Thunderflash - PS5 Platinum Review

Thunderflash, as you will undoubtebly see, is inspired by retro games of the 16-bit era. There are 20 varied levels to complete on your quest to save the world. The game includes nearly everything you'd ever wish for; rocket launchers, motorbike combat, a robotic Loch Ness monster boss, a flamethrower and 2 player co-op if you desire.

Ultimately, the objective is just to get to the end of each side-scrolling level, whether that be left-to-right or bottom-to-top. Enemies will constantly spawn ahead of you and it's your job to take them out (or ignore them) while avoiding mines scattered around the ground and blockades which need to be destroyed so you can progress.

You start the game with 10 "Credits", which are essentially extra lives after all of your health has been depleted, however if you lose all 10 credits, the developer will kindly reward you with an extra 5 for next time. Lose them all again and you'll get another 5, giving you a maximum of 20 extra lives. The game also features a stage select which allows you to start fresh from any of the completed levels meaning you can use all 20 of those lives to get past each level if you need to. Additionally there's a survival mode where you can fight endless spawning enemies and see how long you can last.

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Overview

• Release Date: 26th February, 2021
• Publisher: Ratalaika Games SL
• Date Started: 8th March, 2021
• Date Completed: 8th March, 2021
• Version Played: Digital
• Price: £3.99 (PS4 & PS5 Version Bundle)

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The Good

• It's soooooo easy!
• Playing on Normal difficulty allows you to take about 10 hits per death. Each time you get hit you become invincible for a few seconds. With 10 Credits it essentially means you'll probably be invincible for over 3 minutes without getting a Game Over and each level takes about 2 minutes. 
• The music is quite catchy.
• There are a decent variety of weapons to pickup.
• Considering it's designed as an old-school 16-bit game, the level design is quite well done.
• The ability to select any stage you've completed means you can focus on completing one level at a time safe in the knowledge you can start fresh on the next one if you need to.
• Two versions (PS4 & PS5) for one price, meaning double the Platinum's!

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The Bad

• The game takes no skill at all. You could literally play it blindfolded as long as someone told you which direction to walk and shoot in.
• Although it feels like a twin-stick shooter, you only actually shoot in the direction you're walking, which means you have to walk straight towards enemies to shoot them, resulting in taking damage.
• PS5 version crashed when I tried to go back to the options menu after a game over.

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Hardest Trophy

• 100 - Destroy 100 enemies in "Survival" mode.

The only part of the game with any sense of challenge is getting 100 kills in survival mode. It's not actually too difficult but it can depend a little bit on your luck with which powerups spawn. If you get a few health packs you'll be fine.

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Helpful Tips / Bugs / Glitches / Exploits

The first time you get Game Over (lose all of your credits) you'll unlock the ability to start with 15 from the main menu options. The second time you lose them all you'll unlock the ability to start with 20. This essentially gives you about 5 minutes worth of invincibility when you get hit meaning you can just walk through each level without a care in the world. Each time you use a credit you'll refill all of your rockets too which makes the boss battles a bit quicker.

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Platinum Difficulty Rating - 1/10

While it takes a little bit of effort (mainly holding the controller), this is one of the easiest games I've Platinum'd for ages. I did it on both PS4 and PS5 in just over an hour in total.

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Platinum Time - 30 Minutes

Once you know how the game works, it's just a case of walking through every level and shooting the boss, using credits to continue whenever necessary. It's easily possible in under an hour and you could probably do it in under 30 minutes if you tried. It definitely took me longer to write up this review than it did to actually Platinum the game.

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Platinum Enjoyment Rating - 7/10

It was easy and quick, which I often appreciate, especially given there was 2 Platinum's for the price I paid.

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Overall Game Rating - 4/10

If this didn't have 2 easy Platinum's I wouldn't be spending money on it. It's not bad if you want a sense of nostalgia but it's not challenging at all and like I said above, you can complete it with your eyes closed. If you think of it more as a visual novel rather than a shooter then it maybe seems a bit better? I imagine the majority of people who buy and play this are doing it for the quick trophies... But if that's your thing then this is probably the game for you!

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Platinum #504

Here are my most recent Platinum Trophies up to and including this game.

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