Dimension Drive by 2Awesome Studio

It is not every day that we receive emails from engineers working for the European Space Agency, especially not about a multidimensional alien race attacking our universe! Fortunately the email was about the upcoming action title that the developers are working on in their free time and not about any imminent threat to our universe. Since they were kind enough to provide us with a playable build of the game we were able to get some hands on time with this unique shooter.

Starring Jackelyne Tywood (Jack to her friends) who is in control of a legendary ship called The Manticore, you are tasked with taking down the aliens making a nuisance of themselves. This involves a fast ship and copious amounts of firepower to blast the incoming aliens to smithereens. The preview build that we got to play showcases a vibrant vertical scrolling shooter with tons of enemies and some very nice backgrounds. However, unlike most arcade shooters the playing field is divided into two halves. You are only in control of a single ship, but with the touch of a button you can teleport between the two battlefields. This provides the game with quite a frantic pace as you have to divide your attention between the two screens and gauge when it is the right opportunity to teleport.

In addition to the lovely visuals and unique gameplay the developers are also promising a rich sci-fi adventure which unfolds through cel-shaded style dynamic motion comics. Players will be able to test their skills across four game modes and thanks to the unique scoring system there is an incentive for playing well instead of simply shooting down enemies.

From what we’ve seen the “Dual-Battlefield” isn’t simply a gimmick, but tightly integrated with the gameplay. It forces you to multi-task and you have to stay on the move in order to survive. Levels will be designed around the mechanics of shooting, puzzles and defense, so in addition to shooting enemies and fighting bosses you will also be required use your teleportation skills to solve puzzles. Defense levels on the other hand challenges you to defend key positions on both sides of the screen against waves of attackers.

Dimension Drive looks like an ambitious title, but judging by the short section we were able to play the developers are definitely on to something great. The game is currently on Kickstarter and still needs plenty of support from backers to see the light of day. Anyone who fondly remembers the era when vertical shooters ruled the arcades and have a hankering for a modern twist on the genre should definitely go have a look. If all goes well the game will be available DRM-free at the end of 2015, but you can also cast your vote on Steam Greenlight if you would like to see the game on this popular digital distribution platform. Although the build we played only offered a short taste of what can be expected, it was enough to leave us eagerly anticipating the full game.

Update: After the previous Kickstarter campaign was sabotaged by a user making a fraudulent pledge, the developers are back with another attempt.

*The Alpha Demo version of the game is now available from the Kickstarter page, so anyone can give it a try.