Do you get one of those games that you really want to like but at the end of the day you just want to throw it into the proverbial trash can after giving it numerous chances to prove itself (be it digital…or physical)? OrangePixel’s latest game Neoteria fits that description like a glove.

The game has many things going for it..there’s the old school pixelated look that I loved, the music seems decent and the gameplay is like one of those old school (there’s that phrase again) side scrolling shooters (Macross comes to mind)..but why…why did the game sucked so badly?

It all boils down to the controls. Shmups can be notoriously demanding and fellas who play shmups can be a pain in the butt (look at me, I’m a reviewer) when it comes to the controls they require to play these reflex-intensive games. In this area, Neoteria falls flat on its face and even having two (albeit ridiculous) control options will not satisfy ANYONE who intends to play the game.

The simplified controls only allow players to move up or down..while the more advanced controls allow for 360 degree movement by holding your finger against the screen..but guess what happens when you need to shoot something? The game gets confused and the controls go down the drain.

I believe OrangePixel has their work cut out for them and having said that, the game might be worth checking out several weeks down the line once new updates are in. Nine Over Ten 9/10 rates Neoteria a 2.5 out of 5 in its current form. The game is available on the iTunes App Store for USD 1.99, check it out over here: https://itunes.apple.com/app/neoteria/id503652796

A review code was provided to Nine Over Ten 9/10 for the purpose of this review.