Review: Intrusion 2

Intrusion 2 (2012)

Developer: Aleksey Abramenko

Platform: Personal Computer

Induction Date: 09/12/2012

 

Run-and-gun 2D side-scrollers are hard to come by these days so when I first heard about Intrusion 2, I was ecstatic. Imagine 9 stages filled with delicious 2D animations that you normally only get to see in a Treasure or WayForward games. Even more impressive is the fact that this whole thing is a Flash-based game and is a solo project of developer Aleksey Abramenko.

 

Come down here, my wolf is hungry.

 

The most prominent thing about this game is definitely its striking 2D graphics. Using primarily scaling and rotation effects that wowed us back in the days - still wowing me now - everything in the game animates brilliantly: your character's red scarf is blowing in the wind, the trees bend and sway, and there is a staggering amount of moving parts in both the humanoids and the mechanical menaces found in the game. On top of the silky smooth animation, the game also comes with a realistic physics engine and this leads to some funny, unexpected things to happen like enemies dying from falling debris, but it can also become problematic, like you becoming trapped under heavy boxes and enemy corpses. Intrusion 2 is surely one of the best looking 2D games I've seen. The game's soundtrack on the other hand is not that memorable.

 

That thing goes to the gym like twice a day.

 

As for the gameplay itself, I do like that the game doesn't have the need to stop for any kind of story explanation in its entirety. It's obvious that you are sent to infiltrate some kind of enemy group and you get from one stage to the next without interruption until you reach the thrilling climax. Though Intrusion 2 supports the gamepad, it's easier to play with the keyboard and mouse because the aiming is done independently from the character movement. The controls are a little loose however and your character feels a bit floaty. Couple that with the game's insistent physics and things can get a bit awkward at times. It shouldn't take long to get used to the feel of the game however so it's not too big of a deal. Your character has access to quite a number of weapons that can be switched around at any time. The trick here is that outside of your default gun, the supply of ammo is limited to what you can salvage from supply boxes and dead enemies so it is best to save the powerful weapons for larger fights.

 

Evil mechanical worms love to play in the snow.

 

I will say that the game loses its momentum during the last several stages save for the "super mega oh my galaxy am I really fighting that monstrosity" of a final boss. The game started with a lot of unique and exciting scenarios but as you get closer and closer to the end, you are forced to fight the same large enemies from past stages. In a game like this, it's best to keep encounters with certain type of enemies unique to a particular location. Having more bosses would have helped this game as well though the ones that do show up here are quite a sight to behold, especially that incredible last boss.

 

Yes, you can ride mech suits but... beware of fighting the grapple mech!

 

Just like other shmup, this one doesn't take that long to complete. The game itself is not all that challenging but it's all about pattern recognition.  You do get access to an online leaderboard that encourages repeat play as you strive for perfection. Despite some of the game's problems, Intrusion 2 is certainly worth playing if you crave for this kind of a shooter. Heck, it's worth playing for that final boss alone. Perhaps the game would have benefited from consecutive boss fights without the need for normal stages, since the boss encounters that are here are quite lengthy, unless of course the normal stages are filled with unique events. One thing is for sure, if this game is any indication, we have a lot to look forward to from the game's developer. Intrusion 2 can be purchased directly from the developer by clicking here and purchasing it this way will grant you both the DRM-free version and the Steam version of the game. You do get two dollars off the game if you pick it up straight from Steam between now and 09/18/2012.

 

RATING: 3 out of 5

Steam key provided by developer.