Published by EastAsiaSoft for $7, Exo-Calibre is a simple vertical shooter with a lighthearted tone. The 45-minute quest is pleasant, but the replay value is limited despite having local leaderboards and an unlockable boss rush mode.
An AI is causing problems so three anime girls fly their space crafts a shoot down alien invaders. This isn’t a bullet-heck but rather a slower paced shooter. Granted, there are moments the screen can be littered with laser blasts, but the deliberate pacing and 3-hit life bar means each shot counts. Each playable character also has a different shot type, but the overall story and stage design remains the same. A fourth character also becomes unlocked once the campaign is cleared for the first time.
The pixel art is well done; this is a good-looking game. However, the thick borders on each side of the screen means the actual gameplay only takes about 1/3 of the screen. For a game that looks this good, it is a shame there just isn’t more of it. The narrative is also a little ridiculous but humorous at the same time. The anime girl dialog during each stage can create a chuckle from time to time. Even the soundtrack fits the bill.
As wholesome as this shooter is, there are some issues that hold back the experience. First is the lack of a gimmick. In addition to the standard forward shooting, the player has access to a dash move (which makes it easier to dash into incoming fire), but that is it. There are no bombs, a lock-on targeting system, or super moves or anything like that. Between stages, the player can upgrade a few characteristics of the ship but even the most skilled players will be lucky to upgrade half of them by the time the credits roll. So the balancing is a little off.
While the backgrounds change with each stage, the enemies and their behaviors do not. Around the halfway point, I could predict where the same enemies were going to appear; a batch of three usually spawns from the, then another from the right, and repeat. The bosses are creative, but the common enemy fodder is not; some are just simple gray pill-shaped ships without personality. This is serviceable but it definitely does not help in the replay department.
My biggest complaint comes from death. Instead of continuing with a new life at the point of death, the player instead is brought back to the most recent check point. Playing in the campaign mode also grants the player an infinite number of lives, which is the right choice, but replaying tricky sections until all patterns are memorized feels a bit cheap. Without having infinite retries, this would actually be a tricky game. Also, the player is forced to sit through the boss dialog each time, which is annoying and unnecessary. However, the biggest frustration comes from the lack of a save feature. It takes about 45 minutes to clear all stages, which is a longer run time, so not being able to save and return doesn’t feel right for a 2025 release.
Exo-Calibre is by no means the best shooter ever made but it is still a casually fun one even with obvious short comings. Honestly, it is entertaining the first play through but there isn’t much reason to go back since all Achievements are practically unmissable and leaderboards are restricted to local scores.
Not As Good As: Z-Warp
Also Play: Feeble Light
Wait For It: IREM Collection Volume 3
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
X/Twitter: @ZackGaz
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RATING
OUR SCORE - 6
6
SCORE
A simple vertical shmup without a gimmick or much replay value, Exo-Calibre is a pleasant ride while it lasts.
Editor in Chief - been writing for mygamer,com for 20+ years. Gaming enthusiast. Hater of pants. Publisher of obscure gaming content on my YT channel.
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