Planes Bullets and Vodka

   This is a game where you control a small plane, and your objective is to advance by destroying enemies while preventing them from passing, all while trying to survive as long as possible and multiply your score. The music complements the gameplay well, and the graphics, though simple, serve their purpose perfectly, ensuring you can always see your character, enemies, and walls. Yes, there are walls, and you'll need to navigate between them without crashing. If you do, your plane will lose a lot of health, crash, and you'll get a game over. 

   You'll also lose if your shield and health reach zero. Some enemy planes drop armor, health, damage upgrades, fire rate improvements, and shooting range boosts, making you an (almost) unstoppable force at your maximum level. Still, don't get too cocky, or you'll lose so quickly you won’t even surpass your previous score. Staying alert and keeping an eye on enemies, their shots, and the walls is crucial for surviving longer and multiplying your score.

   As a fun detail, picking up the vodka bottles dropped by some enemies causes the screen to shake, mimicking the distorted vision of intoxication. In just 40 minutes, I managed to unlock all the achievements, but the game offers an interesting addition with its global leaderboard. This feature can motivate competitive players to test themselves, improve their scores, and climb the ranks by surpassing both their own records and those of others. 

   The difficulty steadily increases, and your goal is to achieve the highest score possible by surviving as long as you can without dying. For every 10 enemies defeated, your multiplier increases, but it resets to zero if an enemy slips past you without being destroyed. Since the game is endless and has no true "ending" (except for your inevitable game over), the time you invest will depend entirely on your desire to beat your own record and climb the global leaderboard.

   If you enjoy shoot 'em up games like I do, especially those with a war-themed setting, this game might catch your interest. While it’s true that many titles in the genre stand out with more complex mechanics and detailed graphics, the apparent simplicity of this game carries a certain charm. I wouldn't call it the best shoot 'em up I've ever played, but it’s definitely entertaining and highly challenging.

Steam Deck performance.

Tested on Steam Deck.

   The game runs flawlessly, maintaining a stable 60 FPS throughout the experience, with no noticeable drops or technical issues. Load times are swift, and controls feel responsive, making it a great choice for handheld play.

Completion Status: Achieved 100% completion, unlocked all trophies.

   The game runs flawlessly on the Steam Deck, delivering a smooth experience with a stable 60 FPS, which makes the gameplay feel incredibly fluid. The controls are responsive without needing any adjustments to the default layout, and I haven't encountered any bugs.

   As an interesting detail, when launching the game, you're given the option to start either Planes, Bullets and Vodka or Burning Skies Neon. When I tried accessing Burning Skies Neon, I was met with the opening credits and a background that I assume belongs to the main menu, but I couldn’t see any selectable options. It seems to be a small extra game included in titles from this developer, but since I wasn't able to start it, I can’t give a proper verdict on it. However, for those who can get it to work, it looks like a nice bonus mini-game. Getting more than you expected is always a welcome surprise, and I appreciate the inclusion of this extra content.

Recommended?

   I recommend Planes, Bullets and Vodka to players who enjoy shoot 'em ups, challenging games, and testing themselves on the global leaderboard, which stands as the most rewarding challenge the game has to offer. That said, even if the leaderboard doesn’t interest you, it’s still an entertaining game to pass the time. Plus, it often goes on sale, making it an interesting little title at a great price.