An experimental ship against an alien invasion
Procyon is a side-scrolling shoot 'em up set in a future where humanity is under attack by extraterrestrial forces. Your side of the war is an experimental ship that has never been flown before, and the odds of it actually winning the conflict are, by the game's own admission, implausible. You fly it anyway. The game is broken into five stages that get progressively more crowded with enemies, which the developers describe as "potential explosions" waiting to happen. Along the way you get an original faux-orchestral soundtrack running under the action.
Two weapons, shields, and overcharge
Combat is built around switching between two weapons on the fly. Bullets cover a lot of space and deal damage over a wide area, while the locking beam concentrates your firepower on specific, hard-to-reach targets. You also have shields, which let you zip through enemy attacks unharmed, and you can overcharge your weapons mid-fight for even greater destructive power. Between the dense enemy waves and the constant switching, expect a bullet-hell pace where positioning and knowing which weapon fits the moment matters.
Playing together and modes to pick from
Local co-op lets you and a friend team up in the same ship for double the destruction, and Remote Play Together is supported so someone can join over the internet as if they were on the same couch. On the mode side, there's a normal mode that lets you start at any level, and a survival mode where you get a single life for your planet. The game also supports portrait orientation, which turns it into a top-down shmup if you prefer that view. Before starting, know that this is a straightforward arcade shooter: five stages, escalating enemy counts, and a co-op option that rewards two pilots working the weapon swap and shield timing together.