Appsolute Games is putting out games on the regular, and their latest game is pretty neat. Hex Brutal is a horizontally-scrolling shoot ’em up launching for free on the App Store this week. I’ve worried when talking about shmups recently that I call anything a “bullet hell" game when they might not fit that qualification. Well, Hex Brutal is more akin to Gradius and other old-school shmups, where the challenges come from tricky enemy formations and obstacles in your way that you have to shoot down. It’s a refreshing change of pace, as there’s more to life than just dodging bullets.
Interestingly, Hex Brutal uses checkpoints and has an IAP to remove ads, but eschews going the Mediocre route, a la Smash Hit (Free), so you get checkpoints for free. There is no auto-fire, so you’ll have to mash a button to fire bullets yourself. This definitely feels like a more old-school shoot ’em up, for sure. And it’s got a neat minimalist art style, too. Based on what I’ve played, this should be an interesting-enough game to check out when it releases on Thursday, July 23rd. Check out the forum thread for the game, as well.
