Apt Games has just announced that their self-published bullet hell and shoot ‘em up game Terror Squid will soon be released for the Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo eShop and PC and Mac via Steam.
Dubbing itself as a “bullet hell with a sinister twist,” Terror Squid is a game that is dominated by minimalistic design and a thumping, bass-filled score. Players are encouraged to “conduct their own symphony of destruction.” This means that players can design their own demise by creating their own bullet hell patterns that they need to dodge and weave through quickly and strategically. Survive unscathed for long enough and players will be granted a new ability: a release of a primordial blast of dark energy that will decimate their created projectiles in a symphony of “gloriously satisfying chain reactions.” Once done, start it all over again and aim to perfect your very own created mayhem.
Terror Squid's Gamescom 2020 trailer can be described as short, but sweet, showing just 20 seconds of content. Terror Squid has a simple enough premise that it does not need too much time to introduce itself. Its art style is made up of mostly what Apt Games is calling “unique vector graphics” with vaporwave palette mainstays like pink and teal providing what little color is on the screen.
Also, I do not know if it is just me, but for a moment, it felt like the game’s bass heavy soundtrack may also dictate the bullets’ movements and pulses. It might just be in the trailer, but I am hoping an association between the game’s score and gameplay is somehow utilized. Game modes have not been disclosed yet, but it looks like there will be online rankings that players can compete for. Story-wise, nothing except cryptic (and sometimes creepy) images have been flashed during the trailer. Lastly, if your eyes are sharp and it has not been redeemed yet, there are game codes hidden in the trailer (I saw two so far).
Terror Squid will launch for the Nintendo Switch via the Nintendo eShop and PC and Mac via Steam this coming fall.
