This is an article introducing "Snejinka: The Nation's Salvation," an indie 2D shooting game set in a fictional dystopian nation.
"Molten Iron Marfusha"This is a sequel, and a natural evolution of the first installment.
Its appeal lies in the exhilarating feeling of progressing at a fast pace, combined with the roguelike tension created by random rewards.
And above all, the highlight is seeing the girls bravely fighting for their own reasons, despite being hurt.
The total playtime to complete the game was approximately 10 hours.
(Achieving all endings, surviving for 100 days or more in Challenge Mode, etc.)
Game Overview
Snezinka, the protagonist of this film, is the younger sister of Malfusha, the protagonist of the previous film.
To bring back Malfusha, who went to the battlefield to protect herself and never returned, Snezinka throws herself into the fight.
When Snezinka tries to find her sister by visiting the military, she is turned away, so she takes measures to get to the battlefield even as a civilian.
Having joined the private military company Blue Peacock, Snezinka continues to fight on the battlefield in search of her sister.
In the battle section, you clear the stage by defeating all the enemies that come from the right side of the screen.
There is a target to defend at the far left of the screen, and the game ends when its durability reaches zero.
The key is to isolate and eliminate the enemy before they can get close to your target.
At the end of the day, you will be paid according to your performance.
Depending on the damage sustained by the protected object, repair costs may be deducted.
In addition, various deductions are made from the total amount paid, but this is like flavor text to represent a dark country.
I wish having so many things deducted from my salary would only happen in fiction.
Upon clearing a stage, a reward card will be presented, and you can choose and claim only one.
You can acquire new main weapons, stat boosts, sub-weapons, partners, and more in exchange for money.
The initial handgun is weak, so it's best to purchase a main weapon first.
However, weapons have a durability limit, so they will break over time.
Since your starting handgun will revert to its initial equipment once your current weapon breaks, it's important to keep buying new weapons before yours breaks.
Since you can't always get the weapon you want, you'll need to be able to use a variety of weapons.
Sometimes, your teammates will appear in the lineup as rewards.
Snejinka alone has low firepower, so having a partner is reassuring.
The ending will also change depending on the partner you are traveling with.
There are segments interspersed throughout the game where you return to the barracks to rest.
Here, you can choose specific actions to improve your stats or earn money through side jobs.
If you bring a partner, you may be able to witness a brief interaction with the Snezinka.
You can glimpse a bit of what kind of person your partner is from the content of each event.
As the days go by, they gradually become closer.
(If you meet the conditions, you can also view the profile details from the bonus section.)
If you see the ending with your partner, you can start the main story with that partner's power.
While Snezinka is the playable character in the main game, you can utilize the skills of her partner.
There are also subtle differences in ability scores, so it's best to choose a character that suits your play style.
In addition to the main game, there's a "Challenge Mode" where you compete to see how many days you can survive.
Initially, you can only use Snezinka, but by fulfilling certain conditions, you will be able to use other characters.
There's a daily ranking system, so you could try to rank high and see how long you can survive.
Review (no spoilers)
I've seen all the endings in Hard Mode, and I can now survive for over 100 days in Challenge Mode.
Since the ending doesn't change depending on the difficulty level, playing on easy mode might be a good option if you want to easily collect all the endings.
The simple controls allowed me to enjoy tense and exhilarating battles.
It's a shooting game, but movement is only forward and backward.It was nice not having to think about unnecessary things.
With a variety of weapons available, the difficulty level is such that you can clear the game using any of them, so you can tackle it with your preferred play style.
The randomness of the reward cards was exquisite; I was constantly experiencing highs and lows depending on what I got.
I experienced the typical joys and sorrows of a roguelike game, such as the dilemma of wanting to switch to a powerful weapon because the currently equipped weapon still had durability, or finally getting the card I wanted but not having enough money.
Even though it's essentially the same thing repeated over and over, there are countless processes involved, and the real appeal lies in the fact that each one offers a different kind of enjoyment.
If you're aiming for a high score in Challenge Mode, you need to thoroughly consider the most efficient combinations of items to use.
I think even hardcore, dedicated players will find this mode quite challenging and rewarding.
This game is primarily a shooting game, so there isn't much emphasis on the story.
The story branches into a true ending and other endings.
The true route is essentially Snezinka's story, depicting how Snezinka's objective, presented in the prologue, ultimately leads to its conclusion.
Routes other than the True Ending mainly consist of individual endings with your partner.
The story depicts how their friendship gradually deepens after they meet at a private military company.
In the latter half of the game, the story depicts how each partner confronts their own problems, and the conclusion is revealed.
The event sequences in this game are short, not very long.
However, even within that short timeframe, I felt that it effectively portrayed the growth stories of each partner.
Given the setting of the story, it seems unlikely that it will have a happy ending.
However, as I continued to play the game repeatedly, my desire to see everyone's ending grew stronger.
This game is a 2D shooting game that is easy for even casual players to pick up and play, and I think it's a very engaging title.
Furthermore, the question of what kind of ending awaits the girls who become your partners will likely serve as a motivation to continue playing.
Strategy Notes (Spoiler Warning)
Main Mode
Honestly, I think you can reach the ending of the main mode no matter which weapon you use.
To reach the true route, you need to minimize the number of retries, so if it's too difficult, choosing easy mode might be a good option.
The priority for basic stat increases is as follows:[Attack Power ≥ Rate of Fire > Reload Speed ≥ Magazine Capacity ≥ Pushback]That's the image I have in mind.
(There are various theories.)
Challenge Mode
The playable character who has achieved over 100 days of playtime is Rishika.
To take advantage of its exceptional ability to increase the damage of a shot immediately after reloading by 2.5 times, a sniper rifle with a single round capacity becomes the strongest main weapon.
There's no need to increase magazine capacity at all; it's better to increase attack power, reload speed, and pushback.
As a secondary weapon, the flamethrower was easy to use because it could be used over a fairly wide area and had sufficient power.
Until you get a good item, it's a good idea to use substitutes like multi-missiles or rocket launchers.
I felt that my partner, Dachika, was quite strong.
However, since Dachika doesn't appear very often, I used Digi-K more frequently.
I think the shotgun, with its wide hit detection, was useful for stopping the fast-moving suicide mechs.
Additionally, drone-type cards increase the number of actions you can take, so you should prioritize acquiring them whenever you see them.
Since you never know when you'll be able to draw repair-type recovery cards again, it might be a good idea to prioritize acquiring them whenever you see them so you don't regret it later.
I think that earning money through a side job is probably the most stable way to live in the barracks.
In the later stages, even choosing a weapon other than your preferred sniper rifle becomes risky, so you may need to pay money to redraw cards.
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