Gearshifters | PS4 Review

The year is 2063. You are a hired driver, courier, and hitman for a ragtag group of mechanically inclined individuals. Think of it as "The Fast and the Furious", but in a future where vehicular combat is the norm, and factions have taken over territories. Some factions of which are enemies while others simply ask for your delivery services for goods that aren't so easily obtainable. Mechanically, it's a shmup-like roguelike ordeal in which currency means upgrades, and success is dependent on skills. An experience that borders on being a racing simulator, and horizontal side-scrolling shoot 'em up. All at the same time.

In Gearshifters gameplay is fairly straightforward. As the driver of a combat vehicle known as the GS1 you must take to the road to earn coin, unlock skills, and obtain schematics for upgrades through your employer and group of supporting mechanics. This is done by going to various zones, completing a series of stages, and using intermittent bonus perks between each stage to finish the job at hand. Sometimes this means simply surviving the pursuing onslaught of vehicles as you make your way to the end of a run, and their bullet hell or destroying end zone bosses. 

Being it's a car oriented shmup roguelike you will be earning vehicular skills along the way that add various abilities like braking options, and drifting options. Making the game like a traditional racer outside of the combat mechanics. Alongside the stunt inspired driving you'll also upgrade parts using the currency you collect through the game's power-up system. This includes a primary, and secondary weapons. That and gear for handling, melee attacks, and protection as well as cosmetics. You'll even gain charge abilities that add another layer to vehicular combat as well as overall survival.

While on the road you will face each stage with a given health meter, or shield meter. This meter depletes upon collision with the environments as well as other enemy vehicles. It also depletes when shot by enemy projectiles. To recoup health you can collect repair power-ups that are dropped from destroyed vehicles. Either that or pick one of the after stage perks that will refill a certain percentage of health. Speaking of which the three random after stage perks allow for things like extra currency, refilled secondary weapon bullets, and even the opportunity to collect a dropped parts schematic in the next stage. It should also be noted that while the primary weapon has infinite ammo unlike the secondary weapon which requires ammo power-ups it too runs on a meter, a cooldown meter. The cooldown cools down when not firing, and heats up as you hold down the fire button. 

Aside from those things the power-up system is all encompassing, and wholly crucial to success. As you upgrade the GS1's parts you will gain access to new power-ups. This includes everything from currency to repairs, secondary weapon bullet refills, and even charges for your charge ability. Charge abilities, in that regard, are a sort of limited ability that changes up things like what the enemies drop for a given amount of time. Things like making enemies drop certain power-ups or for fueling more combative options like oil slick trails that will cause the enemies to slide out of control.

Beyond the basics of combat boss fights also offer lucrative options if successfully defeated. By defeating faction bosses you'll earn shards that play into the given narrative. Defeated bosses also gift you faction paint jobs which can be selected in the game's shop menu. Cosmetics are customizable to a point with a selection of unlockable paint jobs as well as color options, tire options, and spoiler options. Things that change the appearance of the GS1. 

When it comes to setting options the game does come with the usual visual, and audio tweaks via menu sliders and toggles. That and three different difficulty settings that are selectable from the start. This includes ARCADE, STANDARD, and DEADLY. The easy, normal, and hard options for added challenge sake. 

The Verdict ...

The vehicular combat and roguelike elements in Gearshifters seemed kind of basic to me, but not wholly basic. Stages play out much like they would in any shmup with waves of different enemies that harbor different attacks. Ending in an end boss battle. Doing so in a light racing simulator manner. Seeing this playout in a sort of stunt driving way was actually kind of fun, but did become routine at a point. Offering only variety in enemy, and boss types as you progressed. That and different ways to deal with said enemies as you upgraded your vehicle, and unlocked new driving skills. I will congratulate the developer on successfully doing something new with the shmup, and roguelike genres though. What was done works well together. The game also looks nice with the top-down perspective. The environments are cool to look at and the vehicles surprisingly detailed for such a perspective. I think in the end this will be the type of game for shmup fans looking for something different. Even rougelike fans might get a kick out of playing this game.