Sequel Habroxia 2 from Lillymo Games and eastasiasoft is a fast-paced space shoot ’em up on PS4. Check our Habroxia 2 review!

In the aftermath of a brutal attack on Free Space, humanity sends scout ships to the star system that was at the source of the assault. But when one of the pilots doesn’t return home, it’s up to his daughter — the talented starpilot Sabrina — to find him. Habroxia 2 is a non-linear, old-school space shooter with upgrades, boss fights, and even New Game+, all wrapped in a retro package combining pixel graphics, chiptunes, and stellar gameplay.

 

In Habroxia 2 from Lillymo Games, marauders have attacked Earth, and humanity managed to unify against this threat. A dad and her daughter are part of the human resistance, but when her father goes missing, Sabrina ends up piloting one of the ships as she goes out on a mission to try and save her father while destroying as many enemies as possible in her path.

Gameplay-wise, you’ll be using a twin-stick setup for this one in which you move the ship with the left analog stick and aim with the right one. There’s a line that is supposedly there to help you aim, but in practice, it didn’t feel too useful at first since your bullets will travel around the screen at a slower than expected pace. You’ll have stronger special attacks to use with the L1 and R1 buttons so that you can fire them behind your ship or in front of it.

Each level is packed with enemies, and even though Habroxia 2 doesn’t fall in the bullet hell territory, it does end up feeling like a handful at times when your ship hasn’t been upgraded a bit. If you have previous experience with shoot ’em ups, you shouldn’t have much trouble with this one, but those new to the genre could have a bit of an issue at first until they get a bit of time with this one. There are no checkpoints, so losing your ship in a level means it’s back to the beginning of that stage.

 

I like how as you play, the levels change their point of view from a sidescrolling shoot ’em up to a vertical one, which also changes how you have things. It helps to keep things fresh, and this is also highlighted by the branching paths you can find, which will lead you to fight against new bosses, unlocking new paths that lead to new levels to explore. It reminded me a bit of the Star Fox space map as you move from area to area. After each level is over, you’ll get to a store that allows you to upgrade your ship using the credits found as you destroy enemy ships in the levels.

As for the presentation, this game is beautifully rendered, with levels that are very detailed, thanks to this game’s 16-bits pixel look and feel. It also runs at 60 frames per second without any hint of slowdown, which is needed for a shoot ’em up. The soundtrack is also great at complementing the action on the screen, getting you ready to give it your all.

As for the trophies, there are a ton for you to add to your collection! Trophies are split into 26 Bronze, 10 Silver, 4 Gold, and then a Platinum. Being an eastasiasoft release, you can expect to achieve this Platinum in a few hours. The game is also very generous in the first levels, and you can expect to unlock many trophies as you play this one, with trophies popping as you beat each of the game’s 20 bosses.

 

Habroxia 2 is a fun space shoot ’em up that switches between a sidescrolling and a vertical setup, as well as branching paths that will allow you to explore new levels and fight new bosses. I like the game’s presentation and soundtrack, but do be aware that it could be a bit hard for newcomers to the genre. Habroxia 2 is out on February 3 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita, with a $9.99 asking price.

Disclaimer
This Habroxia 2 review is based on a PlayStation 4 copy provided by eastasiasoft.