Roche Fusion is the type of game that makes me grateful I don’t have to insert a quarter into my computer every time I need an extra life. Taking elements from classic arcade games, such as Galaga and Space Invaders, Roche Fusion delivers an experience that’s easily approachable, yet with tremendous depth. The game’s controls are easy to pick up, forgoing any learning curve. It’s as simple as moving, shooting and activating any weapons you acquire during a playthrough. There’s even an auto-fire option for those so inclined.
But Roche Fusion doesn’t care about tripping you up with fancy control schemes because the game’s randomly generated enemies have an easy enough time with that. Roche fusion throws a kaleidoscope of colors at players in the form of enemies and their never-ending sea of projectiles. It’s a solid balance of overwhelming the screen with obstacles without causing sensory overload, a feat that’s difficult to accomplish in the arcade genre.
Upon completing a wave, players can choose one of three randomly selected upgrades, a system that makes Roche Fusion addictive and adds immense replay value, greatly altering each run. Upgrades are either passive or active, and the choice you make after each round can mean the difference between mowing down waves of enemies and scrambling for your life.
As enemies fall, they occasionally drop a quickly disappearing green orb, which randomly powers up one of your existing abilities. For instance, one passive adds any army of sentient robots that attack any enemies daring to come near you. Picking up a green orb may add another tiny robot to your growing swarm, gradually creating a deadly hive around you.
The game also boasts six different ships, each with its own style, specific power-ups and unlock requirements. Certain ships prove better for various play styles, changing basic weapons, shields and attack patterns.
Roche Fusion’s sound keeps the game pumping too, with lasers and vintage arcade noises gamers would expect. Sound doesn’t really play a huge role in the game, though; in these types of games, if you can’t see what’s shooting at you, then you’re probably already dead.
When it’s all put together, Roche Fusion doesn’t do any one thing that makes it great – it does every little thing to near perfection. The developers at amulware designed a game that knows exactly what it’s about: blowing stuff up, and blowing it up often.
Roche Fusion is just plain fun, and there’s always a feeling that you just want to have one more go before shutting the game off. It’s a game that can trap any gamer, being easy to pick up and almost impossible to put down. It’s simple, elegant design merged with addictive depth is perfect for casual and hardcore gamers, bringing the best arcade experiences straight onto the PC.
Roche Fusion doesn’t re-invent the wheel, but it definitely does a heck of a job polishing it. As such, Roche Fusion earns an impressive 4.5 GiN Gems out of 5.