As we all know the Bullet Hell genre is amongst the most difficult out there in terms of the pure amount of skill needed to succeed. In some of these games, there are so many projectiles flying about the place that you’ll need cat-like reflexes if you’re going to get anywhere. This is arcade fodder at its absolute best because amusement owners want something that’s hard as nails so you’ll keep losing and throwing your hard-earned money into their cabinets. Speedrunners, tournament fans, leaderboard fanatics, and gamers that just like to show off a bit all flock to this sort of thing; because why would you want to do anything manageable, right? So with all this being said, how can you make an already diabolical genre more difficult? Well if Void Prison has anything to say about it you shove a ring around it.

Void Prison is a pixel bullet hell that’s coming from the folk over at SneakyBox and Voidrock Studios and is due to appear on your Switch console come January 19th. In this new test of your gaming mettle, you’re being invited to indulge in the almost-forgotten thrill of chasing that ever-elusive high score in this action-packed, twin-stick shooter. As a tasty little side note, this game will set you back the princely sum of £2.69 for us British folk so isn’t going to break the bank.

Void Prison is an unrelenting, endless arcade game that places the player in an ever-shrinking void ring. From here, you’ll be tasked with surviving emerging enemy waves by using the various guns and powerups that you’ll collect during your run. You can expect this to be one of those titles that’s easy to pick up and learn but hard to master. If you can succeed, though, there are numerous achievements to earn plus a bunch of skins and new powerups to unlock. If you get really good that top spot on the world leaderboards might just be yours to control.

If you’re not sure whether this is going to be a battle you’re willing to undertake there are already a bunch of other players saying nice things about Void Prison. This title began its development during the annual Ludlum Dare game jam event where Void Prison made it to the Top 10 as one of the most fun games created. Since that time Void Prison has seen a Steam release that’s received a good number of positive reviews from happy players. This being said, if you don’t own a Switch console and are just reading this article because you’re interested you can grab your PC copy of the game using this handy little link.

So, we’re very much going old school with Void Prison in the best possible sense. This title isn’t just retro in terms of the pixel graphics that many of us know well and love, but also in the driving principle of the game. It feels like the days of playing just to obtain a high score are almost gone. We’re in a world now that craves objective-based play, with gamers looking for an ever-evolving challenge. Just go play a game for the rush of getting good enough to show off your score is becoming a lost art and it’s nice to see titles such as Void Prison recapturing that. This could be a brilliant addition for those action fans amongst you that play just for the rush of playing; not to mention those of us who miss the days of losing time in our favorite arcades. If you fancy a blast at this new shooter and happen to have your Switch handy, you can find everything you need to get started here.