Most gamers have a specific idea in mind when playing a twin-stick shooter. Movement is tied to the left stick, and the right stick aims in a 360-degree range. Sometimes shooting itself is manual, but several have become automatic without needing the right stick at all, like in those Vampire Survivors offshoots. It’s not typical that these kinds of action games lean on physics, but the indie scene is very experimental, and now there’s a twin-stick shooter that turns the genre on its head. Seen it all? Not until playing Baseless, that is.
Before coming to grips with Baseless‘ unique mechanics, the first thing anyone will notice is the game’s flashy and striking graphic style. The characters and objects are simple shapes and are intended to represent some kind of celestial being or alien. The art direction enhances the simple designs with vibrant colours, gentle gradients, and a generous use of bloom. The characters move with a slight bounce, giving them a sense of weight and physical presence. They look like something you’d find in a coin-operated capsule machine, perfect as a keychain or dangling from a phone strap.
Then the characters start talking. Surprisingly, Baseless has a lot of dialogue. Way more than one would expect from a fairly arcade-like action game. The style of writing is aggressively quirky. So much so that knowing what was meant to be taken seriously will go over most gamers’ heads. Everyone is very quippy to the point that all the characters seem interchangeable. After a while, the dialogue becomes white noise, and players may find themselves skipping past it all and getting into the action.
Baseless is more technical and complex than its superficial premise and kid-friendly art style would suggest. The main gimmick revolves around the hero’s recoil and physics in a low-gravity environment. Baseless’ protagonist does not walk. The only way to get around is to use the gun as a propulsion mechanism, which pushes him in the opposite direction of shooting. Getting around like this forces players to break a lot of old habits and adapt to an utterly bizarre, yet compelling playstyle. It not only requires retraining muscle memory, but also challenges players to shoot enemies and dodge bullets and traps while dealing with the game’s physics. It’s a lot to take in, and Baseless is seemingly understanding that it asks a lot, so the challenge level is mercifully forgiving.
The game is level-based and is surprisingly lengthy for what it is. Some levels have different gravity parameters, which dramatically alter the way the game is played. The stages are diverse, with some featuring systems of localised globes, each with its own gravity, and others designed as sprawling, Metroid-like mazes. Baseless offers a surprising variety, constantly tossing new ideas into the mix as players refine their skills with a quirky control scheme, making for a truly stimulating, yet challenging experience.
Different weapons give a different feel for movement, and a grappling hook adds a bit of Bionic Commando or Spider-Man flavour. Baseless is an amusing approach to twin-stick action that demands diligence to learn, but takes a lifetime to master. Shootouts and even platforming become utter bedlam when bullets and foes fill the screen, and impressively, the hero doesn’t get lost amidst the chaos thanks to his stylish red scarf. Even after the initial gimmick wears off, what remains is a solid shooter bursting with variety, dynamic arenas, massive bosses, and a unique visual style that breaks the mold. It’s bold enough to be original, which is no small feat in the world of twin-stick indie shooters.
