I’m experimenting with format a little. In an attempt to spotlight more cool games here on Rogueliker, I’m going to start writing shorter articles where I think it appropriate. The first game to get this “mini-review” treatment is Bore Blasters, a charming new roguelite shooter filled with rock, gems, dwarves, and… gyrocopters?!
What is Bore Blasters all about, then?
This particular action roguelite has been carved out of digital stone by 8BitSkull, an indie studio that specialises in pixelated action. The developer’s third title is a mining game where you play as a gyrocopter pilot called Gunnar. Your job is to mine floating space islands in search of precious materials, mushrooms, and other special objectives.
Alongside your pilot and their gyrocopter, you must navigate increasingly dangerous biomes as a story unfolds and new pilots are unlocked (there are three, all told). It’s a simple enough setup, with new panels opening up on a world map to reveal new floating islands, but only once other islands have been completed. That’s easier said than done, however.
Each biome has a different selection of enemies and/or dangers to overcome. There are pesky goblins to contend with, but also bugs and space bats that attack relentlessly. At times I was spinning my turret around in a 360 spin and firing at beasts that were attacking from all angles, and as the chiptune beats kicked in, I recalled playing the superlative Super Hexagon on more than one occasion.
Is it boring or is it a blast?
Based on the hours I’ve played so far, I’m inclined to lean towards this being a blast. There was one frustration that threatened to ruin my fun, however. At the start of the game I felt somewhat underpowered – that’s fairly standard – but the size of my fuel tank was problematic. There are jars filled with fuel dotted around the place, but far too often I couldn’t find one in time and I’d crash and burn. Each time this happened, I didn’t feel like there was anything I could or should have done differently and yet my untimely end was unavoidable.
Things improved a lot once I’d levelled up my gyrocopter and then more so when I unlocked the first of the additional characters – I liked her rockets. Once I was able to dig for longer without refueling, I started to have a lot more fun. The pressure to find fuel is enough to keep you moving forward downward, and when balanced with the challenge of new terrain types and enemy attacks, it creates a sense of urgency as you dig into the unknown.
Bore Blasters is a fairly simple game, but it has a lot of heart and surprising depth. The first few runs had me a bit worried, but pushing through those teething pains revealed an energetic and, at times, exhilarating shooter. The abilities that you unlock while playing keep things fresh, with different attacks and abilities layered in alongside new enemies and increasingly challenging environments. The unlockable characters add further variety, and the whole thing is wrapped up with some charming pixel-art and a pumping soundtrack.
There’s a good few hours of engaging action and adventure here, a decent range of biomes to explore, and an array of abilities to master. The constant hail of bullets and destruction kept me fully engaged despite a few frustrating failures, and the short but sweet nature of each level encouraged a “just one more run” mentality.
Bore Blasters is out now on Steam PC (Win, Mac, SteamOS, Linux) and it plays nicely on the old Steam Deck, too.
For more great roguelikes and roguelites, head over to our growing collection of reviews – there’s something for everyone there I’d wager!
