Feels like you're at a Sunn O))) concert. And you are the drummer.

Plot twist: Sunn O))) doesn't need a drummer.

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

A short tone poem about depression. Some pretty clever ideas. It's obvious the dev's first language is not English. This means a few sections really take you out of the experience because of how odd certain statements or phrases sound. I have mentioned this in a review of another game by the same developer (Pyramid Curse), hiring a writer will most likely do your next game wonders! There isn't much that's missing from this. The vision is totally there, just a few little nitpicks to get the future games to become 5-star experiences! Totally support this dev and love what they are doing with the medium. Price is also fair/right for what it is! Very few complaints. Just, enjoy.

Pricey, for what it is. Honestly, only get this during a sale.

Having said that, I really appreciate that someone out there is making games like this. Essentially, it's an interactive version of analogue horror. It's got walking sim elements, coupled with some visual novel tropes. The story itself is fine, nothing groundbreaking, the writing itself however... it's not the best. While SpoocleMacBoogle definitely has a knack for creating a creepy atmosphere that drips with stile, and they ares skillful at combining several different game elements into one cohesive whole, I would perhaps suggest that they hire a writer for future games, so that the storytelling is perhaps more engaging and not so amateur-ish sounding. It's really the biggest flaw for me.

The found footage-esque visuals and retro-PSX shaders--all of this is done [very] well, and doesn't at all feel like a gimmick. It definitely gels with the overall "feel" of the game. I just wish that I wasn't taken out of the experience every single time every time I experiences the writing. (And no, I am not being hyperbolic.)

Not an amazing game, but also, not really terrible. I recommend giving it a shot, if you are into short interactive horror experiences. It has a ton of potential, in the sense that, I hope that the experience of making this game and now, reading the reviews allows for improved future games, from the dev. I absolutely want to see more from SpoocleMacBoogle, and can only hope that each game becomes even better.

Again though, only buy this during a sale.

Holy! 6 ship options. A nice variety of enemy types. Good bosses. Crunchy and satisfying gameplay. No-fuss and to-the-point game design. Fast-paced shmup magic. A well-designed UI. I could keep going on and on. For a game developed by only one person, this does so many things better than some bigger multi-staffed studios. I know a free version has been floating around for a while, and the dev has been refining the game for quite some time... I guess this is a prime example of time + patience = an excellent product.

To boot, KAIKAN should also function as an essential advertisement for what the (as of writing this review) recently-released-to-Steam Shooting Game Builder engine (aka StgBuilder) can do. Truthfully, this is all about gamefeel and KAIKAN nails it. It feels so good to control and play. Unlocking achievements also feels soooooooo earned. 100% glad to support devs and projects like this, forever!

Highest recommendation. No hesitation from me. Go ahead and buy something that's truly great.

Not fun. Terrible UX design. I use an XBX controller--no support for that (as of writing this review). Gameplay is not "smooth" as mentioned in the product descriptor. Music loops endlessly with terrible clipping. Frankly, there are so many other better Vampire Survivors clones out there... this is not one to waste your time on. I can't recall the last time I had this much trouble navigating through the menu, just trying to figure out what to do next. Ugh.

When you don't really feel like playing The Binding of Isaac (again).

I was initially super-excited for this game back when it was first announced. So much so, that I immediately pre-ordered the collector's edition on Switch. What a mistake that was... The whole premise reminds me a bit of Car Wars, the tabletop vehicle combat simulation game developed by Steve Jackson Games. The problem is, Gearshifters appears to be more fun than it really is. You'll quickly become familiar with the grind as well as the limitations. The “customizability” reminded me of shareware games from the 90s. Yeah, you’re able to change the colour of the paint on the car and you can definitely switch out your weapons, but fundamentally, everything is in a very limited category type. After a little bit, most weapons and upgrades end up feeling the same. The story is not very interesting. The “clearing zones” sub-mission structure is a little confusion (I didn’t understand why after clearing three stages + boss, I still had to return to a zone to clear it again). I 100%-ed the game, not because I thought it was fun, more, because I was already too far in to not try and complete it all the way. Music is uninspired. This is a good schema for perhaps a sequel or another game of this type. And look, I am 99% of the time going to support a project trying to do something new and cool. I really enjoy vehicular combat games, so when they throw in an interesting top-down perspective and shmup-lite elements, I'm all in. This is just maybe only 10% there and not that great. Optimization is good and devs are absolutely capable of producing a product, from start to finish. I think they needed to release something like this, first, to know how to do better, with their subsequent releases. And that's okay. Get this only if you are curious, but at a deep discount! Try Convoy instead, a much better version of the car shmup idea/genre.