I’ve had my fair share of twin-stick shooters ever since I was plugging away at Xbox Live Arcade indie titles. I also had a lot of fun with Geometry Wars, even when it was just a minigame in Project Gotham Racing. So when I heard about a game called Curved Space that evoked elements of that title, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Titillated by the topsy-turvy level layout and tight controls from the trailer, I had a good feeling about this game.

Curved Space offers a few modes to satiate the player’s desired means of battle, but this review will be focused on the Campaign mode that’s offered. From the get-go, you’re thrusted into the action with less than a minute of background. You’re harvesting spiders filled to the brim with energy, by shooting them with your spaceship. It sounds simple enough, but is definitely playing it safe in the story department. That’s not a big problem though, as the action takes the stage.

As you progress through the campaign, you’ll find yourself with branching paths. Unfortunately, there isn’t more than a sentence or two to persuade or dissuade you from choosing one from the other. The “choices matter” desire is moot, as in the end, you’ll come to the same fate. The unnamed main character who is given no background, motivations, or unique traits is going to shoot a ton of spiders. Just a few more minutes of the aforementioned characteristics would have made for a more impactful plot.

Thankfully, there’s a fair bit of variation in both the enemy types and the weapons you’re given in Curved Space. I found myself favoring the risky but powerful jackhammer, a shotgun-like repeater that dealt damage in a short, straight line. There’s everything from rockets to a “weed whacker” to seeker mines – every playstyle will have something to revel in, and different weapons will be suited for different situations, as some spiders are faster/tankier than others.

It’s evident that developer Only By Midnight put a lot of care into this first effort; the synthwave soundtrack, delivered by acts from the label FiXT Neon such as Scandroid, 3Force, and Fury Weekend, make for bombastic, futuristic jams that warrant your attention. In addition, the models of the spiders and especially the bosses are menacing, creepy, and downright mortifying towards the end of the game – I just wish their movement was more consistent and telegraphed. Regardless, there’s a lot of potential from this developer.

Sadly, as the climax of the game came about, I found myself faced with a boss that was only possible to hit once every ~20 seconds, and at a location that could not be predicted. As such, I found myself whittling away at its gargantuan health bar small pips at a time for more than 20 minutes. It felt like work and not a grand achievement. Nevertheless, Curved Space is a solid first try from new dev Only By Midnight – Maximum Games is known for publishing some stinkers, but this is certainly not one of the worst it has to offer.

A PC Review Copy of Curved Space was provided by Maximum Games for this Review.

Phenixx Gaming is everywhere you are. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.

Also, if you’d like to join the Phenixx Gaming team, check out our recruitment article for details on working with us.

Phenixx Gaming is proud to be a Humble Partner! Purchases made through our affiliate links support our writers and charity!

Curved Space

$19.99

6.5

Score

6.5/10

Pros

• Novel Combat
• Stellar Synthwave Soundtrack

Cons

• Nonsensical Story
• Atrocious Final Boss
• Buggy AI Movement