Forget the world ending with AI taking over; the invaders in the vector shooter Utopia Must Fall will see the end of super intelligence before it has a chance to create itself. That’s the least of your worries, however, as you’ll be the first – rather, last – line of defence; protecting the world’s super cities from the impending attacks from above and also ground attacks to keep you on your toes.
One of the very many reasons why Space Invaders is the ultimate shmup is the simplicity. Point and shoot. That’s it. Utopia Must Fall has a similar aesthetic to both this and Asteroids, as you’ll be auto-blastin’ at the slow-motion rocks that fall from space, only to be split up by your incessant rapid fire and dodgy aim. The intro to the game is excellent: arcade-like, no faffing about with irrelevant narratives such as crackshot pilots or a nasty entity that hates humans due to the awful soap operas produced. Instead, it’s a simple case of clicking start and away you go.
I played exclusively with a mouse, using the on-screen cursor to create a plasma pee stream that engulfs the waves of shapes that have the audacity to infiltrate my airspace. At ground level is my city with a population counter for London, Tokyo, or [insert your city name here if it’s someplace big], with a faint barrier around protecting it from incoming projectiles. Yes, you thought correctly: when this diminishes, it’s game over. In short, you have to survive wave after wave of increasing numbers and advanced tech/arsenals that will obliterate your lil’ gun if you don’t muster the support.
How Utopia Must Fall initially differs from the classics is a seemingly complex skill tree. We all know that destroying complete waves grants bonuses for achieving high scores, though in this game, it helps with the development of your city. Each wave/round grants an upgrade of sorts, but the better your accuracy, the better the upgrades. This can include anything from the immediate perk of upgrading your fire rate, damage, and type of weapon, to the more stable turrets that can pick off enemies with basic commands. These turrets and other facilities can be placed to the left or right of your city with configurable parameters based on your preferred strategy.
For example, turrets and drones can attack one of three areas, such as ground level, general airspace, and the stratosphere. Additionally, they can apply an offensive or defensive approach, with drones being able to scout and take out future threats. I write future like you have a lot of time to play with – this game is relatively fast-moving, so we’re thinking in terms of seconds. Successful completion of a wave, or day, allows you to refocus your approach and experiment further. Yes, the skill tree appears complex and somewhat random on the first few playthroughs, but repeat plays start to make sense.
Vector graphics are simple enough – especially at the 2D level, yet there’s something overstimulating in screen real estate, and I personally had difficulty looking at the fonts and menu options. That doesn’t mean it’s bad in the slightest, as Utopia Must Fall is excellent, and like another pick-up-and-play title just reviewed, Slots & Daggers, it’s incredibly addictive with the style of play and vast amount of upgrades that change up the experience. Currently in Early Access, PixelJam’s Utopia Must Fall is a must for any shmup fan, and easily makes it into the recommendation pile of games.
Want to know another shmup worth adding to your list? Beat Invaders.
