Gravitators Review (PlayStation 5)

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Gravitators Review, Old-school challenge and style collide with modern advancements and mission design in Gravitators, a twin-stick shooter that puts you in control of 4 different ships as you defend mankind against invasion! Complete a vast array of mission types as you travel to Earth, the Moon, asteroids, planets and exoplanets, the depths of outer space, and even black holes! Explore to unlock hidden objectives and rewards, but always be mindful of which power-ups will serve the mission at hand.

Gravitators Review Pros:

  • Nice graphics.
  • 1.14GB download size.
  • Platinum trophy.
  • Own in-game achievements called awards and there is a huge set of them for each level or mission.
  • You get the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5 versions of the game.
  • Colorblind support.
  • Game settings – default camera zoom, show objectives, show controls icons, shake on explosions, and show Hud.
  • Shmup gameplay.
  • Three game difficulties – Easy, normal, and hard.
  • Opening tutorial level for each of the different ships.
  • The movement is a bit floaty but it is momentum-based, if you ever played Solar Jetman then you know the deal. Basically push away and let go and you will keep going until you press the opposite direction.
  • Pick up and drop off cargo at dedicated spots.
  • You have a gun, powerful rockets, and a super attack which is like a smart bomb.
  • Twin stick shooter controls.
  • The game is a 2D perspective.
  • Rescue engineers.
  • Each ship has unique attacks and abilities.
  • Levels get complex by adding in enemies, obstacles, and time-based sequences.
  • Your energy bar is also the ship health bar and it goes down when hitting walls, getting shot, etc.
  • Before a mission, you can pick a ship, load out items, any perks, and mission difficulty.
  • Unlock perks and loadouts.
  • Bring up the map at any time and see objectives, enemies, etc. It looks really cool.
  • Find pods to heal you and replenish your ammo.
  • Slight puzzle elements in places.
  • Checkpoints act as respawn points are they are scattered around.
  • Levels will have a main objective and then some optional side objectives.
  • It’s a fun game once you get into it.
  • Takes a lot of inspiration from Solar Jetman from the movement to cargo carrying and level design.
  • Weapons can have a cool-down bar to stop you from using them too much, special attacks have a cool-down counter.
  • You can replay levels and missions.

Gravitators Review Cons:

  • The movement will take some getting used to.
  • Cannot remap the controls.
  • It can be hard at times to know what is and isn’t an obstacle.
  • The music is average.
  • Takes a while to get going.

Related Post: Cattie Review (PlayStation 5)

Gravitators:

Official website.

Developer: Insular Games

Publisher: eastasiasoft

Store Links – 

PlayStation

  • 7/10
    Graphics - 7/10
  • 7/10
    Sound - 7/10
  • 7/10
    Accessibility - 7/10
  • 7/10
    Length - 7/10
  • 7/10
    Fun Factor - 7/10
7/10

Summary

Gravitators offers a visually appealing experience with its nice graphics and a manageable download size of 1.14GB. The game provides a Platinum trophy and its own in-game achievements called awards, which are plentiful for each level or mission. Players receive both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions of the game, along with colorblind support. The game settings are customizable, allowing adjustments to camera zoom, objectives display, control icons, explosion shake, and HUD visibility. The gameplay follows the shmup genre with three difficulty levels: easy, normal, and hard. Each ship has an opening tutorial level, and the movement, while floaty, is momentum-based, reminiscent of Solar Jetman. Players can pick up and drop off cargo at designated spots, and the game features twin-stick shooter controls in a 2D perspective.

However, the movement mechanics may take some getting used to, and the controls cannot be remapped. It can be challenging to distinguish obstacles, and the music is average. The game takes a while to get going, but once it does, it becomes quite enjoyable. Players can rescue engineers, and each ship boasts unique attacks and abilities. Levels become increasingly complex with the addition of enemies, obstacles, and time-based sequences. The energy bar doubles as the ship’s health bar, depleting when hitting walls or getting shot. Before missions, players can choose a ship, loadout items, perks, and mission difficulty, with the option to unlock more perks and loadouts as they progress.

The game includes a map feature that displays objectives, enemies, and more, which looks impressive. Players can find pods to heal and replenish ammo, and there are slight puzzle elements scattered throughout. Checkpoints act as respawn points and are strategically placed around levels. Each level has a main objective and optional side objectives, adding to the replayability. Gravitators draw significant inspiration from Solar Jetman, particularly in its movement, cargo carrying, and level design. Weapons have a cooldown bar to prevent overuse, and special attacks have a cooldown counter. Overall, Gravitators is a fun game once you get into it, offering a mix of challenging gameplay and rewarding achievements.

Jim Smale

Gaming since the Atari 2600, I enjoy the weirdness in games counting Densha De Go and RC De Go as my favourite titles of all time. I prefer gaming of old where buying games from a shop was a thing, Being social in person was a thing. Join me as I attempt to adapt to this new digital age!