A cool Star Fox-inspired shooter
Do you want to play a new rail shooter featuring adorable animals blasting enemies in spaceships? Check out Whisker Squadron: Survivor ($19.99). Yes, it’s an intentional homage to Nintendo’s classic Star Fox series. However, Whisker Squadron: Survivor (available on PC and PlayStation 5) has a charming, original presentation and rogue-lite mechanics that separate it from its inspiration. Whisker Squadron isn’t a grand space epic, but it’s a fun, arcade-style space shooter that may hold you over until a possible Star Fox game appears on the Switch 2.Whisker Squadron’s Story
Anyone who has played Hades knows that indie rogue-lite developers create fantastic premises to justify the endless repetition. In Whisker Squadron: Survivor, you play as newbie pilot Olivia, gunning down wave after wave of robotic enemies known as the Swarm. Even better, all the characters are adorable talking cats with excellent voice acting.
As you complete missions, you gather additional data to help defend feline kind—an in-universe explanation for why repeated runs unlock new upgrades. The story progresses with new twists and playable characters.
Survivor was originally meant to be a prelude to a larger Whisker Squadron adventure with more open spaces to explore. We don’t know if that title will come to fruition, but the worldbuilding elevates Survivor’s presentation and helps the brief game (a full run takes less than an hour) feel bigger than it is.
That loving presentation applies to the visuals, too. Whisker Squadron: Survival’s three acts feature a gorgeous, stark, neon graphical style. Thin lines and hazy glowing colors make the towering, randomized geometric structures look like something from a French comic book. Bombs and lasers launched from your angular starfighter trigger vibrant crackling explosions. Meanwhile, jazzy music makes the experience feel surprisingly chill, which is good because the genre demands you to play repeatedly.Whisker Squadron vs.
