Twin stick shooter Solstice Chronicles: MIA recently headed to crowdfunding platform Fig to try and raise enough money for release. Currently the devs at Ironward are halfway to their $30,000 USD goal and they still have 25 days to go.

The gameplay here is very much influenced by arcade run-and-gunners as you’re a nameless Corporation Marine trying to survive against infected hordes. However, your trip to Mars is not all doom and gloom as you’ll have help from an AI drone that will add new moves to your arsenal.

The most interesting part to the gameplay of Solstice Chronicles is the 'threat level mechanic'. Here you can use abilities that will effect the difficulty of upcoming sections of the game: Some are positive, some are negative, and some contain a combination of both. For instance, you can use a bomb feature to damage nearby enemies but the next horde of infected will now be even stronger.

There are plenty of RPG elements to keep players engaged as well. There are skill trees, items to be scavenged, upgradable weapons, and four unique classes. Would you like to be Assault, Demolition, Hellfire, or Terminator? Maybe that last class will let you travel back in time and doom humanity.

Other features include:

• Master fluid twin-stick combat to blast through waves of mutants on Mars.
• Use your drone's abilities tactically, weighing the risk and reward of decisions that drastically change the threat you face.
• Decide between scavenging for supplies and upgrades in the face of the oncoming menace, or pushing forward, potentially unprepared for the enemies still to come.
• Decimate the mutant onslaught with upgradeable weaponry, including shotguns, rocket launchers, and more, as well as special Heavy weapons, like the autocannon and flamethrower, which will obliterate everything in their path.
• Develop your own skill tree from across four classes--Assault, Demolition, Hellfire, and Terminator--to become the ultimate instrument of destruction.
• Local co-op multiplayer.

Solstice Chronicles looks like a nice mix of old school arcade fun with modern progression techniques to keep things fresh. The graphics also maintain a nice balance with giving a older PC game look with slick alien and environmental designs.

You have until March 23rd if you want to back the game on Fig. The devs are looking at late 2017 release for PC and Mac with a PS4 version coming later on. They're also hoping to release the game on the Xbox One as well. You can view the campaign trailer below: