Honestly Drainus doesn't feel much like a euroshmup at all. It feels more like a Treasure shmup if anything, especially since it takes clear inspiration from Gradius V.
Stage 1 of this game is the most incredible-looking single level I've ever played in a shmup. All of the visual effects, from the grandiose to the subtle, are just breathtaking. Feel like it kind of shot its shot because it's by far the most unique stage in the game, but the rest of it is also quite good.
This was insanely fast to play, record, edit and add music to a review. You outdid yourself as far as speed for this one Ed. I've been seeing you lately in a much more positive mood and I'm glad that's the case. This game came out of absolutely nowhere and by the time I was buying it already had 26 Positive reviews on Steam. There are all time greats that have been stuck at 25 reviews for 8 or so years, that's incredibly impressing. Yeah the game might be "easy" in everything but Ridiculous that's not necessarily a bad thing. The fact they did this in 3D means thay can easily iterate over it and have a ready available engine to use. Very impressive to say the least, the game feels fun even if an extra difficulty (or a ridiculous+arcade mode) would have added more appeal for the super dedicated. Ladybug managed to outdid Konami's efforts of Castlevania with Lodoss (as far as production quality), they've now done something that takes some influence from Gradius (and it's in the name lol)... Konami would do well by doing some contract work with Ladybug imho. Take care Ed! Great video quality and review as always
I've seen a Japanese Shmup dev post videos of it on Twitter, and was instantly captivated and bought it. I only reached level 2 boss before getting a game over so far ( I take my games slow ) but I'm absolutely blown away by this game. After their 2 excellent Metroidvanias, Team Ladybug might just become one of my favorite devs ever. Nice to see such a speedy review of it, from you!
Damn, Ladybug's spritework is amazing! Loved Deedlit in Wonderlabyrinth, so I'll definitely be checking this out, and hopefully it gets a console release.
Thanks for bringing this one to my attention. I'll definitely pick it up. And your enthusiasm for this shines through; great delivery on some of those lines.
This looks incredible! Also clueless on wtf a euro- shmup actually is, but if Drainius is a euro- shump, then euro- shumps are my fave style of shmuping lol
I am also very enthusiastic about Drainus. It's hard to believe that a team with no shooter experience has released such a bomb title. The two MetroidVanias have also been very good. Am curious if we got a potential new studio for new, good shmups here. The influences of Gradius, R-Type and Darius are clear to see, but the title brings a lot of great ideas to stand completely on its own. Wow, just wow. I hope we see more games like this from Team Ladybug.
@@ishimoto1597 That's for sure. It's Touhou Lunar Nights. A pretty awesome game with nice time control features and good gameplay. I bought it at early access back in the day. To see they develop a good shmup too is a realy nice surprise. Hope we get more exciting games from Team Ladybug. 👍
Killer review and straight to the point. Good to see quality new blood entering the fray. Grabbed this one on the spot when I saw the art direction and the modest price point.
I see this caught your attention too, I was going to bring it up next time but looks like you beat me to it. It's very high quality and promising, with a good set of customization options. Though I admit I was fooled initially as the graphic style was very similar to Astro Port
I was a little worried - you guys were kinda quiet over the past few weeks. Glad to see you're doing well! And curse you for suggesting yet another SHMUP to devour my precious game time. I LOVE free form weapon systems!
Thanks for the review man. now im going to pick the game right now. it seems promising and the way you mention the visual make me taste the game more. the gameplay is also really good. Sorry Layer section. you can wait.
I'm glad you liked it! I also think this game was an amazing surprise and should not fade into obscurity. With it's approachable normal difficulty it's also an easy recommendation for friends that want to dabble into shmups but don't have much experience.
Whoaaa, wait a minute. I almost had tears in my eyes when i saw the first couple of minutes in this video. This looks sooo good. I havent seen a new shmup looking so freaking good in years. Guess i will have to buy it now to see if its as fun as it looks!
The switch copies are on their final wave right now at strictly limited games website ! I would try to get a copy now before they run out. Only 3,500 prints available for the run
It's funny to be called "euro-shmup" while team ladybug is japanese developer. The game is absolutely amazing, it constantly throws new ideas and designs at you like treasure's games. Some indie games have good design but rarely pack this much content.
@@StudioMudprints I get what you mean. Some people would say that when shop or something appears. Nowadays there are plenty of exceptions, europe developers make game with arcade pacing and japanese game have shop and level up.
I love your takes on different shmups! I'm releasing my first game in the near future and would love to send you a copy when it's ready! If you want to do a review that would be sweet, if not I figured it could add to your collection for the entertainment you've provided! Cheers! Tony (Buffpickle Games)
Looks rad, although your definition of 'not terribly difficult' is probably different than mine. Also, hell yes I love buying weapons for my shmup ships a la UN Squadron
@@StudioMudprints It turned out just fine on Switch😀 Now that Konami is interested in allowing indie devs access to their franchises and seem to have a Castlevania relationship with the Dead Cells team, it would be interesting to see Ladybug involved in a Gradius. I know they have a game that's influenced by SoTN, but it seems they've been beaten to it by Motion Twin (excellent DLC BTW).
Is there a level select function? I've finished the deja vu mode and unlocked arcade mode, but I don't see any options to replay specific stages with my unlocked power ups
Nice to see this vibrant art style, visuals, and music. Looks fantastic. Sol Crests? Platinum Games shmup. Ah I will check out that review. Oh I was not aware it was a complete series, but different dev from its early days. Fascinating
The engine on this game is GameMaker. There's really nothing GameMaker can do that Unity can't, so Sol Cresta vs. Drainus comes down to execution, NOT the engine.
Played half an hour of this so far and was blown away, won't even need online leaderboards as an excuse to play this one extensively. Team Ladybug I know from Touhou Luna Nights, their involvement makes sense, but there's another studio "WSS Playground" listed as Dev/Publisher who seem to have been behind Needy Streamer Overload. I know that game did really well and had similarly high quality presentation, but guessing this was mostly a Team Ladybug project.
'Euroshmup' was a term created by people who are more concerned with shmups being playable Anime games then with shooting things. The people who play shmups to prove they have maximum weeb levels
Frankly, I thought the term originated towards the end of the Amiga's life, where healthbar and shopping style shmups like Xenon2, Disposible Hero or inertia fuelled nightmare difficulty games like Project X or Uridium 2 needed distinction from the arcade ports or japanese style shooters of the age. Even back then we got 'hybrid' games like Drainus. I mean, wasn't the excellent Apidya based loosely on Darius but built by a small german team? Back then, I don't remember Euroshmup being used as a slur on a game, just an indicator of style and gameplay ideas. I wonder when the community started using it as such?
Honestly i was not a big fan of the game., Altough i thinks is good but not my type. Ended the first loop on normal, the game is easy and i did not fell acomplished during Gameplay. That feeling of dodging The bullets and feeling a superhuman was absent. Also the bullet patterns were not interesting. Altough the graphics technically are very good, in terms of Art Direction they are not that great. The enemyes design feels repetitive and lack a memoráble identity. Also the color palete it is very similiar in all levels ,specially those metal enviroment hazards. I loved the customization , and hope more games learn from it. The button control speed idea is great , but not pratical in the Middle of só many shoots. I would prefer 2 buttons each for each speed
@@StudioMudprints i did not say your reviews were bad, you have a different point of view. The internet is a space were se can adiscuss differences as long we are polite. Still like your Channel.
Oh I get that, what I'm saying is that *I myself* think they're not so great. They differ so wildly from everyone's point of view so often it's no surprise no one takes them seriously. I'm not really good at articulating things. I just have fancy editing knowhow.
That animation of the Drainus taking off in level one was absolutely worth showing twice. Homie
Hell yes it is.
Just got this today too! Been playing it for the past 5 hours for my review as well
Honestly Drainus doesn't feel much like a euroshmup at all. It feels more like a Treasure shmup if anything, especially since it takes clear inspiration from Gradius V.
We say as much; It has a few euroshmup style features but feels Japanese the whole way through regardless.
Stage 1 of this game is the most incredible-looking single level I've ever played in a shmup. All of the visual effects, from the grandiose to the subtle, are just breathtaking. Feel like it kind of shot its shot because it's by far the most unique stage in the game, but the rest of it is also quite good.
The set pieces in this game are insanely good and you are 100% correct. I can't believe nobody has hit this level of flair and detail until this game.
"Weapons of Death" "That's game over homie!!" Lots of fun interjections to add on to your always super thorough reviews, Ed. Really good stuff.
This was insanely fast to play, record, edit and add music to a review. You outdid yourself as far as speed for this one Ed. I've been seeing you lately in a much more positive mood and I'm glad that's the case. This game came out of absolutely nowhere and by the time I was buying it already had 26 Positive reviews on Steam. There are all time greats that have been stuck at 25 reviews for 8 or so years, that's incredibly impressing. Yeah the game might be "easy" in everything but Ridiculous that's not necessarily a bad thing. The fact they did this in 3D means thay can easily iterate over it and have a ready available engine to use. Very impressive to say the least, the game feels fun even if an extra difficulty (or a ridiculous+arcade mode) would have added more appeal for the super dedicated. Ladybug managed to outdid Konami's efforts of Castlevania with Lodoss (as far as production quality), they've now done something that takes some influence from Gradius (and it's in the name lol)... Konami would do well by doing some contract work with Ladybug imho.
Take care Ed! Great video quality and review as always
Between this, and Schildmaid, I'm waist deep in creative, addictive, shooting gameplay. Not to mention this game is f*****g gorgeous.
wow. this came out of nowhere. team ladybug have some of the best pixel artists in the biz and the gameplay looks good too.
I've seen a Japanese Shmup dev post videos of it on Twitter, and was instantly captivated and bought it. I only reached level 2 boss before getting a game over so far ( I take my games slow ) but I'm absolutely blown away by this game. After their 2 excellent Metroidvanias, Team Ladybug might just become one of my favorite devs ever. Nice to see such a speedy review of it, from you!
That looks INCREDIBLE! 😍
Damn, Ladybug's spritework is amazing! Loved Deedlit in Wonderlabyrinth, so I'll definitely be checking this out, and hopefully it gets a console release.
Thanks for bringing this one to my attention. I'll definitely pick it up.
And your enthusiasm for this shines through; great delivery on some of those lines.
Need this on Switch asap
i hope it comes to Switch, but cannot find any info
@@gosiasmith1 it's been confirmed for release on Switch!
This looks incredible! Also clueless on wtf a euro- shmup actually is, but if Drainius is a euro- shump, then euro- shumps are my fave style of shmuping lol
This game is very deep and I'm glad you guys covered this one!!!
I am also very enthusiastic about Drainus. It's hard to believe that a team with no shooter experience has released such a bomb title. The two MetroidVanias have also been very good. Am curious if we got a potential new studio for new, good shmups here. The influences of Gradius, R-Type and Darius are clear to see, but the title brings a lot of great ideas to stand completely on its own. Wow, just wow. I hope we see more games like this from Team Ladybug.
I mean one of the metroidvanias was a touhou game, so i'm pretty sure they know somethinh about shmups
@@ishimoto1597 That's for sure. It's Touhou Lunar Nights. A pretty awesome game with nice time control features and good gameplay. I bought it at early access back in the day. To see they develop a good shmup too is a realy nice surprise. Hope we get more exciting games from Team Ladybug. 👍
Looks superbly good, hope in a console port soon!
So cool that this game is up for preorder on strictly limited.
Killer review and straight to the point. Good to see quality new blood entering the fray. Grabbed this one on the spot when I saw the art direction and the modest price point.
I see this caught your attention too, I was going to bring it up next time but looks like you beat me to it. It's very high quality and promising, with a good set of customization options. Though I admit I was fooled initially as the graphic style was very similar to Astro Port
Woah, this looks amazing!
..And instantly wishlisted. Thank you so much!
I was a little worried - you guys were kinda quiet over the past few weeks. Glad to see you're doing well! And curse you for suggesting yet another SHMUP to devour my precious game time. I LOVE free form weapon systems!
Excellently analyzed and broken down!
I'm definitely adding this one to my wishlist
Well this review came out faster than I expected!
Amazing review for an awesome surprise. Thanks for spotting it out to all of us
Thanks for the review man. now im going to pick the game right now. it seems promising and the way you mention the visual make me taste the game more. the gameplay is also really good.
Sorry Layer section. you can wait.
Literally discovered this game on Twitter yesterday. Feels like it came out of nowhere! Looking forward to getting my hands on it soon! Good review!
I'm glad you liked it! I also think this game was an amazing surprise and should not fade into obscurity. With it's approachable normal difficulty it's also an easy recommendation for friends that want to dabble into shmups but don't have much experience.
Whoaaa, wait a minute. I almost had tears in my eyes when i saw the first couple of minutes in this video. This looks sooo good. I havent seen a new shmup looking so freaking good in years. Guess i will have to buy it now to see if its as fun as it looks!
The switch copies are on their final wave right now at strictly limited games website ! I would try to get a copy now before they run out. Only 3,500 prints available for the run
It even has Slippy Toad!! Wow, what a cool looking game. I finally got Cotton Fantasy but this looks so much better... ugh what will I do haha
Just beat it today on normal. I love Ladybug. They come out with some good games. This one is very fun.
Looks awesome hopefully gets a console release someday
¡Gracias!
i love the graphical art style ❤️
can never grow out of PS1 and Sega Saturn era 😖
It's funny to be called "euro-shmup" while team ladybug is japanese developer. The game is absolutely amazing, it constantly throws new ideas and designs at you like treasure's games. Some indie games have good design but rarely pack this much content.
It's absolutely not, obviously, but a lot of people have been slinging it around.
@@StudioMudprints I get what you mean. Some people would say that when shop or something appears. Nowadays there are plenty of exceptions, europe developers make game with arcade pacing and japanese game have shop and level up.
Yeah, this one looks gooood!
Whoa, this looks very Treasure-like. Hoping for console releases! Deedlit is incredibly fun
I love your takes on different shmups! I'm releasing my first game in the near future and would love to send you a copy when it's ready! If you want to do a review that would be sweet, if not I figured it could add to your collection for the entertainment you've provided! Cheers! Tony (Buffpickle Games)
Bought this last night but didn’t get a chance to play. Excited to get home and give this a spin!
One of the best shmups i ever played
It's so, so good 🤩
I've been really enjoying this game. Its doing something different and comes together for a fun unique experience.
how long did it take u to beat the game
Man, what a pleasant surprise. Team Ladybug are so powerful
Looks fantastic!
nice! im sold!
Sooo glad i got this for switch i beat it not too long ago now im on a new loop with new weapons pretty stoked to see where this leads
I'd like to maybe grab it on Switch sometime soon, though I'd prefer a PS4/PS5 version.
Here's hoping that this game will also end up on the platforms as well.
Great review!
Great review I will have to check out the game
Looks rad, although your definition of 'not terribly difficult' is probably different than mine.
Also, hell yes I love buying weapons for my shmup ships a la UN Squadron
Not at all, I only really have skill slightly higher than low-intermediate outside of a miniscule amount of games.
Well then, I'm going to get myself a copy right now!
Yes!
This game is a looker for sure. Graphics remind me of Hard Corp: Uprising. Will be adding this one to my wishlist. Thanks
That was my first thought, also. It has a sort of Arc System Works look to it. Better, actually.
Yeah I'm getting this one!
check it out this game's name is Dr Anus
This looks fantastic. Will definitely get on consoles, if they release it.
Same, I'd double-dip on PS4 for sure.
Switch maybe too, for comparison, but the input lag is getting bad and more consistent there....
@@StudioMudprints It turned out just fine on Switch😀
Now that Konami is interested in allowing indie devs access to their franchises and seem to have a Castlevania relationship with the Dead Cells team, it would be interesting to see Ladybug involved in a Gradius. I know they have a game that's influenced by SoTN, but it seems they've been beaten to it by Motion Twin (excellent DLC BTW).
Great game. I've been playing it and it's a blast.
Please Review Jets n Guns 2
10/10 Sidescroling Space Shooter!
Is there a level select function? I've finished the deja vu mode and unlocked arcade mode, but I don't see any options to replay specific stages with my unlocked power ups
You can go to Retry Stage and you'll have access to any stage you've cleared at any time, I believe. It is mentioned at 6:30
Sucks this ain't on Switch or PS4
No leaderboards online and no score reset after continuing?
Nice to see this vibrant art style, visuals, and music. Looks fantastic.
Sol Crests? Platinum Games shmup. Ah I will check out that review. Oh I was not aware it was a complete series, but different dev from its early days. Fascinating
The engine on this game is GameMaker. There's really nothing GameMaker can do that Unity can't, so Sol Cresta vs. Drainus comes down to execution, NOT the engine.
That's more or less what we're alluding to.
That's exactly what he meant though...
The game says it's made in Mogura STG Engine though.
I saw this before work but did not get. It was all I thought about then at work. I bought it the minute I made it home.
Played it most of the day after i watched this review, sleeping was difficult, i was working out ways to bolster my ship for the next voyage today
This game gave me some serious old konami/ technosoft vibes
What system can I buy this on dranus🕹🎮😀👍🏾
Better looking than Grand Cross Renovation?
Despite GCR being a slick as hell game, yes, for various reasons.
Played half an hour of this so far and was blown away, won't even need online leaderboards as an excuse to play this one extensively. Team Ladybug I know from Touhou Luna Nights, their involvement makes sense, but there's another studio "WSS Playground" listed as Dev/Publisher who seem to have been behind Needy Streamer Overload. I know that game did really well and had similarly high quality presentation, but guessing this was mostly a Team Ladybug project.
WSS is "Why So Serious", the publishers, although i don't know why they are listed also as developers.
Love your reviews, but why do you have such an attitude regards 'euro shooters'?
I don't. Many others do, however.
Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but an hour for the 1st loop is too long.
'Euroshmup' was a term created by people who are more concerned with shmups being playable Anime games then with shooting things. The people who play shmups to prove they have maximum weeb levels
Yeah, the term doesn't hold much weight with me, shmups are shmups, you know
Frankly, I thought the term originated towards the end of the Amiga's life, where healthbar and shopping style shmups like Xenon2, Disposible Hero or inertia fuelled nightmare difficulty games like Project X or Uridium 2 needed distinction from the arcade ports or japanese style shooters of the age. Even back then we got 'hybrid' games like Drainus. I mean, wasn't the excellent Apidya based loosely on Darius but built by a small german team?
Back then, I don't remember Euroshmup being used as a slur on a game, just an indicator of style and gameplay ideas. I wonder when the community started using it as such?
Too bad the graphics has pixel shimmer.
Nothing like Sol Cresta. Still, that's the price of using 3D to create a 2D style visual style.
Honestly i was not a big fan of the game., Altough i thinks is good but not my type. Ended the first loop on normal, the game is easy and i did not fell acomplished during Gameplay. That feeling of dodging The bullets and feeling a superhuman was absent. Also the bullet patterns were not interesting. Altough the graphics technically are very good, in terms of Art Direction they are not that great. The enemyes design feels repetitive and lack a memoráble identity. Also the color palete it is very similiar in all levels ,specially those metal enviroment hazards. I loved the customization , and hope more games learn from it. The button control speed idea is great , but not pratical in the Middle of só many shoots. I would prefer 2 buttons each for each speed
Yeah I know. My reviews aren't really good as reviews. More like hyperfocused infodumps.
@@StudioMudprints i did not say your reviews were bad, you have a different point of view. The internet is a space were se can adiscuss differences as long we are polite. Still like your Channel.
Oh I get that, what I'm saying is that *I myself* think they're not so great. They differ so wildly from everyone's point of view so often it's no surprise no one takes them seriously. I'm not really good at articulating things. I just have fancy editing knowhow.
I cant wait for this game to come out for the switch im gonna buy this game and play it on the go
It's so good.