We recently brought you the news that Blazing Trail, a new isometric retro shooter, was heading to PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch on the 30th April 2025. The game is now out, and we’ve put it through its paces playing through the first few levels of this tough blaster. The bottom line is that Blazing Trail lives up to its arcade billing by being very tough, seemingly unfair at times, but having that classic pick-up and play feel that we retro gamers love so much. Although there is quite a lot to learn in terms of weapon selection, nothing about the mechanics is overly complicated. Blazing Trail is just one of those games you just need to keep playing through, getting better and better, learning from each death.
As with all great arcade games, you’re on a one-man mission to take down an evil army and save the world. You’ll do this by taking your advanced military vehicle out on the front lines and using its futuristic weaponry to blast everything to kingdom come. Those lucky enough to have a friend to enjoy the game with can play the game as a couch co-op experience. Blazing Trail is easy to get into, each button fires a different weapon, and there are also mines to use for those who prefer a more tactical approach.
The main weapon is a powerful laser that requires time to charge once depleted, but there are also powerful rockets to use against vehicles, as well as a light machine gun to take down oncoming infantry. Now, although Blazing Trail is an arcade experience, just ploughing in guns blazing will result in many deaths as your vehicle has limited armour and the enemies are no pushovers. There is a perfect blend of high-octane action and careful planning that makes Blazing Trail a joy to play.
Each of the seven levels is broken down into smaller chunks and connected by checkpoints that not only act as a save point, but also refuel your armour and laser as well. There is a real satisfaction in getting to each checkpoint due to the high difficulty level of Blazing Trail, and luckily, the whole game also saves as you progress. At the end of each stage comes the classic boss battle, and these are also hard to defeat.
You may have noticed a theme with our opinion on Blazing Trail, and we can’t stress it enough: this is a hard game, really only for those that love the challenge of arcade gaming from the 80s and 90s. Anyone looking for a casual experience will not enjoy this, as it requires lots of practice and dedication to learn where the enemies spawn from and the best way to take them down. As well as the high difficulty curve, Blazing Trail also boasts some beautiful isometric pixel art that just pops from the screen. This is a good-looking game that has great animation and sprites throughout. Blazing Trail is certainly worth a go if you crave a real arcade experience that will keep punishing you as you improve.
