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Mindless, endless shoot’em up gameplay | Full Review - ZeroVector

2K View2023-02-28

ZeroVector is a mobile arcade-style vertical shoot' em up game with fast-paced and intense gameplay.

🟩Pros

+Mesmerizing visuals

+simple no-frills gameplay

🟥Cons

-Minimal content

The game is designed to be played with one finger, which is used to move the player's ship. The ship automatically fires at enemies, and the player must avoid the incoming projectiles cluttering the map.

ZeroVector uses a minimalist approach to its graphics, with simple geometric wireframe shapes and bright neon colors. The game's player ship, enemies, and bosses are all made up of simple shapes such as squares, triangles, and circles. The animation is super fluid and the visual effects are mesmerizing especially when ships blow up and effects are all over the screen.

Gameplay Analysis

The gameplay is a bullet-hell style shoot’em up, meaning that players must be quick and nimble to survive all the projectiles that will clutter the screen. At first it will be hard to focus on both hitting the enemies and avoiding projectiles, but in time you will master it. The ship and the finger controlling it achieve perfect harmony allowing you to easily avoid projectiles, well at least most of the time.

The player ship has a special move called "Reversal", which is activated by tapping with two fingers. This move temporarily sends back all projectiles to the enemies, allowing players to clear the screen and get a brief moment of respite, helpful when overwhelmed by projectiles and enemies.

There is no story, nor any premise or background given to the player. It jumps straight to the endless vertical scrolling shoot’em up gameplay. The potential next few hours of fun is already decided 10-15 minutes in, as you would have already seen everything the game has to offer.

As players progress through the run, they collect points and powerups spawned by eliminated enemies. These powerups upgrade the player's ship's weapons, including the spray pattern and mechanics, and give them temporary abilities like an EMP or a protective shield.

These powerups come in risky though, as trying to get them amidst the bullet-hellish battleground can prove fatal. I can’t count how many times I’ve lost a life because I just wanted to get that powerup ASAP.

Speaking of lives, Players start with three, and there is no opportunity to replenish them during a run. The goal of the game is to beat the top score, with each run being endless, no stages, no levels, play until you lose.

ZeroVector features four different bosses, each with their own attack patterns and behavior. Players must use their skills and upgrades to defeat these bosses and progress through the game.

I like their idea of asymmetric multiplayer

There is a multiplayer asymmetric PvP mode where upon registering an account, a faction is automatically assigned to you. A conquest map is then presented to you divided into hexagonal sectors and it's up to you to capture them by beating the specific sector’s high score. It’s an interesting idea, but one that is plagued with super high scores for every sector, leaving no chance for any casual player to participate.

Conclusion:

The game is designed to be pure mindless fun, with no story or complicated mechanics to distract from the action. It is perfect for drop-in, drop-out mobile play to kill time and satisfy a craving for fast-paced, high-intensity arcade gameplay.

ZeroVector is a simple shoot’em up game that you will either like or not like within the first 10 minutes. It’s free so anyone can try it. Is it worth a try? If you love shoot ’em up games, It’s a yes for me.

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