Wings of Bluestar Review – Story Meets Side-Scrolling Shmup Action

I have played many shoot ’em ups, or shmups, in my life. It is one of those game genres I like to play casually, and honestly, it has become a comfort genre for me. So, I was excited to get my hands on Wings of Bluestar, especially since surprises from VGNYSoft Games are always a delight.

Game Name: Wings of Bluestar
Platform(s): PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PC
Reviewed On: PlayStation 5
Developer(s): Shinu Real Arts
Publisher(s): Eastasiasoft, VGNYSoft Games
Release Date: Digital – January 17, 2023 / Physical – May 26, 2026
Price: $14.99 digitally / $34.99 physically

Wings of Bluestar takes place in a dystopian future on a planet called Accessia, which is led by a super-intelligent alien AI known as B.R.A.I.N. This AI has been helping society with technical advancements that have led to massive surges in technology. Under the surface, though, a backlash grows once B.R.A.I.N. decides that the best way for society to advance even further is through the indoctrination of humanity.

The current rebellion against this indoctrination falls on two playable pilots. Aya is tied to the first rebellion through her brother, who led the charge before betraying his platoon once they made it all the way to B.R.A.I.N. Zarak is the second character, and he does not seem to remember why he is fighting. Apparently, he is an amnesiac pilot who just wants to figure out what is really going on.

The Good

There is a story mode that lets you see more of the world of Accessia through the problems that come up as the narrative plays out. You can even make story choices in this mode, and the ending can change depending on the choices you make. I really love when a bullet hell shoot ’em up has a story and a narrative you can follow. It could just be because I love stories, but I appreciated that extra layer here.

The gameplay in Wings of Bluestar is pretty straightforward. You control your ship and press a button to attack. The interesting thing is that when you attack, it slows your ship down. If you are getting bombarded by bullets everywhere, you can make your ship move faster by stopping your shooting. This adds a layer of strategy beyond just “get good,” which is always a good thing in my opinion. Once you speed your way to a different position, you can continue your own onslaught of bullets against the enemy.

The two playable pilots also have different playstyles. Zarak is an overly aggressive pilot. He can move a little faster, and his special bullet is a laser that constantly shoots in front of him. He also has a chargeable laser that can destroy most bullets heading his way.

Aya, on the other hand, is more utility- and defense-based. She has a shield she can summon in front of her that will take bullets at the cost of the shield’s life force, which makes the more intense bullet hell sections much more manageable. Aya’s special weapon is a turret that can shoot in any direction the analog stick points.

There is also a couch co-op option in the game, which is awesome. I was able to play with my wife, and I had her use Aya so she could have a shield to help her out with the more difficult sections. Both players share the same credit pool for lives, so if you have three credits and someone dies, one of those credits gets used.

Wings of Bluestar also has probably one of the fastest Platinum trophies I have ever earned. It only took me a few different sessions with the game. I did a full story mode playthrough with both characters, then played arcade mode a bunch to clean up the rest of the trophies. It only took me around seven hours to finish everything, so if you are a trophy hunter, this is a solid time.

The Bad

Even though I like that Wings of Bluestar has a story and images that appear during the narrative, there are some wonky issues with the text speed. During dialogue scenes with characters, you can read the text and press X to move to the next line. When the narrative text boxes show up, though, the game will not let you click through them once you are done reading. You have to wait for the box to autoplay before it moves to the next section of text.

Since there is replayability here, you can skip dialogue scenes after you have already played through a section of the story. Again, the issue is that the narrative text does not allow the same thing. It has to fully autoplay before the next section of text advances, and that can get annoying when you just want to get back into the action.

One thing I wish the game had is a free play mode that gives you infinite lives. The shop does let you continuously buy extra credits or lives for your runs, but when I was playing with my wife, I wanted to let her experience the whole thing without worrying about dying or burning through the credit pool.

The Physical Release

I am someone who loves physical games, and I would still highly recommend trying to get discs when you can. Digital media is nice and convenient, but it still has its own problems. I got the standard edition this time around, and I actually really love the artwork for this game. It has a jaded edge to the characters and ships that fits well with the shoot ’em up aesthetic.

Inside the box is a disc with the full game on it. You do not need the internet to pop it in and update before playing. There are some online features, like leaderboards, that do require a connection, but the game itself is on the disc.

There is also an inside cover slip with another piece of artwork on it. The designers seemed to like Aya a lot, as both covers feature her pretty heavily.

Final Verdict for Wings of Bluestar

Wings of Bluestar is an enjoyable arcade-style shoot ’em up. If you are someone who enjoys a good, quick session of playtime, this is definitely up your alley. It is a fast eight-level experience, and while that works for the kind of game it is, those looking for something with a little more meat may want to look at a different title.

The two playable characters do change how you strategize, and having a narrative story is a nice addition to this type of side-scrolling shoot ’em up. It is not the biggest or deepest shmup out there, but it knows what it wants to be and delivers a fun enough time, especially if you enjoy chasing trophies or playing couch co-op.

Wings of Bluestar is available on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. You can also purchase the game physically through the VGNYSoft Games website.

If you enjoyed this review, explore more of our in-depth video game reviews across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.

Review Disclosure Statement: Wings of Bluestar was provided to us by VGNYSoft Games for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.