When comparing Deathsmiles vs Eschatos, the Slant community recommends Deathsmiles for most people. In the question“What are the best Shoot 'Em Up games on Steam?” Deathsmiles is ranked 7th while Eschatos is ranked 12th. The most important reason people chose Deathsmiles is:
The scoring is based on item collection without much complexity. Learning when to collect the items or generate more is where the depth comes from, and learning it can also help novice players by granting Extends, letting them play longer.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Simple, yet In-Depth scoring
The scoring is based on item collection without much complexity. Learning when to collect the items or generate more is where the depth comes from, and learning it can also help novice players by granting Extends, letting them play longer.
Pro Forgiving
You get 3 bombs per life stock, which means you can make several mistakes with little to no penalty. It is also possible to be hit more than once per life stock.
Pro Relaxed paced
Compared to other Cave shooters, this game has a more relaxed pace to it, making it easier to recognize bullet patterns and enemy waves.
Pro Variable difficulty
Before every stage, you can choose between varying difficulty levels allowing you to tailor the game to your skill level.
Pro Easily accessible
Eschatos used to be an Import-friendly Japanese only title for the Xbox 360, but now it is fully localized and easily accessible by anyone on Steam. Runs well on lower end machines as well.
Pro Beginner Friendly
The learning curve starting from the easiest difficulty levels is very easy to follow. The bullet density starts off light and cranks up when you're ready to challenge yourself with a higher level of difficulty. This helps you learn about your hitbox. Also, 1UPs are quite plentiful, letting you play longer on one credit.
Pro Amazing Soundtrack
Both the original and arranged soundtracks for this game are absolutely fantastic and always a joy to listen to. This is very appreciated in a genre where you practice stages many times in order to improve your score.
Pro 2 Different Modes
Normal and Advanced modes play very differently. In Normal mode, your ship's power stays consistent through the whole game. Don't want to worry about powering up your ship? Normal mode is for you. Enjoy shifting between offense and defense depending on the situation? Advanced mode lets you do just that.
Cons
Con Moe Artstyle
Similar to Mushihimesama, another Cave game, this game's artstyle will not be to everyone's taste. The art is also higher resolution since it's a horizontal shooter, making it more difficult to ignore.
Con Features unlocked slowly
Many different options are locked behind a cumulative score. If you're just starting out, things can take a long time to unlock. This includes stage select.
Con Scoring is unforgiving
Scoring is very simple to understand. By destroying enemy waves completely, you build up a multiplier. However, if you lose a life or let an enemy pass, your multiplier will drop by one. If a few ships make it through in a short time span, your multiplier can completely disappear which can be quite unforgiving for a single mistake.
Con Normal mode is very simplistic
For fans of more complicated systems, normal mode might be too simplistic. Your power doesn't change through the game, so you go through everything with a straight shot, a wide shot, and a temporary shield as well as bombs that drop from enemies. That's it - just 4 mechanics.