Overview – developed and published by Raptor Claw, FUR Squadron Phoenix is an on-rails space shooter featuring anthropomorphic animals, taking on action packed space combat. As a pilot in training, take on the enemy forces in virtual worlds, upgrade your ship capabilities and prepare to protect the federation from a looming threat. This title is available for Nintendo Switch and Steam, 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 the rep at Raptor Claw for providing the copy of FUR Squadron Phoenix used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. I will be omitting some details of the experience, as I want to prevent spoiling any of the surprises and secrets the game holds.
Story – Robin is a pilot that was part of Pheonix Squadron, sent on a mission to combat a deadly threat against the federation. After a mission results in the loss of their team, Robin is assigned to the FUR Squadron for additional training. During this special training, Robin will take on combat missions through the use of Virtual Reality tech. Will they be able to hone their skills, before the threat of the Marauders is too much for the Federation.
Gameplay – FUR Squadron Phoenix is an on-rails space shooter, reminiscent to titles like Star Fox and Panzer Dragoon. The player takes the role of Robin, a new member of the Fur Squadron, who must complete a series of training missions. By completing these missions, robin will be able to prepare to battle the threat of the Marauders, a deadly threat towards the Federation. They are also responsible for the demise of Robin’s previous squadron.
In each of the missions, the player will pilot their ship through a variety of locations, each with their own distinct themes. These include an island paradise with crystal clear waters, as well as a city bursting with neon light and Japanese motifs. Each of the stages will have the player blasting wave, after wave of foes in the air and on the ground. The type of enemy will vary depending on the mission, with mechanical and organic hostiles to fight.
Enemies will try to fly into the player, or try and shoot them down with lasers and rockets. The player has a limited amount of shield, which appears at the top of the screen, being drained with each attack the player takes. As more damage is taken, the Shield meter will change from blue, to yellow to red, with the mission failing if the player is shot down. Some enemies will drop Shield power, refilling the meter a little when collected.
To combat the enemies that appear in the missions, the player will be armed with laser weapons on their ship. These cannons will have two fire modes that can be used, offering a rapid fire and charged attack will lock on to single targets. The auto fire is the most useful as the on-screen crosshair, which will hover to targets that get close to it. Many of the hostiles can be shot down with a couple blasts, but there are some that need more power.
Throughout the environments, there will be larger targets including tanks and battleships, which players will need to deal significant damage to destroy. Then there are the shielded enemies, which will be immune to the standard lasers. In order to bring the shielded craft down, the player will need to hit it with a charged attack, destroying the shield and opening them up to attack. If the player can destroy the larger ships, they will drop battery power.
As the player collects battery power, a meter will fill up under the shield bar. This will fill up by collecting the batteries from heavy enemies, powering up special weapons. The player starts off with a Bomb that will deal significant damage to enemies in the blast radius, using up a chunk of the battery when deployed. As the game progresses, more powerful special weapons will be unlocked, including a powerful laser that cuts through enemy ships.
The laser cannon and special weapons are not the only tools the player has in their arsenal, as they can also perform two aerial manoeuvres to navigate the airspace. The first is the drift, where the ship will turn 90 degrees with the wings being positioned vertically, allowing the player to slip through tight spaces. Then there is the barrel roll, which shifts the position either left or right, while providing a moment of invulnerability to attack.
Finally the ship has a unique power called Overdrive, which will charge in two ways, the first is by destroying the powerful enemy craft. Then there are the special Squadron challenges, with pilot specific challenges that can be completed. If the player succeeds, they will gain a fair amount of Overdrive charge. Once the meter is full, if activated, time will slow down for a brief time, while increasing attack power and providing shield/battery charge.
By effectively using each of these tools, players will battle their way to massive enemies that will try to stop them in their tracks. At the end of each stage, as well as in the middle of others, imposing bosses will appear. Each of the bosses have weak points that need to be destroyed, while avoiding the barrage of attacks that are unleashed. This is where the barrel roll can be very useful, as there will be big attacks that can deal significant damage.
When a mission is concluded, either through defeating the boss or the player being shot down. The player will receive upgrade points based on the score they have earned. The higher the score, the more upgrade points that will be earned, with combos for shooting down enemy craft without taking damage. These upgrade points can be spent to improve the capabilities of the ship, offering improved movement, laser damage and more in the Mod menu.
Stages can be replayed from the mission select menu, with cleared missions having a high score that player can challenge to try and improve their score. This makes it easier to earn upgrade points, boosting the improvements that players can make. But upgrades aren’t the only reason to return to missions, as there are secrets and special rewards that can be discovered. This gives players more of a reason to return to previously cleared missions.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – This title offers support for both controller and mouse/keyboard, with the preferred input method being a pad. Both control methods offer an intuitive and enjoyable gameplay experience, with no issues in terms of delay or lag during play. All of the inputs are laid out in a comfortable manner, with HUD elements that offer a reminder during play. By using Steam Input, there is the option to use a range of controllers, including retro style control pads.
Difficulty – This title can feel rather inconsistent in terms of difficulty, with some players having trouble getting through the missions after the introduction. However, with the upgrade system and by learning the enemy patterns, it becomes easier to get through each of the stages. Unfortunately, this may frustrate some players, as some missions can be very difficult without upgrades. But with enough patience, players can get strong enough to beat the challenges.
Presentation – Visually, this game has a bit of a retro look to it, with large chunky models, vivid colors and good use of lighting. This works well for the different environments, especially with the neon city with hologram effects. The art for the pilots is also pleasing to the eye, with voice work for them that is a mash of word like sounds, making up their dialogue. Then there is the music and effects, which work pretty well and add to the excitement.
Final Thoughts – I have played a lot of on rails flight/shooting games, like Panzer Dragoon and Star Fox, which I have had fun with. So when I was given the chance to play this, I was excited to jump into it and give it a shot. I will say I have some mixed feelings about this release, it is a lot of fun, with exciting action and fast pace shooting action. But it isn’t without flaws, as there are some elements of the game that can be a little disappointing.
While this game has a lot of replay value, through the secrets and the unlocks, it can feel relatively short, with a few hours of unique gameplay. This can make it feel like a one and done for some players. Then there is the upgrade system, which is a bit of a grind to unlock all of the improvements, which may put some players off. But in general, this is a very fun game and I am happy to recommend, as it will scratch that space shooter itch.
In the end, I give Fur Squadron Phoenix a final score of 4/5. This is a fun game, with some good action and challenging boss battles, while offering a familiar but fresh experience, with all of the elements that make on-rail shooters of the style enjoyable to play. if you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.
Link to Steam version (HERE)
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
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