Bugs may suck but apparently robo-bugs are even worse. Not only do they overrun the galaxy but the logical solution would be robo-spiders, and nobody wants that. Instead, and with great relief, the feline pilots of the Whisker Squadron have it covered, flying through infested worlds to blast apart every buggy metal critter The Swarm can throw at them. Which, as it turns out, is quite a lot. Starting from the outskirts and flying straight to the heart of The Swarm’s hold on its planets, the Whisker Squadron is ready to exterminate the invaders with every laser, missile, and electro-bolt at its disposal.
Whisker Squadron: Survivor is an on-rails Star Fox-style rogue-lite shooter, bursting with color and energy as you fly through ten ever-more-intense waves packed with enemies and a truly ridiculous amount of return fire. At the start of each run you choose a fighter craft, primary and secondary weapon, and a pilot with their own unique special ability, and then power up to an incredible degree as you level up along the way. The “Survivor” part of the title is, like so many other games, a direct nod to Vampire Survivors, but unlike the usual clones Whisker Squadron: Survivor only borrows the progression rather than almost every single aspect of its inspiration.
If you’ve ever played the SNES or N64 Star Fox you know exactly what to expect, gameplay-wise. The camera holds mostly behind the player ship as it flies forward at a set speed into the screen, and a targeting reticle lets you line up shots to take out air- and land-based enemies. Boost and brake are on the triggers, roll left/right on the bumpers, and a double-tap of either bumper does a barrel roll. Unlike Star Fox, though, actions are tied to energy, which is generously supplied but not infinite. It recharges quickly but even so, you can’t just hold down fire and boost to the end of the level without being left defenseless. Running out of laser is a great way to get the screen overrun with enemies, which is both a hazard for all that extra incoming firepower and also a lost opportunity for missed experience.
Like any standard Survivors-style game, enemies drop glowing pips when dispatched that you’ll need to collect. Gather enough and a level-up offers the standard three upgrades, with a nice variety of power-ups to change the gameplay. Zipping through tight spots, critical hits, and the combo meter can reward health or firepower, while proximity weapons can automatically discharge on enemies that get too close. The barrel roll has an upgrade letting it work as a temporary shield, and the boost can generate a shockwave after a few seconds. Laser and missile drones are also quite handy, but sometimes you also just want the main weapon to pack more of a punch. It’s unlikely you’ll wield godlike power during a round but with the right choices it can be just enough to reach the end of a ten-zone run.
Whisker Squadron: Survivor released into Early Access today and while there’s still a good amount of content to come it’s already a compulsively-playable fusion of the Star Fox and Survivors gameplay styles. New worlds, weapons, ships, and upgrades are on the way but the content that’s available feels incredibly polished. The levels and enemies look fantastic and the different ships control exactly as you’d expect, and while the enemies can pull a few unpleasant surprises there’s always a way through the chaos, once you’ve bought a few permanent upgrades. It’s one of the best Star Fox-alikes of the last several years (and has even teamed up with Ex-Zodiac ina two-game bundle) and for fans of this type of shooter is definitely not one to miss.
