While we are often granted free access to games for review, I’ve been doing my best to spot notable indie games that might have drifted even below our radar. Rogue Flight from developer Truant Pixel stood out to me the moment I saw its Space Harrier-esque gameplay. After back-to-back 60-hour JRPGs, jumping into a relaxing and low-challenge shmup is always nice. Oh, who am I kidding? Rogue Flight is as challenging as they come, but this experience is unlike any I have seen the genre attempt in quite some time. Its level of detail and replayability grab hold of you from the first chapter, and my only desire after 10 hours is to play more.

A Space Shooter with Heart: Rogue Flight’s Narrative and Characters

Rogue Flight is a shmup with a narrative. That’s right; there’s more than a simple text crawl introduction to this adventure. Humanity is on its last legs after being forced underground following an invasion. However, using the last remaining resources, humanity crafts a powerful spacecraft known as the Arrow, which they hope can be the ticket they need to survive. It also turns out that Nadia is the only pilot who can take this ship into the depths of enemy territory and save everyone.

Players will understand the severity of what’s at stake between each mission, but the text seems to take its time setting up the emotional weight of the situation. This is compounded by a Star Fox-like choice system where players can choose various paths throughout a mission; this can even lead to Nadia being unable to return home intentionally. I was surprised by this feature as it really puts a significant amount of weight on the adventure and encourages you to keep playing, even after a Game Over. Further, the entire experience leads into a Caravan Mode that resembles more of an Arcade Mode, but I might be getting ahead of myself.

Gameplay Mechanics and Replayability in Rogue Flight

The shmup genre has always come with its challenges. If you exhaust all your lives, you either start from the beginning of the stage or the entire game, losing everything as a result. However, there are usually only about eight stages, with the idea being you master surviving by replaying the game over and over, inching further each time. Rogue Flight borrows this setup but throws in a roguelike element that allows players to retain their points and upgrades when they return to the game with a proper arsenal to save the world.

However, the equipment was a bit difficult to understand at first. For example, you unlock a wave gun, but there’s no real indicator of damage output, making it difficult to tell which guns are performing better in a particular situation. I was also trying to understand if certain weapons were designed for specific enemies, but I feel like this information should be detailed in the weapon description. Regardless, there are a lot of upgrades in this game that make the customization aspect fun between runs and chapters, as there is always time to fine-tune if you’re having trouble progressing.

Customization and Weapon Challenges: A Deeper Look

Rogue Flight is a very challenging game, but it is similar to Space Harrier, where you want to keep moving. The barrel roll here will be your best friend for zooming back and forth across the screen. Depending on your path, you could even make the game more challenging by taking a route of low visibility where the enemy bullets blend in with the background, but this is all explained within the context of the mission. Speaking of enemies, there’s a nice handful of designs and patterns to look out for across the entire game, but I did feel like the boss designs could have been pushed to further extremes.

Still, the final few bosses are incredible, but those large battleship designs get a little dull. Also, the most challenging thing about the bosses isn’t their attack patterns or hitboxes; it’s the fire from the exhaust afterburn. Since the game has you sitting behind the Arrow, it is pretty much in control of the screen position, but you can move anywhere on the screen. For some reason, this doesn’t always work during boss fights because the screen will just pull you right into the fight without notice and make it even more difficult for you to shoot the small target that often is sitting right next to the exhaust.

Boss Fights and Environmental Hazards: A True Shmup Challenge

If I were to give feedback on this design, I’d say it would be nice to incorporate the unique ability the Arrow has where players can whiplash enemies on screen. This maneuver is extremely cool and needed to clear out large groups of enemies with a nicely timed and aimed attack. So, say you used it on the exhaust pipes; this could cut the fire for a short period of time to give you a moment to breathe. There’s just too much action going on in a stage to ask the player to slow down and weave back and forth to hit a target and avoid the constant flames.

Players also have access to a limited number of missiles that can be replenished during a chapter. You can lock on to several enemies and take aim. I would say that if you have them, use them. There’s no real reason to save the missiles, as you would in other shmups, because they aren’t so restricted. The result of all of this is an insanely chaotic experience that heightens all of your senses and keeps you engrossed in whatever is unfolding on screen.

Visuals, Replayability, and the Overall Experience

Through the chapters, there are moments where my heart begins to race—chaining together combos, avoiding attacks, timing my whiplash and barrel roll, still firing on all cylinders while locking on with my missiles, and clearing the screen, only to do it again seconds later. Rogue Flight is an absolute rush once you master the design and patterns of the enemies. One thing that needs to be improved is how enemies like to get close to you and sit in the corners of the screen, making it challenging to shoot them. Sometimes, I assumed they just flew past me, but then I’d see them just sitting in the corner.

Following the credits are even more unlockable modes and difficulties, giving players additional reasons to jump back in. As mentioned earlier, the Caravan Mode is more relatable to a classic Arcade Mode, but I’d say the challenge is higher here, given the relentless enemy attacks. Still, the difficulty is manageable thanks to the smooth performance and additional customization available to the player. You’ll be in a constant state of rush during every moment, and while a Game Over means you’ll have to start from the beginning, you won’t have to twist my arm to play more of this exceptionally cool game.

Other nice touches are the anime-inspired visuals that resemble ‘90s anime, which perfectly match the narrative’s tone. There are so many details to keep players engaged in the presentation and stage themes. The added options to customize the Arrow with decals and loadouts add to the overall quality of the game, which is further enhanced by the English dub.

Final Verdict: Who Will Love Rogue Flight?

Rogue Flight is a standout space shooter that brings intensity and immersion to every mission, backed by a grounded narrative that raises the stakes. While its customization and strategic elements add depth, some aspects, like the overly challenging boss positioning and the lack of clear weapon stats, can interrupt the flow, occasionally feeling more frustrating than rewarding. Despite these points, the variety and visual style, along with a wealth of replayable modes, make Rogue Flight a must for shmup fans who want a memorable, challenging experience.

Rogue Flight (PC) 8 Great Rogue Flight is a bold take on the shmup genre, blending classic high-intensity space shooter gameplay with a narrative that raises the stakes for every mission. Players will pilot the Arrow, a powerful yet occasionally hard-to-control ship, through challenging stages that feature branching paths, customizable upgrades, and relentless enemy swarms. Though some boss encounters can be frustrating due to tight positioning and unclear weapon stats, the game’s anime-inspired visuals and deep replayability make each victory all the more rewarding. The Good Engaging Narrative – A rare, story-driven experience in the shmup genre, adding emotional depth and stakes to missions. Unique Replayable Modes – Offers Caravan Mode and branching mission paths, enhancing replayability and variety. Detailed Customization – Wide range of upgrades and loadouts, allowing players to fine-tune their playstyle. Nostalgic Visuals – Stunning anime-inspired graphics that bring a retro, yet polished aesthetic to the game. High-intensity Gameplay – Combines challenging gameplay with strategic elements, keeping players on their toes. The Bad Overly Challenging Boss Positioning – Boss fights can be frustrating due to screen positioning and environmental hazards. Cluttered Enemy Placement – Enemies often hide in screen corners, making it difficult for players to hit targets. Unclear Weapon Stats – Lack of weapon damage indicators can make choosing optimal loadouts challenging.