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ANGELS (SPC)
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Publisher: Zosya Entertainment.
Developer: Zosya Entertainment. Released: December 2021. Genre: Beat 'em up. Posted 24th March 2022. By Tom Clare © 2022 |
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ZX Spectrum aftermarket champions Zosya have, in a few short years, completely rewritten the rulebook as to what we can expect from Sinclair’s venerated ZX Spectrum computer. Off the back of the technically astonishing Drift and the world-beating Travel Through Time, the Russian maestros had a surprise in store for fans on the final day of 2021, releasing beat ‘em up/shooter hybrid Angels. By the stupefying standards of their previous work, it’s perhaps a slightly more conventional release, but this doesn’t in any way detract from an experience that is once again crammed with quality.
Yes, Angels’ cover art looks like it was lifted from an early-noughties teen drama, but don’t let that fool you. As its developer continues to redefine what we can expect from a Spectrum game, it’s easy to take for granted the super-impressive animated opening. We are introduced to Kira (blonde with white shirt) and Rika (red-head with green top), seemingly prisoners aboard a space vessel, as they’re sent to Earth and tasked with duffing up criminals, to reduce their sentences. Between missions, the angels are given little nuggets of advice, but otherwise, it’s all about the action.
Angels' levels are bursting with colour and details, whilst its smooth animations are also hugely impressive
It’s a single-plane, scrolling beat ‘em up, interspersed with vertical-scrolling shoot ‘em up sequences that serve as a palette cleanser in between the more lengthy, involved brawling levels. The player can swap between Kira and Rika in double-quick time, via a tap of the space bar. Here, there’s an element of strategy. Each angel has her own health bar, so it’s wise to rotate when health runs low. They exhibit unique jump mechanisms: Rika can jump directionally, whilst Kira has a slightly trickier, defence-orientated backflip, which is handy for escaping pincer attacks, but a bit less intuitive.
Kempston interface controls work a treat and the game is built to run effectively when played with joystick inputs. Response times are very slick and there’s a decent array of moves at the angels’ disposal. It’s soon clear that jumping, crouching and generally keeping mobile is key to keeping enemies on the back foot. The ‘fire’ button delivers punches whilst standing, kicks whilst jumping or crouching and even a roundhouse kick should an opponent try to get behind you. Furthermore, holding ‘fire’ charges a Street Fighter-esque fireball attack, the duration of which dictates both its power and the degree to which the special bar is drained. It’s therefore at the player’s discretion to work out how much power should be expended on a given foe.
Kempston interface controls work a treat and the game is built to run effectively when played with joystick inputs. Response times are very slick and there’s a decent array of moves at the angels’ disposal. It’s soon clear that jumping, crouching and generally keeping mobile is key to keeping enemies on the back foot. The ‘fire’ button delivers punches whilst standing, kicks whilst jumping or crouching and even a roundhouse kick should an opponent try to get behind you. Furthermore, holding ‘fire’ charges a Street Fighter-esque fireball attack, the duration of which dictates both its power and the degree to which the special bar is drained. It’s therefore at the player’s discretion to work out how much power should be expended on a given foe.
FOCAL POINT: MAKING THE MOMENT(S) COUNT
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Angels isn’t short of cool touches. The intro that precedes the opening Bronx level sees a clever reimagining of an old roaming beat ‘em up trope: we see a thug attempting to steal a lady’s handbag, only for the two to pause in wonder as the angels’ pods break from the clouds, landing off in the distance. It’s a superb, eye-catching way to start the adventure and there are plenty more surprises lying in wait. Perhaps the most memorable is the need to fend off a bear in the woods. This hair-raising experience is a real curveball as a giant, imposing sprite lumbers towards you. You’ll also need to stay alert to skateboarders launching from off-screen and a smattering of goons who can throw barrels.
All of this can be enjoyed with a friend thanks to a highly playable two-player co-op experience. The trade-offs are impressively minimal, with just a trace of slow down in the busier moments and some slight confusion resulting from overlapping sprites. There’s friendly fire, so it’s wise to give the angels space on opposite sides of the screen to avoid pummelling your pal by accident.
Whilst a lot of Spectrum beat ‘em ups were hampered by slow and imprecise controls leading to unsatisfying, button-mashing affairs, Angels has more depth than you’d initially give it credit for. It’s fun and easy to grasp, but it rewards learning how best to tackle different kinds of enemies. Sometimes, it’s easiest to tackle thugs head-on, mixing high and low punches to avoid taking damage. Other times, you’ll want to try a more nimble approach: flying kicks are a good means of knocking weapons such as swords and whips from the hands of their wielders. It’s a bit of a shame the angels can’t utilise these themselves, though it’s possible that with just one action button, retrieving weapons might have added complications. There are a couple of pick-ups: a battery that fills the special bar and the all-important health drink. These crop up infrequently and disappear very quickly, so keep your eyes peeled!
Whilst a lot of Spectrum beat ‘em ups were hampered by slow and imprecise controls leading to unsatisfying, button-mashing affairs, Angels has more depth than you’d initially give it credit for. It’s fun and easy to grasp, but it rewards learning how best to tackle different kinds of enemies. Sometimes, it’s easiest to tackle thugs head-on, mixing high and low punches to avoid taking damage. Other times, you’ll want to try a more nimble approach: flying kicks are a good means of knocking weapons such as swords and whips from the hands of their wielders. It’s a bit of a shame the angels can’t utilise these themselves, though it’s possible that with just one action button, retrieving weapons might have added complications. There are a couple of pick-ups: a battery that fills the special bar and the all-important health drink. These crop up infrequently and disappear very quickly, so keep your eyes peeled!
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Little touches like the smooth text and logo transitions, the subtle but impressive array of sprite animations and the assured quality of the cut-scenes all count in Angels’ favour. Its visual design is splendid, with backdrops proving the high point. There are no palette-swap levels, each location is packed with active details and they all create very different atmospheres. The Bronx makes for an affecting opener: its dark, foreboding neighbourhoods echo Streets of Rage with its city skyline and cars passing by. Palermo couldn’t make for a bigger contrast: bright buildings, sunshine ‘n’ palm trees, it’s another stage that looks and feels like quintessential beat ‘em up territory. From here, Angels keeps you guessing. A level in Russia sees a disquieting trek through woodlands in the dark, ranking among the game’s most memorable sequences. Then there’s Japan, cherry blossoms and dojos at sunset. With ornate architecture set against an epic mountainous landscape, Kathmandu proves an apt setting for the angels’ final pilgrimage.
The shoot ‘em up sections are a little less dynamic, focusing instead on big sprites and rapid movement. These sections are super-smooth and control nicely, though enemy design is a little nondescript and having to face more or less the same boss encounter each time is a bit of a downer. There’s nothing here to give R-Type sleepless nights, but the sight of the angels tearing through the skies in their pods does contribute further to the game’s grandiosity.
The shoot ‘em up sections are a little less dynamic, focusing instead on big sprites and rapid movement. These sections are super-smooth and control nicely, though enemy design is a little nondescript and having to face more or less the same boss encounter each time is a bit of a downer. There’s nothing here to give R-Type sleepless nights, but the sight of the angels tearing through the skies in their pods does contribute further to the game’s grandiosity.
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There's no shortage of action: Angels alternates between beat 'em up stages and shooting sections
A compact soundtrack sees an effective mix of spacey synths and pulsating dance vibes. Would it have been nice to have more than one tune each for the brawler and shooting stages? Naturally, they do start to get a little repetitive. That said, each piece of music is carefully considered, giving the game audio that suits both setting and subject, whilst also chiming with its arcade style.
Angels is one ZX Spectrum fans will find themselves returning to. Eight lives ensure the game isn’t impenetrable, but beating it requires trial-and-error and a few return plays, with the brawling levels proving tougher to crack than the shooting sections. Its two-player co-op is a success and with fun combat, sumptuous presentation, distinctive locations and plenty of neat touches, Angels has almost everything you could want from a beat ‘em up of this kind. Zosya delivers again.
Angels is one ZX Spectrum fans will find themselves returning to. Eight lives ensure the game isn’t impenetrable, but beating it requires trial-and-error and a few return plays, with the brawling levels proving tougher to crack than the shooting sections. Its two-player co-op is a success and with fun combat, sumptuous presentation, distinctive locations and plenty of neat touches, Angels has almost everything you could want from a beat ‘em up of this kind. Zosya delivers again.
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VERDICT
"Thanks to its fun combat, sumptuous presentation and a host of neat touches, Angels has almost everything you could want from a beat 'em up of this kind. Zosya delivers again." OVERALL: 8/10 |