Fight off an Alien Invasion in Task Force Kampas!

Task Force Kampus - Featured Image

Introduction

Task Force Kampas is an endless, arcade, vertical shmup inspired by classic Japanese arcade shmups, with an emphasis on fast-based action and scoring. A band of outcasts happened to be at the worst place and time when the Evil Invasion started its campaign, threatening to corrupt the universe if left uncontained. It’s up to you to stop as many hostiles as you can and, while you’re at it rescue stranded cute duck-like cocos on the way.

Developer: casiopea
Released: 22 February 2019
Price: $4.99

Platforms: Windows, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One, Switch
Available on: itch.io, Consoles
Engine: Game Maker

Let’s stop these pesky aliens!

Task Force Kampas includes a number of playable characters, of which three are available at the start while the rest is unlocked as you play. Your ship doesn’t do a lot;  you can only move around and shoot. You can increase power up your weapons by destroying enemies, and any damage is healed by letting go of the shoot button. You can also gain instant power-ups such as health or increased firepower during some level segments and before boss fights.

Task Force Kampus - Overwhelming Enemies!

At the start it’s easy to clear the screen of hostiles, but their strength lies in their numbers, as bullets and high-level aliens quickly fill up the screen to leave little to no breathing room. You’ll face bullets, explosive missiles, kamikaze eye aliens, and more. There are three boss fights in the game, all of which have their own themes and attack styles, although they’re easier than the levels due to their fixed patterns.

Task Force Kampas strikes a balance of being challenging and fun to play without veering too much into extreme difficulties. It’s thrilling to dodge hordes of dangers all at once while blasting them to oblivion, especially with some of the exotic ships such as Cocosking, which pulls a bunch of shooter cocos using ropes.

That’s intense!

The artstyle of Task Force Kampas uses simple pixel art combined with filters such as scanlines. Although the background is pitch black, the colorful enemies and fast-paced action keeps the game delightful. The techno and synthwave soundtrack also consist of fast-paced tracks fitting of the arcade gameplay and will keep you pumped up.

Task Force Kampus - Boss Fight

In Conclusion

While Task Force Kampas only has three boss fights, the game offers a bit of replay value thanks to having several ships with unique traits, simple gameplay with a hint of resource management, and kicker soundtrack. The game is sure to keep you hooked when on break and looking for something quick to play!

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