Schildmaid MX is yet another example of why we desperately need all the A.I. slop and low-effort garbage cleared out of the PlayStation Store (and other storefronts). This is a fantastic game that most people will probably never notice—exactly for the same reason I initially missed it myself. These days, it’s genuinely hard to spot good indie games when they’re buried under mountains of junk.
Rant over—let’s talk about the game.
I discovered Schildmaid MX after someone at Eastasiasoft reached out, sending newsletters and offering access to review keys in exchange for promotion. Key or no key, though, what you’re reading here is my honest review of the game—no strings attached.
And honestly? I’m glad this one landed on my radar.
Odd Name, Fun Game…
Schildmaid MX tries something genuinely new in the otherwise very traditional world of classic horizontal shoot ’em ups. Your only real way to survive is by eating the enemy’s bullets.
And yes—this is where you stop and say: what?
You don’t literally eat them, of course. You absorb enemy bullets, and doing so automatically generates a shield around your ship. Keep absorbing, and the shield charges up until it reaches a maximum EX mode, which you can activate to unleash powerful abilities. Wait too long, though, and the shield overheats, temporarily shutting down and leaving you dangerously exposed.
At first, this is incredibly confusing. It breaks just about every unwritten rule in a genre that’s been firmly established for over 40 years. But once it clicks—boom—everything suddenly feels natural, even logical. What initially feels wrong quickly turns into one of the game’s most satisfying and defining features.
The Mechanics, The Tutorial…
I already touched on the core mechanics in the previous paragraph, but I want to say a few words about the tutorial—because for those of us who grew up with this genre, it somehow manages to make absolutely no sense at all.
On paper, the tutorial is actually quite straightforward. In practice, though, I never really understood it. That might be a case of something getting lost in translation, especially considering this is a Japanese release.
Every step is explained, complete with playable illustrations (although only 4 of the 8 steps are shown at once), but even while actively playing through them, I found myself mostly guessing what the game wanted me to do.
In short: the tutorial was completely useless for me. I had to simply play the game and figure things out the old-fashioned way—which, ironically, worked far better.
The Presentation, Sound, Graphics Etc…
The very first thing that struck me after booting up the game was that the opening image felt completely out of place. Thankfully, from that point on, I didn’t find a single thing to complain about when it comes to presentation.
The game looks absolutely gobsmacking. The graphics are super fluid, it’s always easy to read the screen and see where to dodge bullets, rockets, asteroids, and other hazards—and best of all, the visual style hits that sweet spot. It’s clearly retro-inspired, but without going all the way back to the 80s like so many others do.
There’s also a CRT filter, and in my opinion, it’s something everyone should enable. It adds so much to the experience and just feels right for this kind of game.
Sound-wise, it’s a perfect match. Retro-flavored, energetic, and almost feels like something Taito could have shipped back in the day. I even caught myself humming along while playing, which is always a good sign…
Well—unless the game had Macarena as its theme song. Then we’d have a problem 😛
The Game Modes…
This game offers so many difficulty options and layers that it can be hard to get the full picture at first. It didn’t take long, though, before I realized that many of these options are unlocked simply by playing, and honestly, for the first few hours that was more than enough. Sticking to the first mode on the lowest difficulty felt just right early on.
The three selectable ships are actually part of the difficulty system as well—and for some bizarre reason, the last ship turns out to be the easiest one to use.
My advice: don’t overthink it. Play the game a few times before diving into all the modifiers, modes, and hidden layers. Let it unfold naturally—it makes the experience far more enjoyable.
The Verdict…
Superb value for money at $15.99, this is a game that will keep you busy for quite a while—thanks both to its demanding difficulty level and the sheer number of levels and gameplay variations on offer.
The Platinum trophy is no joke and will be a real challenge. That said, if you’re into this type of game and spend enough time with it, it’s absolutely within reach and feels genuinely earned rather than frustrating.
With great graphics, excellent sound design, tight mechanics, and an overall high level of polish, this stands out as one of the better shoot ’em ups I’ve played in the last few years. It’s an easy recommendation—and one you really shouldn’t sleep on.
Go get it.
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Author: 360 Technology Group
