I came across Flump Studio’s Horizon Shift 81 during the #indiexmas2018 event ran by none other than the IndieGamerChick<3. This game was not on my radar. This was not a game I originally wrote down on my little piece of paper when IndieGamerChick put out the tentative schedule. It was totally flying under the radar and I almost missed it.

I wouldn’t have known any better and it would have been a damned dirty shame too! This game is chock full of arcadey, retro goodness. It’s not that it’s just a “good arcade action game” or “it’s cool because its retro” either. This game has a lot woven into it that I don’t think a lot of people will understand until they start playing it and experience it for themselves.

Arcade Basics

You as the player control a ship that sits on a line in the middle of the screen called the horizon. You move sideways on this horizon while attempting to shoot waves of incoming enemies from either the top or bottom. This means you have to quickly switch from shooting up to shooting down to engage waves of enemies. In addition to the usual arcade shooting were all familiar with, there is also a dash attack you can use to smash enemies off the horizon as well as a jump.

The premise of Horizon Shift 81 is quite simple. Mastering it, on the other hand, is quite the opposite. Somewhere between the wide variety of weapon pickups and unique horizon dash attacks sits a deeper level of gameplay suited to only those with enough experience. It’s also something I have not yet mastered, there’s still work to be done.

Ooey Gooey Retro

One of the best parts of Horizon Shift 81 for me is that this thing is JUST SLATHERED in old-school retro feels. And it’s not just ALL retro. It’s a fine mixture of modern + retro + neon which equals a unique style created by the masterminds at Flump Studios. If you like configurable graphics settings Horizon Shift 81 comes with 7 pre-defined graphics presets you can select from in pre-game settings.

The settings range from one called “The Works” to a unique, everything cranked to 11, Arcade 81 preset! There’s something here for everyone. That goes for the soundtrack, too. The music is on point and upbeat. It might not win any awards but you’ll find no complaints here. I think it fits quite well.

Game Modes

Horizon Shift 81 comes stock with 4 different game modes unlocked. It also has modes called “Free Mode” and “Boss Mode” but they are still locked for me as I haven’t progressed far enough (assuming). As any good arcade game should each game mode provides a description of how it works and a current high score. Heres a breakdown of the game modes as seen in-game.

Arcade Classic: Classic arcade style gameplay, start with 3 lives and fight your way through all the levels. Checkpoint on and after every boss battle.

Classic arcade style gameplay, start with 3 lives and fight your way through all the levels. Checkpoint on and after every boss battle. Arcade Arrange: Slight variation on the classic gameplay, start the game with 1 life and fight your way through all the levels. Checkpoint after every level.

Slight variation on the classic gameplay, start the game with 1 life and fight your way through all the levels. Checkpoint after every level. Speed Up: Little trickier now! Start the game with 3 lives and fight your way through all the levels whilst the game speeds up after each level. No Checkpoints.

Little trickier now! Start the game with 3 lives and fight your way through all the levels whilst the game speeds up after each level. No Checkpoints. Hyper Mode: Damn! Start the game with only 1 life and fight to survive at 150% speed. No Checkpoints.

Pew Pew Pew

As you play Horizon Shift 81 you will notice various weapon drops floating across the screen. These are clearly labeled with abbreviations for which weapon they are (e.g. LSR for laser). Some are good, some seem bad. Rockets really feel a little overpowered . . . maybe. The good part is that the game leaves it up to you on whether or not you want to pick up that next upgrade. There’s also a meter that fills up as you kill enemies which grants you the ability to unleash bombs which will devastate the whole screen.

Enemies on the Horizon

Horizon Shift 81 has a plethora of enemies that it will throw against you. Everything from simple enemy ships that shoot single bullets to centipedes, shielded ships, asteroids, bigger asteroids, etc. I could keep going for the next 500 words but I won’t bore you with a list. You’ll just have to play it to discover all of them for yourself. Now take a look at my final thoughts in the next paragraph!

It’s Not Over

Hey, you made it. I hope you didn’t come rushing to the end of this review hoping that I would spill the beans on all the bugs and bad things about Horizon Shift 81. Because there are very few; at least, I haven’t found anything game breaking or rumor-mill worthy yet. If I had to pick something because I’m tied to a chair and my life is on the line. It would be that gaming in 2018 is always fun with people and this game is only single player.

I would fall in LOVE with a 2nd player addition to Horizon Shift 81 (hint, hint Flump Studios). I can’t fault the game for that. That and maybe the bullet hits could feel more powerful with a little rumble . . . but now I’m just being picky. What else can I say other than I’m not done with this game yet. In fact, I won’t be done with this game for a while. It’s worth a play so pick it up and enjoy!

If you’re still not convinced then maybe watching the official Horizon Shift 81 trailer might do it for you. As always, stop on by our Nindie Nexus Discord and lets chat about video games. We are always looking for more conversation. You should also go checkout Mikey’s review of Horizon Chase Turbo, another title that is being featured in #indiexmas2018.