Release date: December 12th, 2019

Developer: Final Form

Platforms: Switch (Reviewed), XBL, PSN, Steam

Price: $17.99, $9.99 on Steam

The Switch has a fair selection of quality shmups and Jamestown+ is a welcome addition to the lineup. The game features the craftsmanship of a classic shmup from the 16 bit or 32 bit era with a steampunk twist. Join The Gamers Lounge and find out why Jamestown+ is one of those games people will just keep playing

The game has a lot to offer and one of it’s best features are the core mechanics. Jamestown+ has a gentle difficulty curve to keep players of all skill levels interested. The game’s story is an interesting twist through colonial times. Players must protect the Roanoke and Jamestown colonies while joining John Smith battling the Spanish. But the twist is, players will also be fighting Martians. I am not certain when they showed up in history but who cares.

Although the game came out to other platforms in 2015, this version adds some new missions to give this version lasting appeal. One of the other neat pieces to this game is vaulting, players receive small amounts of gold for destroying enemies. Players can use this gold to vault, giving their ship a small shield and watching the score multiply with the right parameters.

Jamestown+ features tight controls. People can pick from 12 ships, most of these will have to purchased in the shop. Final Form has outdone themselves with the artwork and music. The sounds and music blend together and should keep players attached to the game. All ships have a secondary mode of fire. Some of this includes a giant laser, missiles, bombs, or another ship. There are options for everyone and every play style.

The boss battles are well designed. Campaign levels take about 5-10 mins on average. Players can challenge themselves with Gauntlet mode which has them completing levels with a limited amount of lives. There is also Farce and this mode flips the campaign. If I had one gripe with the game it is that in order to progress players have to come back to certain levels and beat them on higher difficulties. This is where the challenges ramp up and I had to save vaulting for special occasions.

What can I say? This game is fantastic and up to 4 people can play locally. The game lets gamers play with a single joycon. The gameplay is fun and satisfying and there is enough to keep people interested. Big thanks to the publisher for letting us review the game.

Final Score

Pros:

Great shump

Lots of unlockables

Art and soundtrack is fantastic

4 player local co-op

Cons

Higher difficulties can be challenging

Needs more ships

Jamestown+ Review