Kicking-off their 2024 release schedule, eastasiasoft are diving back into shoot-’em-ups (shmup) with Let’s Dev Studios’ Nephenthesys. The publisher clearly has a soft spot for the genre. The likes of Z-Warp, Hyper-5 and Laserpitium have enthralled, innovated and bored respectively. This Nephenthesys review will ascertain exactly where 2024’s first endeavour lies on that spectrum.
The game offers but two gameplay options upon starting: play and tutorial. Diving into the tutorial first, move, shoot and drone are taught in a manner of seconds. And that’s it. Nephenthesys isn’t a complicated game, that’s for sure. So moving straight onto the main game it is.
There are four craft to select from initially, with a further five unlockable through meeting certain conditions. Complete the game, complete a level with a specific ship; nothing particularly unusual. Every vehicle has a different main weapon and drone, and each are quite well balanced. Your choice will likely be one of preference, opposed to any which is indisputably overpowered.
That being said, you’re better off sticking with the default ship to begin with. Nephenthesys is an unforgiving game in more ways than one, and so figuring out the lay of the land with an all-rounder is a good idea. As you take out certain enemies – often, but not always signified by a different colouring – you’ll earn power-ups. Up to three tiers can be collected, the first two improving your firepower and the third adding a drone. The drone takes out all enemies and bullets on the screen, which can be handy. However, if you’re hit before you get the chance to use it, you’ll lose it.
The same applies to your increased firepower. Every hit you take removes one of the collected power-ups. Conversely, every power-up collected also regains a segment of health. This creates a significant demand for collecting the power-ups which don’t simply drop towards you. They’ll fly about the screen for a very short time, often putting you straight into harm’s way as you attempt to grab them. The risk-reward can be exhilarating.
Unfortunately, this is where Nephenthesys‘ uniqueness ends. Everything else about the game is pretty standard faire for the shmup genre. Enemy types, bosses, level design. The presentation has been designed to replicate the curve of an old CRT television, which is nice but hardly a reason to purchase the game in itself. Couple this with the aggressive difficulty and punishing replay options – with no checkpoints, and no level select available even after completing a level – and Nephenthesys may be more frustrating than it is enjoyable.
In reading this Nephenthesys review, if you’re a hardcore shmup fan, it may well fit the bill. It’s a pretty standard affair with few surprises. For everyone else however, you’re better off checking out Wings of Bluestar, Spacewing War, or Habroxia 2. Or any of eastasiasoft’s countless other offerings in the genre.
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