The Recalbox blog is not designed to review video games. However, occasionally a neo-retro title catches my eye, prompting me to contact the publisher to obtain a copy and tell you all about it.

This is a rare occurrence: writing a review takes time, and Fabrice already presents many games in the Retrogaming News on Mondays, as well as testing some of them live on Thursdays.

But exceptions have to be made, and Rogue Flight is one of them. This 3D space shoot'em up will immediately remind Star Fox fans of the genre.

I'll admit it: as someone who didn't own a Nintendo 64, I've never played Star Fox. In fact, Rogue Flight was one of my very first 3D space shoot'em ups when I saw it from the back. But as soon as I saw the first trailers, I was immediately taken by its aesthetics and scoring.

A visual and audio tribute to the 80s and 90s

If Rogue Flight is immediately appealing, it's thanks to its meticulous art direction, directly inspired by the Japanese anime of the 80s and 90s. The game uses a grainy VHS-style filter (which can be deactivated) to further accentuate the retro atmosphere. Lighting effects, chara-design, enemies: everything exudes a love of old sci-fi anime.

The soundtrack, surprisingly, avoids the overly ‘gruff’ feel often associated with the genre. As for the dubbing, available in Japanese and English, it offers consistent interpretations without going overboard

The game is very beautiful

A classic scenario

The story is fairly conventional: the Earth has been destroyed by ARGUS, an interstellar surveillance system which, like any self-respecting AI, has rebelled against humans. The survivors, hiding in the shadows, launch a counter-attack with their last hope: Nadia, who seems to be the only one capable of piloting a ship.

At the controls of the Arrow, her combat aircraft, Nadia will have to face down the enemy. The storyline is merely a pretext for the multiple runs that await players, but that's not a problem, since the gameplay is the real strength of the game.

Accessible but demanding gameplay

Having little experience of rail shooters, my first few games were a carnage. Rogue Flight is a demanding game (and that's not a criticism!), where barrels are essential for dodging and absorbing enemy fire.

The only downside is that this mechanic is overpowered at the start of the game, as it has no cooldown. Against the first boss, I felt like I was cheating by using it ad infinitum. A bit more fine-tuning would have been nice.

In terms of controls, the game remains simple to get to grips with:

• A main shot, with several types of weapon to unlock,
• A target lock to send missiles,
• The barrel, essential for survival,
• A super dodge that slows down the action and destroys several enemies in one go.

While the barrel may seem excessive at first, it won't be enough in the higher levels, where the game reveals all its tactical depth.

In terms of gameplay, there's a well-thought-out mechanic: a combo gauge fills up as you shoot. Once it's full, it recharges your ship's shield, so you'll have to hit enemy after enemy to keep the gauge from falling back to zero.

Classic arcade mode and a tough roguelite mode

The arcade mode offers a classic first adventure, with three lives per run. Once you've used up all your lives, you have to restart the current level. Alternative paths offer replayability and different endings.

But the most important part of the game is the roguelite mode, which can be unlocked after completing the arcade once. Here, death means starting all over again. If you like challenges and scoring, you're in for a real treat.

As you complete each run, you'll earn upgrades that modify the ship's performance and appearance. The workshop quickly becomes indispensable if you hope to survive the highest difficulty levels. A New Game + is also available, allowing you to explore alternative routes and remixed levels (and different endings).

Il vous faudra améliorer votre vaisseau pour espérer survivre à haut niveau

Verdict: immediate fun, but limited replayability

Beware, Rogue Flight doesn't have the depth of Hades. The same settings are quickly repeated and the bestiary lacks variety. It's not a game you'll spend 600 hours playing, but that's not its ambition either.

The studio has preferred to concentrate on the essentials: fluid, immediate gameplay, where you spend more time playing than navigating the menus. Everything is designed to be a nervous, instinctive experience.

As soon as you find your rhythm, you become one with the ship. The action is intense, the effects explosive, and each level's end leaves you breathing a sigh of relief after coming so close to disaster.

Arcade mode ends quickly, but it's as you ramp up the difficulty and explore roguelite mode that the game reveals its true potential.

It may lack a little variety to prolong the experience over the long term, but at £20, it's hard to hold that against it. What's more, the 97% positive reviews on Steam speak for themselves.

Rogue Flight was tested on PS5 via a code provided by Perp Games, to whom I extend my warmest thanks. Developed by Truant Pixel, it is available on PC, Switch, PlayStation and Xbox.