Grid Ranger Review
Grid Ranger is an addictive 3D shoot ‘em up with neon-soaked 3D vector graphics.
Grid Ranger. Credit: Pixeljam / Pantaloon
Imagine an alternate history in which the Vectrex wasn’t discontinued. Instead, it was further developed, and we saw two or three new generations of the vector display console that moved beyond monochrome and 2D. Grid Ranger could be a game from one of those consoles. Developed with Pixeljam’s V99 Engine, Grid Ranger is a blazingly fast SHMUP with 3D vector graphics. It’s a neon 1980s arcade dream.
You control a cone moving forward on a flat grid. Steering with the mouse and clicking to rapid fire bullets, you must dodge obstacles and enemy bullets on your path to each level’s boss. Take three hits, and the game is over. Fortunately, once you reach a new level, you can start there directly from the title screen.
The three levels rapidly increase in difficulty. I played Normal mode, but for those masochists out there, the game offers a Hardcore mode. The game recently left Early Access, and one of the additions for 1.0 is a new Infinite mode that provides a never-ending level that gets increasingly faster and harder.
I generally prefer to play games with a controller, but I found it impossible to play well. Grid Ranger is built to be played with a mouse. Once you reach higher speeds and need to navigate tighter spaces, a controller's analog stick just can’t provide enough quickness and precision.
Grid Ranger. Credit: Pixeljam / Pantaloon
Grid Ranger features neon-soaked, glowing vector graphics that look like a futuristic vision from the mid-1980s. The eight original songs in the soundtrack by Miles Tilmann, along with the retro-synth voice of the game’s villains, add to the ambiance.
Priced at just $3.99 on Steam, Grid Ranger is the perfect fix for anyone craving classic arcade action. It’s addictive, just like the best quarter-devouring arcade games should be, and will compel you to keep trying to get just a little further.
Grid Ranger is available now on Steam and itch.io.
Overall Score: 7/10
Played on: PC
