JoyMasher, The Arcade Crew, CE-Asia
- Game: Blazing Chrome
- Consoles: PS4 (reviewed), Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
- Publishers: The Arcade Crew, CE-Asia
- Developer: JoyMasher
A Blazing Chrome review code was provided by the publisher.
There are games that transport gamers to a far-off galaxy full of wondrous planets to explore, alien species to discover, and fellow space travelers to build relationships with. There are also interactive experiences that place you within expansive fantastical lands full of orcs, dwarves, and dragons. Then there are titles that put you in the role of a survivor who’s trying their hardest to brave the horrors of a zombie apocalypse. Blazing Chrome isn’t any of those games. It sticks to its guns (pun intended) and embraces the days of bombastic side-scrolling shooters from the 16-bit era. For those who relieved their stress through intense shoot ’em up sessions in Contra, Metal Slug, and Gunstar Heroes, Blazing Chrome will quickly become your next obsession.
JoyMasher, The Arcade Crew, CE-Asia
Blazing Chrome’s plot is simple and straight to the point – humans are now at the mercy of evil robots who have overtaken the world. A rebel group decides to take the fight to the robotic army’s AI power plant and provide a glimmer of hope for the remainder of the human race. It’s clear that Joymasher (the development studio behind this frantic shooter) is a huge fan of The Terminator films based on the story being told here. The game’s 80s sci-fi trappings are prevalent throughout the entire experience, from the badass intro right on down to the surprisingly awesome closing credits theme. Joymasher fully embraces all of the elements that inspired this passion project and it shows in a myriad of cool ways.
Taking down the robotic hordes solo or with a local partner is boatloads of fun. Each of the game’s colorful stages offers a nice variety of enemies to blast, sub-weapons to collect, and powerups to amass during your post-apocalyptic struggle. The running and gunning are fun all on its own, but Blazing Chrome throws in a few vehicle-based sections that do a great job of freshening up the action. One moment, you’re zooming down the road on a speed bike and clearing out the many robots who attempt to stop you. Then another moment, your punching hideous creatures in the face with a friendly robot walker. The bombastic boss fights are tough but ultimately fun and manageable as you pick up on each baddies’ attack pattern. Blazing Chrome features a nice mix of levels and combat scenarios that keep your initial playthrough from becoming tiresome.
JoyMasher, The Arcade Crew, CE-Asia
Once you’ve completed your main mission, Blazing Chrome gives you several more reasons to return to duty. Two melee-focused characters eventually become playable, which presents a new challenge for players who prefer to tackle the robot menace in the manner of games such as Strider and Ninja Gaiden. The Mirror Mode provides returning rebels with a new viewpoint that makes each level a bit harder to tackle. Along with those features are an extra difficulty level and an equally entertaining Boss Rush mode. All of these unlockable features do a good job of adding enough replay value to Blazing Chrome. It’s just a major letdown that you can’t run through the game with an online companion. Local co-op is fine and all, but the lack of an online option is a huge oversight on the developer’s part.
Blazing Chrome Takeways
JoyMasher, The Arcade Crew, CE-Asia
Blazing Chrome’s premise is simple. And that’s why it’s such a blast to play. Shooting down an entire robot army with machine guns, lasers, grenade launchers, and more never gets old. And doing it with a fellow freedom fighter makes that scenario even more worthwhile. The clever callbacks to 80s sci-fi and other classic side-scrolling shooters hit all the right points of nostalgia. And the additional modes and characters manage to give this game a bit more life once you’ve wrapped up your initial playthrough. The lack of online-cop is certainly disheartening. But don’t let that omission keep you from enjoying the balls to the wall action of Joymasher’s love letter to run ‘n’ gunners.
Our Blazing Chrome Review Score: 7.75 out of 10
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