FullBlast (Xbox One, 2018)

FullBlast
Developed by UFO Crash Games
Published by Ratalaika Games
Released for Xbox One (9/2018)
Also on Mac/PC/Ouya/PS4/Switch/Vita/Wii U

Intro
FullBlast is a very basic vertical shmup, promising to deliver action inspired by old arcade games of the '80's and '90's. Initially published by developer UFO Crash Games, FullBlast made its debut on the Ouya back in 2014, received a port to the WiiU the following year and made it Mac/PC in 2016. In September 2018, publisher Ratalaika Games would pick up FullBlast for another round of releases and ported the game to the PlayStation 4, Switch, Vita and Xbox One. The game looked at least somewhat promising enough from the trailer and the $5.99 price tag seemed reasonable so I went ahead and pulled the trigger on FullBlast. Read on to kill the suspense of whether or not I regret that decision.

Gameplay/Controls
As stated before, FullBlast is a simple shooter, featuring one movement speed and just one fire type. Holding down the A button will rapid fire, saving you the trouble of having to constantly mash the fire button, which is always a nice feature. Of course you also have a bomb in reserve, which can be launched with a press of the B button and will clear the screen of enemies and bullets when used. A shmup with simple mechanics can still be fun, but it takes some solid enemy and level design to assist, and this is where FullBlast falls face first...

There are 12 levels to shoot your way through and quite possibly FullBlast's biggest fault will present itself right from the beginning: there's a serious lack of challenge. I was able to blast my way through the whole game the first time I played it, never receiving a game over until the final stage. Due to a somewhat cheap final boss, the last level took a few retries but I was able to complete the whole game in about an hour or so. Not only are the stages too easy, but they seem to go on a bit longer than they should, to the point where your worst enemy is going to be the boredom that will settle in.

Presentation/Graphics
The graphics in FullBlast actually look rather nice, with some decently detailed 3D-rendered backdrops, but they are quite generic and just continuously loop as you fly over them. There's a serious lack of variety in the stages, with only three different themes throughout the game (4 stages on each for a total of 12): city, forest and arctic waters. The enemy design in FullBlast seems a bit fun at first, with alien ships that look like stingrays, lobsters and spiders, but none of them really seem to have any unique behavior and just sort of blandly spit bullets out. The same ships are recycled over and over throughout the whole game so you'll quickly grow tired of shooting the same foes. Explosions when shooting down enemies should be cool and exciting, but in FullBlast downed enemies leave behind a comical "Boom" word that feels out of place in this game. The end-level bosses seem cool at first but as you progress further into the game you'll start to see the same bosses recycled, all featuring similar easy-to-dodge attacks. The final boss, a giant octopus, is definitely a cool idea and a highlight in the game but in execution is just as bland as what you've come to expect from the game at that point.

Closing
FullBlast has some decent graphics and plays well enough, but there are several factors that drag it down. The enemies and stage designs are boring and feel like they drag on a bit too long looping the same monotonous backdrops. The achievements can be unlocked by the time you've completed the third stage, meaning there's not much incentive to drive many players to play beyond that. The in-game missions (separate from the achievements) don't display the criteria required to unlock them, making it a bit of a guessing game for some as to how you unlock them. If you're looking for some easy gamerscore then you might get something out of FullBlast, but for anybody looking for a solid shmup I'd suggest for you to steer clear of this one as there are many better options on the Xbox One. FullBlast...more like half-mast!

Final Verdict: FullBlast is a very simple vertical shmup. While the graphics are decent, the lack of challenge and generic overall design make this one an easy miss when there are so many better shmups on the Xbox One. Recommended only for those seeking some quick & easy gamerscore.

Related Links:
Buy FullBlast - Microsoft Store

Related Reviews:
Shmups - Xbox Overview

Related Links:
FullBlast - GameFAQs
Ratalaika Games - Official Site
UFO Crash Games - Official Site
FullBlast - True Achievements