GROOD is a horizontally scrolling Shmup set in a world overrun by hostile machines. For an unknown objective, we build a vessel to fight through the endless swarms of steel. That’s about the gist of the context given before the high-intensity guitar riffs kick in and our foes try to shoot us out of the sky. Be ready to move from the second we are handed control. As cute as your orb-shaped murder machine looks, this is a challenging game with little in the way of mercy. We have no difficulty settings to choose from and are only given a checkpoint after we reach the fourth level. It is a journey only 8.4% of the players will see to the end, according to Steam’s Achievements.
Upon booting up the title, the first thing you’ll see is the highly stylized main menu. It is a mess of post-processing effects cranked to 11. You have Bloom so intense it will sear your retinas. Chromatic Aberration so severe it felt like they were trying to simulate the moments before someone passes out. And absurd levels of Depth of Field, if applied in real life, you’d unlikely find the exit to your own house. It does lend GROOD its own style. I’d recognize it at a glance, and it isn’t too offensive in the first few stages. It’s not until later levels that it gets to the point where you can’t even see an immense enemy, which makes up 50% of the screen.
I’ll refrain from front-loading this review with all the mistakes made by the visuals and discuss the positives. There is a lot to praise here. It is a solidly constructed shooter with various dangers besides your typical enemy projectiles. You have floating saw-blade foes that will spell your end if they get close, giant ships that constrain moment with laser beams, and waves of drones you need to shoot a small path through. The enemy variety could be better, but it makes good use of mixing their placement and creating scenarios to keep it fresh. Our primary weapon is the Gatling Gun. This beauty makes up a sizable portion of our entire ship and melts those caught on the other end of it. The weight behind it and the ensuing explosions are satisfying. When it starts to feel underpowered, the game will throw another upgrade your way.
Our Gatling Gun is our first weapon and the only one with upgrades. That was an odd decision, considering our next upgrade is a Shotgun, which is underpowered right out the gate. It shoots as fast as you can press the fire button, yet felt poorly suited to any situation. Our next addition is a Laser beam with quite a punch to it. In exchange for its raw power, it slows us down while firing. This was a significantly more useful tool to have. Last but not least is a heat-seeking Rocket Launcher. It deals decent damage, truly becoming a harbinger of death if you mash the fire button. Get ready for a thumb brace if you plan to use this all throughout. As powerful as it is, you’ll quickly realize its habit of locking on to indestructible foes as the smaller ones zoom toward you. That alone keeps the other weapons in play.
The low-poly art style is lovely. It lends GROOD a cartoon-like and whimsical aesthetic. It contrasts nicely with the heavy metal music fueling the adrenaline throughout. On top of this, there is a day and night cycle to vary the visuals. This small detail helps to avoid the sense of repetition if you become stuck in a particular stage. A skilled player could likely beat this in under an hour. In total, I did so in three. I’ve always considered myself decent at this genre, but after GROOD, I’m not so sure. The last two bosses are brutal, and every defeat means one needs to go through the already demanding stage leading up to it. It is with no irony that I say this was a title I’m proud to have beaten.
Regarding the damage we can take, our little Orb vessel is surprisingly durable. We can tank a good number of hits. The game also tracks when we’re doing poorly and increases the chance of a repair kit appearing. If you’re doing well, we will never receive anything. I’m uncertain how the scoring system works, given I can barely tell what’s happening most of the time, but I sure hope it increases our points for playing decently. What I do know is that death will not reduce your overall score. It is forgiving in that sense, and I somehow became the 3rd worldwide GROOD champion on the online leaderboard. That is likely due to the lack of competition. My newly acquired GROOD status is sure to be an interesting talking point on my resume.
Jokes aside, the abhorrent visual effects are unlikely to be an accident. I may be tin-hatting right now, yet it felt like a way to increase the difficulty. The more damage you take introduces further screen distortion and removes color. It is a form of punishment that can also conveniently represent being behind the hud of your vessel. That could also explain away the random visual glitches, which make it feel like you’ve taken damage out of nowhere. The simulated cockpit view may have been a neat gimmick if it had been more balanced or could be turned off. In its current form, all these effects are just too much. I can play games like Beat Hazard without batting an eye, but GROOD? I legitimately think my eyesight worsened after having played it.
After defeating enough enemies, we will recharge our Slow-mo ability. It does as it says and will help you out of sticky situations. Despite the tag on Steam, this isn’t a Bullet Hell, though I can see how it got that label. You need a similar skillset with the tight navigation required in later levels. One wrong move, and you’ll be sawn in half. It is the type of experience where it’s better to stay as far back from the action as possible until necessary. Your small size makes crashes potentially fatal. Not to mention, other foes fare far better in melee range. Chief among these is how bizarrely the Heart enemy appears on the screen. They nearly teleport to their intended locations and can wreak havoc. It is meant to be a projectile-based foe, yet the insane speed at which they snap into place makes them more dangerous than those actually made to charge at the player.
GROOD was ultimately a fun experience. The developers have a keen understanding of what makes Shmups good but decided it’d be a decent idea to turn the visuals into another obstacle to overcome. It is not a bad idea on paper and could have been better executed. In its current state, it feels cheap and puts intense strain on the eyes. The low-poly graphics were pleasing to look at as is. To better visualize this, imagine a flashlight pointing at your face while trying to drive at night. That’s more difficult, true, but why do that? GROOD is a serviceable game. It has simply found itself in a strange situation where it’s hard to recommend. For five US Dollars, this would normally be a solid deal. I’m going to put a link to the demo below. The visual nightmare doesn’t begin until later stages, yet it will offer a glimpse of the enjoyable gameplay its ad odds with.
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