One of the sad truths of the early gaming industry is that vector graphics died too soon.  We got classics like Asteroids, Tac/Scan, Tempest, Major Havoc, the Vectrex console and its library of games, and then they were gone, left behind for the colorful sprites that would dominate the industry until the PS1 showed up.  It took a couple decades, but eventually 3D and 2D learned to live in peace and even happily cohabitate, but games using vector graphics, with their sharp, clean lines glowing over dark backgrounds, are far more niche.  Geometry Wars borrowed the style for a time, Vib Ribbon is a minor classic, and you can find a few other odds and ends searching "Vector" on Steam, but in general making a game out of straight glowy lines is a lost art.  And then there's the alpha demo for Rhythm Storm.

Rhythm Storm is an early-in-development Survivors-style shooter, of the type where you control movement while the standard weapons fire off automatically, and each level-up brings with it the choice a selection of new powers.  There have been more than a few of these games since Vampire Saviors blew up, to the point that fans of the genre might be getting burned out thanks to a glut of mid-tier clones, but there should always room at the top for the ones that get it right.  It's early and Rhythm Storm has several months to go before it's ready for Early Access, much less proper release, but it already puts on an unmatched light-show as the player's tank gets deadlier with each new upgrade.

Each new run starts with a choice of tank, initially with a single default option but eventually unlocking four different units that all play differently from each other. Starting out gives a choice of two powerups before the level begins, with each tank getting its own preset options to start your build from before the level-up randomization takes over.  Once you've got your base tank configured, the run kicks in, starting slowly and quickly building to a wildly chaotic arena packed with enemies being dominated by a tank with the firepower to handle all comers.

The basic game structure is that enemies come in waves, and the last enemy of a wave drops a diamond-icon that you'll need to drive over to earn the level-up.  Just like at the start, each level-up has two sets of three options to choose from, which works nicely for both when you have a couple of upgrades that complement each other or just grab a few things to gradually increase weapon effectiveness and other abilities.  Area of effect, tank speed, firing rate, autonomous drones, new powers and more can show up, and as is standard for the genre, the trick is to figure out which ones work best for you, or at least provide a solid punch.

While the tank auto-fires its main weapon, there's more to do than move around.  Each tank comes with a special weapon, and if the powerups are willing, a dash as well.  The special weapon runs on energy, which can increment over time but is best increased by picking up the little light-dots enemies leave behind, and surviving to the end of a run is dependent on knowing how much energy you've got to spare for a burst of power.  The alpha has three weapon abilities in it and each one can get you to the end of a run when used properly.

What really makes Rhythm Storm work, outside of being a nicely-designed Survivors game, is the incredibly pyrotechnic display of its vector-shattering graphic style.  Everything breaks into its component vectors, sending particles flying apart in fountains of light.  Invulnerability powerups turn enemies into glowing red targets, electro-mines explode with an obliterating shockwave granting momentary safety, and when the electric arc special weapon has a moment to fire up, it tears through dozens of enemies in a display of pure vector power.  Whatever else Rhythm Storm may be, it's absolutely beautiful in its sheer glowing destructiveness.

Rhythm Storm is currently in alpha and free to all, albeit in demo-sized format.  A single round cuts out after a set number of waves and it's not all that difficult to reach the end, but while it won't take long to see all its available content, it's still great to replay for the joy of vector-enemy annihilation.  There are good unlockables, new powers and tanks plus a great little bonus that I won't spoil, and for being in alpha the game feels stable and polished.  The eventual full version may be Early Access or not, and content is still being created for all aspects of the game, so there's a lot in flux right now, but the alpha is a ton of fun and worth a couple nights' play to see all it's got to offer.  For more details on the planned features and road to creation there's a good FAQ available, but for now Rhythm Storm is a promising demo that's also one of the best uses of the vector-graphic style since Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved.