The Bug Butcher

DestructoidJordan Devore

9/10

I loved the responsive controls, and that’s a big factor when examining an action-heavy game like this, but the presentation is also commendable. The art and sound design play pivotal roles. Bugs are squishy, just as you’d expect, while power-ups serve as a visual and auditory jolt of energy. The thumping electronic soundtrack is unrelenting, further helping to keep you in The Zone.

TheSixthAxisJason Coles

9/10

The Bug Butcher is a spiritual successor that is very much possessed by its muse. This isn’t a subtle nod, it is soaked in Pang and it’s great because of it. The ability to play the game endlessly to beat your own score will keep you coming back. The fact that you can do it with a friend is just an even bigger incentive. The Bug Butcher isn’t reinventing anything, but it is a damn fine version of a classic game.

GameSpaceDamien Gula

9/10

The Bug Butcher feels like Earthworm Jim and Alien Hominid met in an arcade to play Space Invaders and the residual DNA collected from their shared joystick and button usage was used to genetically engineer The Bug Butcher. Its frenetic pace and creative arsenal create a humorously fun experience full of equal parts mirth and mayhem. If you enjoy arcade-style side scrolling shooter, The Bug Butcher needs to be in your go-to rotation.

TechRaptorSamuel Guglielmo

8.5/10

The Bug Butcher is a great game with entertaining gameplay and neat weapons that is only slightly held back by longevity issues.

Gaming NexusNathan Carter

8/10

The Bug Butcher is a really fun and really addicting arcade like shooter. While it won't take that long to play through all the levels, it offers a high amount of replayability and it's one of those games where every single point matters and you will be playing over and over again to climb those leaderboards.

KeenGamerjzerbeyvi

8/10

Set out to exterminate the insectoid aliens threatening the human race! Become Harry, a space exterminator, but better known as The Bug Butcher! Shoot, dodge, and scramble your way through waves upon waves of ugly aliens looking to be butchered!!!

WellPlayedArana Judith

8/10

The Bug Butcher is a balls-to-the-wall shooter that revels in its simplicity to bring tight gameplay to the bug-infested table.

MonsterVineSpencer Legacy

The sound design is decent, with the sound effects standing out above the music. While the music is okay, it’s mainly varying pieces of techno that kind of blend together. It works well as atmospheric background music, but it’s not overly memorable. The sound effects on the other hand are fantastic. The bugs sound vile and gross, while the different weapons all emit their own flashy noises. This all lends credence to the main concept, as it really makes you feel like an interstellar bug slayer.

Nintendo World ReportZachary Miller

8/10

I want to give ample credit to the game’s art style: many bugs animate beautifully, and even the exterminator—despite his limited moveset—gets some animated flare now and then. The music is also surprisingly catchy. The Bug Butcher is a fun Pang-style romp that works in bursts or in longer play sessions—I found it a good game to play while catching up on TV shows. If you like this arcade game style, The Bug Butcher should definitely be on your radar.

The OuterHavenKeith Mitchell

Despite the odd name, The Bug Butcher definitely caught me by surprise with its woefully simple, yet deep mechanics that will make you stand up and pay attention, that is unless you want to survive and constantly surpass your previous score and your friends while you're at it. However the game…

Video ChumsA.J. Maciejewski

6.1/10

There's something about certain classic arcade games that indie developers just can't get enough of. The Bug Butcher borrows heavily from Pang (AKA Buster Bros.) but does it live up to the classic?

GameSpewEd Thorn

6/10

All in all, The Bug Butcher is a fun game that relies heavily on replayability. But doesn’t provide enough to make it replayable in the long term. It needs to give the player more options to add exciting new elements to the gameplay to prevent it from going stale. Sure it’s addictive, but only for so long. It’s continuously marred by a frustrating ‘lack of’ that’s perfectly summarised in the first few steps into the single-player mode when you’re greeted by a stunning space back-drop, hoping you’ll get to explore more of the planet, before that dream dies as quickly as it surfaced. It’s a game...