[Review] Risk System - Nintendo Switch

Developed By: Newt Industries
Published By: Hidden Trap
Categories: Shoot 'Em Up
Release Date: 07.15.21

Risk System is a bit of an odd example of a shoot em up. Most of these games have you shooting everything and trying as hard as you can to not get close to enemy fire. With Risk System, that’s not the case. You’re rather encouraged to get as close to danger as possible. It’s closer to call this game a Counter Em Up.

You don’t shoot with a button in Risk System. Shooting only occurs when near an enemy. Getting near one of the shots they fire makes a stronger and faster rate of fire. Get real nice and close, dangerously close. That counter attack will be worth it. You’ll notice the more you do this, the more a gauge at the bottom fills up. Once it completely fills up, you’ll have access to the devastating Barrier Breaker, an awesome screenclearing move. Though this move also has the incentive of making you temporarily invincible.

Three hits and you’re done for, but doing any of your risky moves and killing an enemy can bring you healing drops. You won’t just pilot up and down, a key maneuver is to barrel roll up and down the screen. This is for those quick dodges that look cool to pull off. I might be incorrect, but I don’t believe these are get out of jail free cards with invincibility frames, so don’t just roll around recklessly.

Depending on how slick you are with keeping combos, not getting hit, and not dying, you’ll be graded at the end of a stage after defeating a boss. This can and will affect how the story turns out, so unless you’re just wanting to rush through the game, you’ll probably want to perfect each level. I would say the levels themselves are challenging enough, but the bosses are another story entirely. Until you, I, or any player truly get those patterns down, they’re gonna die. A lot. This is soul crushing when you’re almost at the end, only to perish with your points going with you. The developers knew this would happen though, as once you finish a boss fight in triumph, you’re given the option to redo the stage for a higher grade or just continue on.

The presentation as a whole for Risk System is impeccable. Great character art, fantastic sprites, fully voiced dialog. It’s quite the package and I was surprised to see such care put into it. You can tell that Risk System was a labor of love.

Risk System reminds me in all of the best ways of those cult classic PSone games that almost always never hit the US. It invokes a nostalgic feeling, but then still feels free and inventive enough to not get lost. If I had one flaw, it’s that I just wish it wasn’t over so soon. The game is the perfect length and has great replayablility, but I just want more. I’m glad I had the opportunity to play this game.