Hello Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, and all those that may fall in between!

 

I am No Time Dad, thank you for stopping by! Today I am bringing you a review of Blazing Beaks!

 

 

Blazing Beaks

Blazing beaks is a roguelite, twin stick shooter for Steam (PC) and the Nintendo Switch. This game offers the typical brutal and rewarding gameplay that most roguelike lovers, like myself, will enjoy. The art style is very whimsical, as it the soundtrack, providing a very child friendly experience for any prying eyes.

 

 

Characters

All of the characters in Blazing Beaks are based off of different avian species. Each character has different modifiers and staring weapons, which makes each of the birds feel unique.

For example, the Duck starts with a max HP of 5. After not firing for one second, the Duck will automatically reload its weapon three times faster than usual. The Duck carries a static debuff of 50% less weapon range.

 

 

Artifacts

The artifact system in Blazing Beaks is an interesting twist on a classic play style. Essentially, every artifact you pick up applies a different debuff to your run. This can be anything from lowering your movement speed to spawning a ghost on every level that will kill you on contact.

Each artifact carries a “Greed Score” which will be notated at the top of your screen. When you enter a shop, you will encounter the blackbird. He will exchange all of your current artifacts and reward you with items, quantity and rarity scaled off of your current total greed score. This will effectively remove all your current debuffs and replace them with buffs.

This risk vs reward play style is incredibly fun, even if you find yourself compelled to pick up every artifact regardless of how it might compromise your run, like me!

 

 

Weapons

In Blazing Beaks, you can only have one weapon at a time, however you have unlimited ammo for that weapon. Every character has their own unique starting weapon. You can obtain a new weapon through secret rooms, locked doors, or purchasing them from the shop with your gold.

The shop will have three options available to purchase you anytime you enter. You can also steal a weapon if you cannot afford it, but this will force the shopkeeper to no longer offer you anything for the rest of your run.

Your preferred weapon will likely vary based on your character selection and ultimately decide what levels you choose to challenge later on.

 

 

Bosses

The boss selection in Blazing Beaks is a little lacking. Each floor only has one possible boss that can spawn. While this allows you plan for the challenges ahead, it also hurts the replayability.

The design of the bosses and their chambers are fitting for the overall layout and design of their associated levels. The forest/swamp features a swamp boss, the graveyard features a bone-meat monster, etc.

 

 

 

Seeds and Ladders

Blazing Beaks has a seed based procedurally generated pattern for its runs. On the game over screen, you will be presented with a seed number. So, if you want to challenge that particular layout once again or share it with friends, you can.

Keep in mind that most of the unlocks can only be obtained in a story mode run, which assigns a random seed.

There is also a daily challenge and Leader Board. You can take on a specific seed that the developers have generated for the day and compare your efforts with the rest of the community.

 

 

 

Multiplayer

Blazing Beaks offers two forms of multiplayer. The first being two-player local co-op and the second being an arena mode supporting up to four players. I have not been able to test any of the multiplayer modes, so I cannot readily speak on the quality of the experience it offers.

 

 

The Bottom Line

Rating: 3/5 stars.

 

 

 

Blazing Beaks offers the same rogue-like gameplay that many have come to love. The artifact system applies a unique risk/reward variance that adds a new layer of brutality.

Unless you are able to tap into the multiplayer aspects, I feel like the overall variation you can experience is quite low for a rogue-lite.

Flaws aside, this is still an insanely fun game that you can sit down for an hour and get a few runs in. This is perhaps my favorite aspect of any rogue-like. The little bite sized gameplay options are perfect for a busy schedule.

 

Crying Babies: 1/5

 

The whimsical style of Blazing Beaks is very child friendly. The art is very cartoony and the music is very lighthearted. Your children will be interested though, so keep that in mind. You can also pause the game at any time, which lends itself particularly well to the unpredictability of parenthood. The standard price is a comfortable $14.99, which won’t likely compromise your diaper fund.

Full Disclosure: If you purchase this item via the links below, you will be supporting No Time Dad Media in the process. However, the views expressed in this review are mine and are in no way influenced by affiliation.

Catch yourself a sale on Blazing Beaks by clicking the image above, on this link.

 

I want to give a HUGE THANK YOU for your time.

Remember to laugh, stay kind, and have a wonderful day!

No Time Dad