Feeble Light – Nintendo Switch Review

Overview – developed by Panda Indie Studio and published by Eastasiasoft, Feeble Light is a vibrant bullet hell shooter with a three tone pixel art style, reminiscent of the classic Game Boy style. Blast through 5 randomised stages, with the difficulty increasing with each stage cleared and random power-ups to collect. This title is available on Nintendo Switch, Steam and PlayStation Systems, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.

Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Eastasiasoft for providing the copy of Feeble Light that was used for this piece. The provision of this title has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts an opinions contained within are my own.

Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review. I will be skipping the story segment as there is little in terms of plot for this release, so I will be going straight into discussing the gameplay for Feeble Light.

Gameplay – Feeble Light is a vertical bullet hell shooter, where the player controls a literal star fighter, battling through the stars against a range of weird and wonderful enemies. The player must dodge, weave and shoot through 5 randomised stages, including an asteroid field and a hazardous series of tunnels. These stages are randomised during each run, with the difficulty increasing as each stage is cleared.

The player has a standard shot weapon that fires directly up, which can be enhanced by collecting power-ups, along with other upgrades like additional lives and support weapons. These items are also randomised, meaning that players will get a different experience with each attempt at the game. There is also a bomb weapon that can be deployed, which needs to be charged up to three times by collecting stars dropped by destroyed enemies.

During the stages, enemies will appear from all directions, along with screen filling hazards like giant fire balls and Asteroids that the player must attempt to avoid. When a hazard appears, the player will be given a warning that there is an enemy/hazard coming, allowing players to move into a better position. There is also a second warning that will appear, this one is more severe as it heralds the arrival of a boss for the player to fight.

In this game there are two different types of bosses that can appear during a run, separated into Sub and main bosses. The sub bosses are randomised, with two sub-types that can appear, the first is a lovecraftian horror that will give a mysterious item when destroyed. Then there is the unstable staretti bosses, which have the chance to drop special items that will help the player in battle, as well as regular character power-ups.

Finally we have the main bosses, with 5 stage specific end of stage battles that will challenge the player, each with their own unique attack patterns and gimmick. They include a giant fire dragon, which will summon smaller fire dragons and a black hole that will try to suck the player into it. Then there is the big bad “FINAL” boss of the game. This eldritch abomination will appear after clearing 4 stages and will unleash the most chaotic patterns of the game.

If the player is able to survive the battle with this boss, then the game will continue, further increasing in difficulty as the game will continue until the player is killed. Upon death, the stage reached will be recorded as the players score, this is unique as it prioritises survival over points. There are also color palettes that can be unlocked after a run, with a range of color schemes for the player to obtain by playing the game, adding more replay value to the experience.

Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to move onto the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.

Controls – the control system for this title is super simple, with a two button layout that gives an arcade feel to the action on screen. This makes for an easy to learn and hard to master experience, with the fast paced action requiring the player to be precise with their movements. This is made easier by the player slowing down when firing, allowing for better control in game. The game supports a wide range of controllers, so everyone can find the set-up that suits them.

Difficulty – the challenge of this title feels balanced, with the first stage of each run being fairly easy to start, with the game getting increasingly difficult as each stage is cleared. This can make what seems like a manageable challenge become more insane, with bullets filling the screen from all directions at times. The overall difficulty feels balanced, with a feeling of satisfaction present each time a higher score is reached.

Presentation – the visuals for this title are stunning, with vibrant and cute pixel art that is augmented by the Game Boy styled color schemes. There is so much to personality with this game, which is all contained within a vertical layout that feels at home on the switch. The only issue is the lack of TATE vertical mode on the switch for a full screen experience. The sound for this title is gorgeous, with fantastic chiptune music that perfectly fits the gameplay and graphical presentation.

Final Thoughts – this title surprised me when I got to play it, as I was expecting something a little more rigid with this release. The random nature of this release was a surprise and made the experience so much more fun, with a new challenge every time a new run is started. There is a lot of fun to be had with this release, with a satisfying gameplay loop that will keep players coming back for more, while earning new color palettes during play.

I am very happy to recommend this title to fans of the bullet hell genre, as it is intense but not brutally punishing for newer players. I am not the best at these types of shooters, but I could feel my skills improving with each subsequent attempt I made. This title may seem to lack substance, due to the low price that this is on sale for, but the overall quality and depth makes this title a purchase that is well worth every penny spent on it.

In the end, I give Feeble Light a final score of 5/5. This title is one of the best indie bullet hell titles I have recently played using the pixel art style, with the randomised elements of the game providing endless replay value, as no two runs of the game will be the same. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.

Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)

Link to PlayStation version (HERE)

Link to Steam version (HERE)