Shikon-X Astro Defense Fortress Review

The art and aesthetic of Shikon-X Astro Defense Fortress caught my attention when I was looking at new games. I got a message about a game request and immediately accepted it! I’m glad I did.

Game name: Shikon-X: Astro Defense Fortress
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PC (Tested)
Developer: Developer: Kindermann Corp.
Publisher: Treasure Bay
Release date: August 7, 2024
Price: $9.99

Major Daala is the best pilot the Federation has to offer. She is shot down during one of her missions to protect energy capsules from being stolen by the Rolars, an alien army the Federation is at war with. While trying to return to the main base, she receives information about the Rolars’ roots. It’s up to you as Daala to find out who the Rolars are and how to return to the Federation base unharmed.

The good

Shikon-X Astro Defense Fortress offers the player many ways to engage. Shikon X contains mini-games that are similar to other games like Breakout, Pinball or Galaga. To complete the story, you have to be proficient enough in all three. This regularly adds variety to the game. However, you can always stop and play any of the mini-games if you don’t want to continue the story.

Shikon-X Astro Defense Fortress was designed with the intention of being a point-and-click narrative game. This means that every step of the game is essentially a logic puzzle. Solving the logic puzzles themselves is quite fun. They’re also quite easy once you understand the problem.

There’s a really good mix of pixel art and hand-drawn art. I love the way the characters are designed and also things make sense when you first meet the Rolars. This adds even more immersion to the game in the world of the Federation and the Rolars.

The bad

For most of Shikon-X Astro Defense Fortress, the logic puzzles are pretty easy and talking to people makes things fall into place. However, there are certain parts where the logic isn’t particularly logical. You always have to double check your inventory and make sure you press “interact” if it says something else. This left me stuck in some sections thinking I needed something else to solve a puzzle just because the answer was to use an inventory item for nothing.

I felt like I was just getting into the groove of Shikon-X Astro Defense Fortress when it was almost over. The game is pretty entertaining. I beat the entire game in two and a half hours. I spent a large portion playing the minigames. You can probably beat the game in an hour if you want to speed through it.

The verdict

Overall, Shikon-X Astro Defense Fortress is a lot of fun. While it’s not a long-lasting blast, it has a fun story, simple game mechanics and logic puzzles, and is a satisfying game. If you’re looking for a cheap game that you can play through in one night, this is it.

Shikon-X Astro Defense Fortress is available for Nintendo Switch and PC.

Review Disclosure Statement: Shikon X Astro Defense Fortress was provided to us by Treasure Bay for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please see our Review Guidelines/Ratings Guidelines.

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