While Steam Next Fest is over, I downloaded the demo for Birdcage, which is a shoot-em-up inspired by the games of Treasure (notably Radiant Silvergun and Ikaruga), with storytelling and aesthetics that are a massive love letter to Metal Gear Solid. Which is a roundabout way of saying this is absolutely my jam.
Shoot-em-ups (or shmups, as their friends call them) are one of those genres that fell somewhat by the wayside after their peak in the late 1990s. The Sega Saturn and Dreamcast (as well as the arcades where a lot of these games debuted) were a hotbed for fantastic shooters that looked absolutely gorgeous. And while there have been occasional highlights like Geometry Wars and Platinum's Sol Cresta, it's not quite been the same.
Which is why Birdcage grabbed my attention as soon as I saw it. Not only does it absolutely nail the aesthetic of those late 90's shooters, with mechanics inspired by the best Treasure had to offer in the era, but it also lists Metal Gear Solid as an influence. And while a cinematic stealth game and lightning-fast shooter don't seem like a duo that can coexist, Birdcage somehow nails it.
Its space shooting is just as hectic and difficult as Ikaruga was, which has you blasting away at waves of enemies while hundreds of projectiles fly your way. To succeed, you'll need to deal with overwhelming odds, but thankfully, you're pretty powerful yourself. Instead of Ikaruga's defensive color-switching mechanic, you can block certain attacks by using the coolest thing about your ship: the fact that it has a sword.
Right from the main menu, you can feel the Metal Gear Solid influence – even down to it being one of the PS1 games released outside of Japan that still used the circle button to select and cross to go back. While the whole aesthetic of the cutscenes and the gameplay backgrounds has a feeling of those menus come to life. You even have optional codec calls if you fancy breaking up the action for a breather (which you'll probably need).
Birdcage is developed by Polygon Bird, which was founded by comic artist Giannis Milonogiannis and musician Barry Topping (best known for composing the incredible Paradise Killer soundtrack). And while it's out later this month, the short time I've spent with the demo has me prepped for its launch next month on November 18.
