Releasing for Steam and Nintendo Switch (the latter of which is the version I played), Viral Reload EX sends you on a microscopic journey to defend various bodies from viral invasions.

The gameplay feels like single screen, classic shoot ’em ups such as Space Invaders or Galaga; though backgrounds scroll, it definitely feels as if you’re taking on waves of defenders in formation on each stage, much like those iconic, aforementioned classics.

Of course, there are modern embellishments. The presentation, with anime-style cutscenes, along with excellent pixel art and animation, is fantastic. The story is appealingly silly, and the character design is brilliantly colourful too.

Speaking of embellishments to the basic gameplay, there’s a dash button too; given that there’s definitely a touch of bullet hell to proceedings, this comes in very useful indeed. That’s because your dash will render you immune to any hits momentarily. Timely use of the dash is the key to survival, especially when things get so hectic on screen against multiple enemies and bosses.

As is the norm with Flynn’s Arcade-published titles, you can upload your high score to online leaderboards using a QR code on-screen, which is a very welcome feature. If you’re running your game through an arcade cabinet (via Steam, of course), you can even set the game up to be coin operated too, for a very genuine, old school arcade feel!

Viral Reload EX is a very well designed, very addictive game with some excellent features (including some very inventive bosses), and it’s another great experience for old school gamers looking for a new title to satisfy those retro cravings.

Many thanks to Flynn’s Arcade for providing me with a Viral Reload EX game key for review purposes. Viral Reload EX launches on the 23rd of July, 2026.

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