Project G

I went in with low expectations and came out with something more complicated than a clean thumbs up or thumbs down. Project G is a retro side-scrolling shooter set in a flooded, dying 2110 where humanity survives on secret marine farms - and where the cybernetic fish-bots meant to protect those farms have gone rogue. It is a small game with a clear vision: earn credits, shoot things, upgrade your submarine, repeat. That loop is modest but it functions, and there is something genuinely appealing about the underwater setting in a genre that usually lives in outer space. The moment-to-moment play is built around a primary weapon (fired with CTRL or a gamepad button) and a secondary slot you fill before each level from three options: depth charges, torpedoes, or nukes. Your secondary choice is partly locked to your submarine tier, which is where the light progression system comes in. You start with the entry-level sub, upgradeable five levels and limited to missiles. Save 5,000 credits and you unlock the mid-tier boat with bombs added to the mix. The top-tier vessel, unlocked at 10,000 credits, opens all three secondaries and allows ten upgrade levels - and most experienced players will tell you the middle tier is a trap worth skipping entirely. That kind of mechanical honesty about its own design is both endearing and a little telling. Each area groups five stages that share a soundtrack, with enemy types rotating as you move between zones. Stage completion scores you up to three stars, with gold rewards scaling to your performance. The star system adds mild replayability without demanding it. Where things get uneven is the enemy AI: two identical-looking fishbots can behave completely differently, one drifting past harmlessly and another cornering you against the screen edge. Environmental hazards like steam jets and floating nukes layer on top of that unpredictability in ways that occasionally feel arbitrary rather than challenging. Boss patterns shift at health thresholds but rarely demand a real strategy adjustment. A lore layer exists too - collect scattered log entries across levels to piece together the Giga Corp backstory - though it is thin enough to feel more like a bonus than a reason to play. The co-op mode, added post-launch as a local split-screen option using dual controllers, is a sweet little addition for genre fans with a couch partner. It does not transform the game, but it adds warmth to something that might otherwise feel solitary and slight. At its price point, Project G sits in that honest low-budget tier where the craft is visible but the polish is not. There are animation hitches, AI inconsistencies, and a difficulty curve that spikes at moments that feel untested rather than intentional. Reviewers at launch clocked around four to ten hours to reach the end, and that feels about right for what is here. If you have a specific fondness for underwater shmups, or you want something short and undemanding that moves at its own quiet pace, Project G will not embarrass itself. It is not a genre standout, but Nebula Interactive built something with a real identity on what was clearly a limited budget, and that counts for something. Approach it as a curiosity, not a statement.

Kai · Scout Team

Indie & narrative

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