Bears in Space

Bears in Space is a 2024 retro-inspired, comedy-driven first-person bullet-hell shooter developed by Australian indie studio Broadside Games and published by Ravenscourt. Released on March 22, 2024, for PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store), it is a highly absurd, over-the-top adventure that seamlessly blends the fast-paced, run-and-gun chaos of Serious Sam with the self-aware, zany humor of High on Life and classic 90s cartoons.

Core Concept and Story

The game absolutely refuses to take itself seriously. You play as Maxwell Atoms, a veteran Spacetronaut whose ship is attacked and crashes on a bizarre alien planet populated entirely by a hostile, oil-thirsty robotic menace. Due to a hilarious mishap during the crash, Maxwell’s DNA is accidentally merged with Beartana, a captive She-Bear he was transporting.

Sharing a single body, Maxwell and Beartana must blast their way through wastelands, medieval villages, and space carnivals to find a way back to Earth. The narrative relies heavily on rapid-fire pop-culture references, slapstick comedy (you literally slip on a banana peel within the first 30 seconds), and a constant stream of ridiculous banter between the human and the bear.

Gameplay and Features

Bears in Space operates as a bizarre chimera of a boomer shooter, a 3D platformer, and a massive collection of mini-games:

• Bullet-Hell Combat: The core shooting loop is fast and frantic. You are constantly swarmed by hordes of 1950s-style retro-futuristic robots, forcing you to utilize double-jumps, air dashes, and constant movement to dodge colorful waves of enemy projectiles in arena-style firefights.
• The Absurd Arsenal: You start with standard blasters and shotguns, but the game quickly introduces a massive arsenal of over 25 bizarre weapons. This includes an anvil-launching slingshot, a gun that shoots weaponized ducks, and even a giant, slapping tongue. Crucially, weapons naturally level up and evolve into more powerful tiers simply by using them in combat.
• The Bear Transformation: The game’s namesake feature. When you find and consume elusive honey pots scattered around the levels, you temporarily unleash your “Ursine rage.” You transform into a massive, indestructible bear, allowing you to tear through robot hordes using melee “Bear-Fu.”
• Platforming and Mini-Games: The shooting arenas are frequently broken up by surprisingly competent, puzzle-heavy platforming sections. The game is also absolutely packed with distracting side-quests and mini-games, ranging from investigating a crime scene and playing a round of “Basketcube” to finding a full Time Crisis-style arcade shooter.

Reception

Bears in Space received generally positive reviews from players, earning a “Very Positive” overall rating on Steam shortly after launch.

Fans of the genre praised the game for its incredibly tight shooting mechanics, charmingly goofy aesthetic, and the sheer variety of its gameplay loop. The platforming, in particular, was highlighted as being surprisingly well-designed for a first-person shooter. However, some critics and players noted that the game suffers from slight pacing issues. At roughly 10 to 14 hours long, the campaign can feel like it slightly overstays its welcome, and a few of the wackier weapons in the arsenal are ultimately too gimmicky to be genuinely useful in the chaotic late-game encounters.

Quick Note

Bears in Space is an unapologetically silly, high-energy blast from the past.

In short: If you don’t enjoy fourth-wall-breaking humor or relentless dad jokes, this game’s tone might grate on your nerves. But if you want a colorful, mechanically tight, and thoroughly absurd shooter where you can use a rubber-band slingshot to fire an anvil at a robot before transforming into a giant bear to punch them into scrap metal, it delivers a genuinely roaring good time.