Bezier: Second Edition is an arcade shoot ’em up exclusively launching on the Nintendo Switch. A previous version of this game launched on Steam back in 2016, but Bezier: Second Edition is an updated and revamped version of this original title. The Switch version was developed and published by Thalamus Digital, while the original was developed by Philip Bak.

Bezier: Second Edition is a classic single-player arcade shooter experience, but it doesn’t lack originality. The gameplay is pretty simple, so simple that the game lacks a tutorial but does not suffer for it. I just jumped right into the game and I picked up on everything pretty quick. Bezier: Second Edition opts instead to throw you in and let you figure it out, and this only works because of how well designed this game is. The controls are simple, smooth, and intuitive from the start. Pausing while in-game automatically displays everything you need to know about the controls. A lot of the game’s mechanics are conveyed clearly with well done visual and gameplay cues. If you are still confused by the controls or the gameplay after playing for a few minutes, the in-game help menu is clear, concise, and tells you everything you need to know.

Most of Bezier: Second Edition’s gameplay consists of shooting a wide variety of basic enemies and trying to take out more complicated enemies known as shields. The shields often have a puzzle involved to defeat them, and these get trickier as you progress. This aspect adds a fun intellectual layer and prevents the gameplay from feeling like a mindless arcade shooter. Bezier: Second Edition is constantly throwing new features at you but cleverly never overwhelms you.

Bezier: Second Edition also offers a lot of accessibility and variety for players of all kinds, from hardcore to casual players. The game has three difficulty options available for every game mode. The harder you go in difficulty, the more rewards you receive but there are never penalties choosing easy. This makes the game very accessible to both casual and hardcore gamers. Easy mode is perfect for anyone looking for simplicity while hard mode provides plenty of challenge for masocore gamers. Besides the accessibility, the game also has a ton of variety in content. There is something here for every type of gamer. Bezier: Second Edition has a captivating campaign, an endless endurance mode, and a ton of various leaderboards to compete in. 

The main campaign offers different story routes and strongly encourages replay. A full playthrough takes less than an hour, but it’s designed to be replayed over and over again. Each playthrough offers new gameplay, abilities, different paths, new enemies, and gives you more insight into the overall plot. The story offers an artistic, thematic story that keeps you interested. It’s told to you through very poetic ingame narration which provides some context to the game and it’s world. The heavy themes, and story of Bezier: Second Edition will likely be interpreted very differently person to person. Even after several playthroughs, I really could not tell you the entire plot of the game. It’s the type of story you could completely ignore if you want, or you can go down the rabbit hole of trying to piece everything together.

Besides the main campaign, there are two other modes Bezier: Second Edition offers. There is the endless endurance mode where you try to defeat as many enemy waves as possible. It’s basically endless, so you could spend a lot of hours alone to grind your high score to the top. The leaderboards for both campaign and endurance show you global and local rankings, which are constantly being updated. The third mode, daily, is exactly like endurance but the leaderboards refresh once a day. Meaning everybody is competing to have the best score of the day as opposed to the best score of all time. All of this makes grinding up your highscores so rewarding and fun.

Bezier: Second Edition also has incredible art direction and presentation. The visuals are original but simplistic, and the entire game has a very cohesive aesthetic. The game boasts an 80-minute soundtrack that blends together a wide variety of synthesizers and orchestral instruments. It fits the game perfectly and is never grating on the ears. The sound design is great, the controls are smooth, and the whole experience is immersive.

No matter what kind of player you are, I can confidently say everyone will find something to love with Bezier: Second Edition. Its versatility and artistic aesthetic resonate in a way that leaves its mark.

Score: 9 out of 10

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch