I was enjoying dodging bullets left, right and center, and trying to trick the enemies into shooting each other. It is a clever mechanic that you can't kill them directly, but you can do it indirectly.
At first, when I saw the "negative upgrade" screen, it was a bummer. But soon I realized, the more enemies, the more points I can ultimately get... as long as I don't die. So, although it seems like a negative upgrade, it is also positive at the same time. Again, that's clever.
Graphically it looks beautiful. The visuals are clear, and I like that you can faintly see shots through walls. That saved me a few times.
A few suggestions:
- There is a weird visual bug, where you sink further and further into the floor the longer you play the same level. See the screenshot at the end.
- In terms of balancing, I was asking myself: "Why should I proceed to the next level?" If all I want to do is maximize my highscore, the winning strategy is to stay around X5 and just play forever. I think the rewards/multiplier should scale faster, or you should get punished by staying on the same level for too long (e.g. it gets harder and harder).
- Perhaps "time survived" should be paused during the upgrade screen?
- An occasional positive upgrade would be cool... Increased speed, an extra life, etc.
All in all, a very polished game with some clever concepts. Well done.
