Racer disguised as a puzzler disguised as a shmup!

[recurv]

Hi all,

Since Velocity's original release last year many people have asked how/why we chose to add so many new mechanics to the shmup genre, and the truth is that I struggle to enjoy shmups.

Don't get me wrong, I loved R-Type back in the day, but as time went on, the genre just got prettier and prettier, and more intense, without much in the way of game play evolution - which isn't really my cup of tea.

I like games that are interesting mechanically - Portal is the game I respect the most because the mechanics just keep on giving right until the end.

So that's what Velocity Ultra is, a respectful homage to the shooters of the 80's but with modern day game play ideas that challenge your wits as well as your reflexes.

In fact, the game doesn't actually challenge your reflexes at all, it challenges your memory - like any good racing game, the tracks are designed to challenge your mastery of the controls - to pull you around a bend using the physics in such a way that you kiss the curb as you drift around.

That's what we've tried to do with Velocity Ultra - we choreograph your movement through each level, so by the time you're half way through, you've mastered the controls, and then we make you feel like a hero nipping about all over the place, flinging bombs everywhere and pumping the scroll boost to get through as fast as possible. It's why the game is called Velocity.

We're really proud of it, and we hope you enjoy it!

Thanks,
James @FuturLab

www.futurlab.co.uk
www.velocitygame.co.uk