GAZAR's Demo Is a Pure Shot of Arcade Nostalgia Straight to the Veins

I've played a lot of shmups trying to recapture that old-school magic. This one just might pull it off.

There’s a certain purity to old-school arcade shooters. No battle passes, no crafting, just you, a ship, and a screen full of things that need to explode. I just spent a bit of time with the GAZAR demo for Steam Next Fest, and it’s a glorious throwback to that simpler time.

Pure, Unfiltered Action

This is a vertical arcade shooter, plain and simple. The demo throws you into a couple of modes: a Story Mode that gives you a taste of the plot, and an Infinity Mode for chasing high scores.

The action is relentless. The screen fills up with alien ships, asteroids, and a frankly irresponsible number of explosions. It’s exactly the kind of chaotic, twitchy gameplay that used to eat all my quarters as a kid.

More Than Just a Pretty Light Show

While it feels retro, there's a modern engine under the hood. The visual effects are slick, and the story has a surprisingly dark premise. An alien fleet isn't just blowing up planets; they're warping space-time and aging entire civilizations into dust. Now that’s what I call a high-stakes eviction notice.

The demo even gives a peek at the full game’s progression, with a whole gallery of ships and medals to unlock, hinting at some serious replayability. The full game promises 75 unique ships, which is a hell of a lot of hardware.

A Promising Start

The demo is short, giving you about 20 minutes of story content to chew on, but it's enough to get a feel for what the developers are aiming for. It's tight, responsive, and has that 'one more run' addictiveness that defines the genre.

I'm genuinely looking forward to seeing the full release in 2026. If you've got a craving for some classic arcade action this Next Fest, you could do a lot worse than downloading GAZAR. It’s a blast.