We recently reported that indie publisher Eastasiasoft’s next retro-flavored release would be the vertically scrolling shoot ‘em up Exo-Calibre, and since then, we’ve managed to get get our sweaty paws on the game to bring you this review!
Exo-Calibre was released today (June 25th, 2025) on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S (which is the version we’ve re reviewing).
The first thing you’ll notice about Exo-Calibre is that it doesn’t look like your typical shoot ‘em up. Nowhere is the black empty void of space to be found in this game, which instead offers a colorful feast for the eyes that’s more akin to a Taito platform game than your average shoot ‘em up, which perhaps brings to mind Konami’s Pop’n Twinbee., or even a shoot ‘em up that takes place flying over Rainbow Islands!
The game not only looks like it’s been plucked from an arcade circa 1988, but it also sounds like it, with its jaunty arcade-style soundtrack. Indeed, so confident are Eastasiasoft in the game’s soundtrack, that they’ve made it available to buy in its own right via Steam.
So, Exo-Calibre looks and sounds like it’s from a late-80s arcade, but how does it play? Much the same. The controls are slick, and each of the fighters on offer has their own bullet pattern, along with a melee attack to efficiently dispose of nearby enemies, but the game really does nothing new. Then again, if you’re in the market for a retro-style experience, then “new” probably isn’t particularly high on your list of desirable qualities. One quirk with Exo-Calibre’s controls is that you use the R button or trigger to shoot, which may not necessarily be the buttons you’d expect your bullets to be assigned to, but it soon becomes surprisingly intuitive, as does using the X button for the melee attack. On the subject of the game’s controls, the left trigger and left button provide a welcome dash move that can be used to help you make a quick getaway from some of Exo-Calbre’s trickier moments, such as the occasional bullet hell style swarms of enemy gunfire.
To begin with, you have three teenage anime girl Exo-Calibre pilots to choose from, each of whom offers a different style of attack. There’s Caliburn, whose weapon is a regular laser shot that the game describes as “linear,” next, there’s Galatine, whose weapon type is described as “burst”, and which is a spikier laser shot. The third Exo-Calibre soldier is Arondight, whose shotgun weapon fires a wide spreading burst of bullets. Then, there’s a fourth character to be unlocked. Each character’s weapon has its advantages and disadvantages, and experimentation with all three of the starting characters will help you choose the ones who best suits your kind of play. Personally, I’m partial to both Caliburn and Arondight, depending on my mood.
Exo-Calibre has several different modes to blast your way through, which extends the game’s longevity, giving you more bang for your buck, and for a budget game, Exo-Calibre really does offer “exo-llent” value for money! The mode you’ll probably spend most of your time with the arcade mode, which plays like a traditional vertically scrolling shoot ‘em up. There’s also a story mode, in which you have increased health and unlimited lives, making it best suited to newcomers to the genre. Speaking of the game’s story, it’s a fairly standard shmup story of invading nasties looking to conquer, but with a surprisingly relevant twist, as this time the invading baddies are a form of AI! The story might be nothing spectacular, but it’s charmingly told, with manga-style artwork in cut scenes and via in-game comms dialog. Elsewhere, for the more hardcore shmup addicts, there are unlockable boss rush and time attack modes.
So whether you’re a newcomer to the genre or a hardened shmup addict, you’ll find plenty to enjoy in Exo-Calibre. As it’s truly a high caliber example of its genre, and at a more than reasonable price. Exo-Calibre comes highly recommended from us here at at Retro News.
You’ve really got no excuse not to blast your way over to Steam, the PS Store, the Microsoft Store, or the Nintendo eshop now to pick up Exo-Calibre. If you like vertically scrolling shmups, or even if you’ve never played one but fancy giving one a try, you won’t regret it. We must be in a shmuppy mood here at Retro News, because just yesterday we reviewed the retro shooting delights of Irem Collection 3, and today we’ve got the brand new (but still retro-styled) (and great) Exo-Calibre!
