Retro games. Homebrew gems. Backlog chaos.

I've always been curious about bullet-hell shooters, but I never expected Cataclyzm to make me want to dive even deeper into the genre! When Australian solo developer Dogroach reached out and invited me to try his game, I was intrigued. What I discovered was a wild combination of old-school arcade action, fantastic pixel art, ridiculous bosses, and a heavy-metal soundtrack that absolutely deserves to be cranked up! In this Cataclyzm demo review and first impressions video, I'm sharing my experience with the game's responsive controls, guitar pedal power-ups, Fuzz bombs, beer-based scoring system, and some seriously intense bullet patterns. I also take a trip down memory lane to compare the experience with classic arcade shoot-'em-ups like Capcom's 1942. And because the soundtrack is such a huge part of the game, I've included an uninterrupted gameplay section so you can hear it for yourself! But did Cataclyzm make me want to explore more bullet-hell games? You'll have to watch to find out! 🎮 **PLAY CATACLYZM & SUPPORT THE DEVELOPER** **Buy Cataclyzm or play the latest free demo on Steam:** https://store.steampowered.com/app/4516840/Cataclyzm/ **Dogroach's developer page and development updates:** https://dogroach666.itch.io/cataclyzm-demo **Listen to Electric Yawn, the artist behind the soundtrack:** https://electricyawn.bandcamp.com/ A big thanks to Dogroach for reaching out and giving me the opportunity to experience Cataclyzm! This video covers my experience with the demo, not a complete review of the full released game. ⏱️ **VIDEO CHAPTERS** 00:00 My first run at Cataclyzm 00:56 The metal soundtrack that hooked me 01:26 Hear it in the demo 01:55 A bearded bus and a boss with hair 02:49 How it feels on an Xbox controller 03:13 Guitar pedals, bombs and beer 04:33 Finding a way through the bullets 05:14 The moment I heard myself say it 05:41 Why I thought of 1942 06:54 Would I play the full game? 💬 **JOIN THE CONVERSATION** Have you played Cataclyzm? What did you think? And if you're a bullet-hell fan, what's one game you'd recommend to somebody who's still learning the genre? I'd love to hear your suggestions in the comments! 👍 If you enjoyed the video, give it a like and subscribe to The Overwhelmed Gamer for more first-time playthroughs, retro gaming discussions, indie discoveries, and honest game reviews. #Cataclyzm #BulletHell #IndieGames 🎮 MORE FROM THE OVERWHELMED GAMER 🌐 Website: https://www.overwhelmedgamer.show 🎙️ Podcast: https://www.overwhelmedgamer.show/podcast 💬 Discord: https://discord.gg/KW2CRR9Uep 🔴 Live streams every Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday 🎮 Retro Gaming • Homebrew • Reviews • Interviews Subscribe and join me as I revisit the classics, discover the games I missed, and explore what's new in retro gaming.

Why do we feel the need to explain playing games on easy? I lowered the difficulty in South of Midnight and started having more fun—while still enjoying the challenge of Demon’s Crest on the SNES. In this discussion, I explore what we want from our games, the expectations we put on ourselves, and why we sometimes worry about how other people might judge the way we play. Sometimes I want to learn a difficult boss. Sometimes I want to enjoy the story and world. Loving a challenge doesn’t mean every game needs to be hard. If nobody could see which difficulty you chose, would you choose the same setting? Let me know in the comments. If you enjoy honest conversations about retro and modern gaming, like the video and subscribe to The Overwhelmed Gamer. CHAPTERS 00:00 Why can choosing easy feel hard to explain? 00:33 South of Midnight: finding the fun 01:51 Why I keep retrying Demon’s Crest 03:15 What I expect from a game 04:21 Why does easy need a defense? 05:43 If nobody knew my setting 06:20 Difficulty or boredom? 07:49 Both choices can be right 08:22 Join the conversation FOOTAGE & ASSET CREDITS South of Midnight gameplay: Compulsion Games / Xbox, “South of Midnight - Gameplay Reveal - Xbox Games Showcase 2024” (June 9, 2024). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4UHyaaWXuw Used as edited visual illustration with commentary; original reveal audio is muted. These excerpts do not show my own save or difficulty setting. Demon’s Crest gameplay: my supplied Overwhelmed Gamer stream recordings. Game © CAPCOM. Stream audio is muted. Creator-video guidelines: https://www.capcomusa.com/video-policy/ Music: “Quiet Time” by David Fesliyan, Fesliyan Studios. Used under the channel’s commercial license. https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/quiet-time/330 Talking-head footage, NES cartridge footage, portraits, supplied subscribe animation, and supplied outro: Jason Sorenson / The Overwhelmed Gamer. Game footage and related imagery remain the property of their respective rights holders. This is independent commentary, not an official game-publisher video. 🎮 MORE FROM THE OVERWHELMED GAMER 🌐 Website: https://www.overwhelmedgamer.show 🎙️ Podcast: https://www.overwhelmedgamer.show/podcast 💬 Discord: https://discord.gg/KW2CRR9Uep 🔴 Live streams every Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday 🎮 Retro Gaming • Homebrew • Reviews • Interviews Subscribe and join me as I revisit the classics, discover the games I missed, and explore what's new in retro gaming.

Physical games, digital purchases, and Xbox Game Pass give us different ways to play. But what are we actually buying, and what can we keep, lend, or sell afterward? Sea of Stars helped me put my own feelings about game ownership into words. I remember trading games at places like FuncoLand and passing a cartridge to a friend when I was finished. I also own an all-digital Xbox Series S, and I appreciate how downloads and subscriptions help me discover games I might otherwise miss. Playing Sea of Stars through Game Pass led me to buy a physical copy for Switch because I wanted to keep it in my collection. In this conversation, I look at Steam refunds, the difference between Switch 2 game-key cards and Virtual Game Cards, Wii Shop redownloads, the original The Crew’s server shutdown, and the Stop Killing Games discussion. Having a box on the shelf does not solve every problem, but the freedom to keep a game or pass it along still matters to me. What’s one game you made a point of buying physically even though you could have played it digitally? Tell me yours in the comments. Subscribe for more conversations about retro games, modern discoveries, and the backlog I’m still working through. More from The Overwhelmed Gamer: https://overwhelmedgamer.show/ Background music: “In The Moment” by Steve Oxen and “An Ambient Day” by David Fesliyan, via https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/ 🎮 MORE FROM THE OVERWHELMED GAMER 🌐 Website: https://www.overwhelmedgamer.show 🎙️ Podcast: https://www.overwhelmedgamer.show/podcast 💬 Discord: https://discord.gg/KW2CRR9Uep 🔴 Live streams every Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday 🎮 Retro Gaming • Homebrew • Reviews • Interviews Subscribe and join me as I revisit the classics, discover the games I missed, and explore what's new in retro gaming.

I thought I had finished Demon's Crest on the Super Nintendo… but apparently, this game isn't done with me yet! After ...

I thought I beat Demon's Crest on the Super Nintendo... but apparently, I wasn't done yet! During Tuesday night's stream, we ...