LASERPITIUM: A “Modern” Shoot’em Up

LASERPITIUM is a modern-day shoot’em-up (not to be confused with a retro shooter, like Mazinger Z) with what appears to be hand-drawn graphics. I had the privilege to play the game on the PlayStation 5 (PS5) and explained my findings in this video:

Story

In 2357, leaders of the galaxy S-08G signed a peace and cooperation treaty. In order to optimize the management of goods, the control of military forces and the well-being of the population, the computer program EVA was created on the artificial planet HELOS. A few years later, the EVA program’s governance caused social unrest across the galaxy. Military forces, now fully automated, directly attacked any attempt at rebellion.

Now a group of resistance fighters aims to restore freedom to the planets. Their mission is to attack EVA’s military bases and annihilate HELOS. LASERPITIUM is a side-scrolling 2D shoot’em up with multi-directional scrolling and parallax presented in hand-drawn HD graphics. Take control of one of three ships, each with a unique playstyle, and blast through enemy swarms across 10 cosmic stages of arcade-inspired action!

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Controls

Using a PS5 controller, you control your ship by moving it left, right, up and down using the D-pad or left-stick. To shoot forward, you can use either R2 or X. To shoot in reverse, you use either L2 or Square. I played the game using both the face buttons and the triggers. I personally, prefer to use the triggers, but your milage will vary.

Audio & Video

The graphics and music are phenomenal. The sound effects are serviceable, but nothing special. The graphics look like they are hand-drawn. The music is orchestral and pleasing to listen to during gameplay. The graphical style reminded me of “Hell Pages.” Obviously “Hell Pages” is a bit more gothic, but they both look as if they were hand-drawn.

Conclusion

The game is very difficult, but you will want to come back and continue to try. I struggled in areas playing on “easy” mode. I’ve had fun playing the game and my guess is, you will too.