety of play styles depending on your fancy, whether it be a simple run-through or unlocking things like the super-difficult 10-loop challenge. The game is designed to allow you to create builds to match your style, purchasing items via souls you collect from enemies. With the feature of unlocks that require you to navigate back through previous levels, it even lays on the replay value solidly. Definitely one of the most unique shmups I’ve played, enough that I wish I were bedridden, just not in a coma, to play it to completion without interruption.
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
NeverAwake
Neotro Inc. (developer), Phoenixx Inc. (publisher)
5 / 5
