Dimension Drive

Genre: Bullet Hell Shmup

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)

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Review:

Dimension Drive is a refreshing take on the Bullet Hell Shmup built around its core unique gameplay system – players have not one, but two screens full of enemies, each representing a different dimension, and they must jump back and forth between them to succeed.

This basic idea can be very tricky in practice, and players will have to take some time getting used to multitasking the way this game asks of you. Being able to keep track of your position on both screens will be absolutely vital, even though you’re only present in one of them – at times one screen or the other will make it impossible to survive in a given position, necessitating a swap, but timing it poorly can mean jumping straight into an enemy, gunfire, or a wall.

This system is cleverly implemented in the game, with both the levels and the bosses presenting interesting, unique challenges that really push the importance of learning to adapt to this system, and more than anything else it’s how well you can adapt to this that will determine how challenging the game is for you. Without this element, the game is actually pretty easy, allowing you to take multiple hits before dying, giving you decent power-ups including the ability to repair your shields, and at any time you can always escape to the other screen if you’re in a bind. That said, when both screens start to fill with gunfire or obstacles, things can get really tricky very quickly, and if the player cannot adapt to this, the game can be maddeningly hard. As such, this won’t be a game for everyone.

Visually, this game looks very good, with detailed levels and some interesting ship design. Unfortunately, this great presentation is undercut somewhat by the game’s insistence on pushing its story at you constantly. It’s not a terrible story, but when you’re playing a Shmup, the last thing you want to do is wait through static cutscenes or read a bunch of text after every level.

Still, on the whole, Dimension Drive is an excellent and refreshingly clever Bullet Hell Shmup with a great hook that sets it above most of the genre. The way it keeps interrupting the gameplay with story is a bit tiresome, and some will have difficulty wrapping their heads around the challenging dimension-hopping gameplay, but on the whole this is a superb entry in the genre.

tl;dr – Dimension Drive is a Bullet Hell Shmup with the unique hook of having players hopping back and forth between two screens. It’s a great mechanic that’s used very well here, though some players may have difficulty adjusting to it. Also, the game keeps interrupting things with its story. However, if you can learn how to deal with the unique gameplay, you’ll find this to be a superb entry in the genre.

Grade: B+

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