Exo-Calibre (PS5) | REVIEW | Bubbly Buxom Battle Babes!!!

EastAsiaSoft is at it again!!! Publishing, and porting a brand new shmup to their growing PlayStation indie library. This time around it's Vampixel Games' own creation, Exo-Calibre that makes the cut. A sci-fi vertical scrolling shoot 'em up done as a bullet hell experience. An experience featuring three femme fatale sporting the latest mech suits from Exo-Tech, a defense force for planet Earth. It is this tech force led by the feline Nekoknight, and joined by three female Exo-Calibre Knights carrying the names Caliburn, Galatine, and Anrodight that act as protectors of the Earth and it's people. Something that goes awry rather quickly. Having just witnessed their own defense system turn against them through a rogue AI they must travel the globe, and face off against the waiting AI commanders to get to the bottom of the problem.

The Gameplay Loop ...

Exo-Calibre is a fully fledged bullet hell shmup with it's own unique mechanics embedded within. That and four different modes of play. In the way of mechanics there are two main functions to each of the Exo-Knights outside of their differing shot type. This includes the melee and boost mechanics. Melee, itself doubles, and triples down as a multi-functioning tool that can be put to use in a variety of different ways. It can be used to deal damage to enemy ships, to dodge, and to deflect bullet hell shots back at the enemy. Of course it comes with a brief cooldown that must be minded lest you catch a hit to your limited health.

When it comes to your own shot types they are upgradeable, but not through a power-up system. The game uses an after stage shop vendor dependent on scrap salvage and the monetary gain therein to upgrade damage, HP, speed, and lives. The HP (health) and lives aren't the end all be all in story mode as there are unlimited lives there, but in the other modes like Arcade you can end a run with a few hits. Thus learning to melee, and boost out of the way is crucial for completion.

Modes come in four different types including Story, Arcade, Boss Rush, and Time Rush. Only Story and Arcade are unlocked initially though. With story you get more HP, and unlimited lives with which to brute force your way through the campaign which features an ongoing conversation between Nekoknight and the Exo-Calibre girls. This several stage playthrough with multi-phase stages ends with a boss fight per stage, and the visit to the shop vendor for upgrades thereafter. Your score tallied on a per stage basis based upon a combo multiplier, and the scrap gimmick that allows for the juggling of the scrap bolts to change the point and  money value of the Scrap when collected. 

Arcade mode is the lesser forgiving stage by stage playthrough complete with boss battles and shop stops. It gives you less HP, less lives, and the potential for a GAME OVER when those lives are exhausted. It is a more challenging version of Story mode, in that regard. As far as Boss Rush and Time Rush are concerned they are side challenge modes that have their own rules. Boss Rush will have you braving all boss battles back to back with a shop stop after each battle. All to the tune of a single life, and limited health. Time Rush, on the other hand, is all about beating the game's timer and setting a record in the stage to stage sense. Both Boss Rush and Time Rush are unlocked by playing through Story and Arcade mode.

For completion sake each character including the secret character that is Nekoknight has four medallions that can be earned per mode completed with said character. This means mastering their shot type whether it be Caliburn's linear shot, Galatine's burst, Arondight's shotgun, or Nekoknight's boomerang. Each shot type of each character evolves as it is upgraded. Adding extra bullets, and spread to the shot. Between the damage upgrades, HP upgrades, and Speed upgrades you can create a powerhouse of a character that will make the playthrough easier, and each upgrade can be leveled up, up to four times.

The Presentation ...

Visually Exo-Calibre has a definite indie anime inspired appearance with custom created pixel art, and character avatars/ships that border, and fly within the narrowed vertically scrolling playing field. It is a brightly colored spectacle sandwiched between two information inclusive borders and brought to life with parallax and depth layered details. The soundtrack seems to be an homage to retro classics and has a sort of chiptune/synth sound that positively accents the fun loving nature of the game. Despite Earth's peril the game certainly has a bubbly tone that is doubly portrayed through playful character banter.

The Verdict ...

While I like the games that go all out with the graphic design I think Vampixel Games did a good job for an indie studio. The multi-functional mechanics, challenging stages, and pixel art came together quite nicely. A truly complimentary package that gives shmup fans what they come to expect, outside of the missing global leaderboards ... That aside I think for the price asked, and it being budget friendly, Exo-Calibre earns a respectful recommendation. Don't expect something easy to breeze through though. This is one of the more difficult to master shoot 'em ups out there.