Shooting For The Moon (Sun)

Solar Sniper 2.0 A Newer Era is a game created by shadross

Upon loading 'Solar Sniper 2.0 A Newer Era', a player is greeted with a well drawn introduction screen that is reflective of the entire game- beautiful, well-crafted, and thoughtful. Everything about the game's beginning makes one want to keep playing, which is fitting considering how enjoyable the whole experience is. Using the PPG creator to its fullest, Shadross creates a rewarding and satisfying adventure that is familiar yet still innovative.

It is common for physics puzzle games, particularly when they try to imitate other genres, to produce uninspired, bland gameplay that boils down to nothing more than a short distraction. Luckily, avoiding the tendency, Shadross's latest epic has a good, balanced combination of action-packed, puzzle-filled, and cinematic moments. First of all, the core gameplay of running, jumping, and shooting feels solid and responsive; the character�s weapon appears is well balanced, allowing for different play styles. Personally, I found it easiest to launch a constant stream of projectiles at the game�s varied enemy types, but other people may opt for a more precise approach; the game accommodates both. Adding an interesting twist to the standard shooter gameplay, the concept of shadows augments the gameplay. The weapon can only function in sunlight, so players have to strategically avoid areas of shade in order to be effective against enemies. Creating a shooter that plays well, all of these elements make the combat of this game among the best on the website. Secondly, the level design makes for interesting puzzles that maximize the limited space of the creator. Forcing the player to explore all areas of the level, Shadross�s engineering makes it feel like the gameplay is bigger than the geometric area of the level. Thirdly, Shadross designs intuitive and cinematic boss fights that add to the overall experience without feeling gimmicky. In PPGs, it is common for boss encounters to be boring, dull, and bland, included only to beef up the game�s level count. Fortunately, that is not the case in Solar Sniper 2.0. Making a player change strategies and adapt to changing, time-sensitive situations, the boss encounters truly do feel as if they belong in the game.

Shadross has always been a master of designing graphics for his games, and the latest is no exception. Textures are varied and interesting to look at, and backgrounds are deep and rich. The animations, as always, are stellar- the main character, all the enemies, and the bosses are beautifully rendered. At one point, there is a large enemy moving slowly towards the player, and the enemy�s movements are well programmed and create a sense of urgency. Also, there are details in the environment that contribute to the overall atmosphere of moody, gloomy feelings, while also adding variety that makes every stage unique and interesting. For instance, looking closely, one can notice animated spiders climbing their webs in corners, and interesting textures on all the different stages. The game really takes advantage of the graphics function in the PPG creator- there was barely a pixel that Shadross didn�t design himself, by hand, which shows his skill as an artist and a creator.

As far as difficulty goes, the game is well-balanced. Difficulty escalates from level to level, from boss to boss, giving a player a satisfying feeling of progression and accomplishment for completing the levels in sequence. The addition of new types of enemies and novel bosses means that the game is never stagnant in its difficulty, but also never feels unfair or too brutal.

All things said, like many of Shadross�s games, this one pushes the limits of the creator by creating an experience as close to a standalone game as any on Sploder.The graphics, gameplay, and progression lead to a complete package that feels great, looks great, and ultimately, is great.