A Revolution in the Shoot 'em Up Genre

This game lets you rotate your ship and shoot diagonally at enemies, adding modern controls to retro gameplay.

This small change in controls creates a huge difference in gameplay. You'll find this game to be more realistic, more immersive, and more challenging than your typical shoot 'em up game.

Hybrid Horizontal / Vertical Shooter

The enemies enter from the top of the screen, but the screen layout is landscape. Plus, you can shoot at any angle from forward to sideways. This makes Invaders from the Third Dimension the first ever hybrid horizontal/vertical shooter. Now the player has more options than just sliding horizontally and shooting vertically. You can aim diagonally at enemies, so you don't have to put yourself on a collision course.

Rotating your ship also allows for better bullet-dodging. You can angle your ship to slip through small gaps between bullets, plus you can vary your horizontal speed as your ship rotates.

Mesmerizing Graphics

The ships rotate in 3D, just like real fighter jets. The enemies move in beautiful circular patterns while pulling barrel rolls. The laser beams glow and illuminate their surroundings. The explosions are realistic, with particles and smoke. And it all runs at a silky smooth 60 FPS with v-sync.

Varied and Balanced Gameplay

You'll get a different experience every time you play this game. The enemies appear in randomized positions, and they use AI to make their own decisions about where to go and when to shoot. You won't get bored playing the same levels over and over. And you cannot simply memorize the levels - you must have enough skill to beat this game.

Each level introduces a new enemy with a new weapon, creating a new gameplay experience. The enemy weapons include lasers, splitting bullets, and rockets.

Each enemy weapon has its own pros and cons. Lasers move fast, but they don't deal much damage. Splitting bullets occupy a wide area of the screen, but you can find gaps between them. Rockets can be shot down, but they'll deal a lot of damage if you don't.

The final level adds heat-seeking rockets for an extra level of challenge.

Upgrade your Ship

You'll start off with only a single, semi-auto laser cannon. As you take out more enemies, you'll have the opportunity to upgrade your ship by collecting powerups. You can get additional laser cannons, bursts of automatic fire, and eventually full auto. You'll also be given a larger health bar halfway through each level, so you can take on more powerful enemies.

Simple Controls

All you need to do is move and shoot. It's a truly retro experience, without the steep learning curve of complex controls. The game is simple enough for anyone to play, yet still challenging for experienced gamers. The game is easy to learn but difficult to master.