Act: Xeno Assault 2 [by Jagged Blade Software]

Game Review:  Xeno Assault 2
Release: December 23, 2004
Genre: Action
Developer: Jagged Blade Software
System Requirements: Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, DirectX 7+
Players: 1
Price: $19.95
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My friend – we’ll call him Bob – is pretty unsuccessful with the ladies. His latest strategy is to emulate the style of the old masters, like Rhett Butler from “Gone with the Wind”. He has tried the cocky smile of Brad Pitt, and the blank look of David Duchovny. Still, he never gets beyond the first two dates. Why? Because he’s a copycat. His copying gets him a small amount of success – but to really become a hit with the ladies, he needs to find his own niche.

In many ways, I’d say that Xeno Assault II is very much like my friend Bob, and like my friend Bob, Xeno Assault II will enjoy some success, because we all feel like blowing stuff up at times. Bob is copying guys he thinks are cool instead of developing his unique personality. The company behind Xeno Assault II seems to be limiting its own creativity and persona by producing a sequel to a game and concept that has been in common use since the 80’s, and while they do it well, they don’t really improve it.

Still, Xeno Assault II is fun to play and has a number of good qualities. I enjoy the overhead camera angle. Most shooters are side-scrollers, but how often do you face enemy planes flying on top of each other? Xeno Assault II is an overhead shooter, which seems much more realistic.

The graphics work well and there is a wide variety of enemies and enemy spaceships and they aren’t exactly few and far between – you’ll find yourself hammering those mouse buttons for all you’re worth! If you enjoy action, spaceships and blowing things up, you’ll probably find yourself glued to this game!

Action, spaceships, and blowing stuff up… What more could a guy want?

Another cool feature is that you can also post your high score online and compare your score with others from around the globe.

I really enjoy the intro music to this game. Whoever composed this piece did a fantastic job! Sometimes I’ve found myself starting the game up only to listen to the intro music. The in-game music is also good, but the intro blows me away.

Graphics: 7
The graphics are nice, but they’re pretty standard for this sort of game, except that it is an overhead view, instead of the usual sidescroller. The graphics work well and they run smoothly, but they don’t really stand out. You do have the option of chosing which resolution you want to use, and the different resolutions have all worked well for me.

Sound: 8
The intro-music is a spectacular piece you are sure to love. The in-game music is good too, but it gets a bit repetitive down the line. The shotgun blasts and explosions don’t really stand out, they’re your run-of-the-mill explosion sounds, but they work well in the game.

Gameplay: 7
You know the story – in a galaxy far, far away you have to blow some big enemies to smithereens with a small spaceship. You get the requisite bonuses and weapon improvements, and at the end of each level you come face to face (or nose to nose) with a gigantic boss who you must defeat and then you live happily ever after. The game plays like you would expect it to, with no real technical problems. It feels a little sluggish moving the ship around but there is a good sense of control over your fighter-craft as you move around the hordes of on-coming aliens.

Value: 6
It is fun to play, and the different difficulty levels and the competition for best highscore give Xeno Assault II good replay value. I think the game would have benefited from having more stages (check out the game Warblade for an example of a similar game with more stages). The producers mention that the game has 100 stages – but I would say it has 10 different levels with each level containing 10 short stages.

Xeno Assault II is a remake of a retro-classic. If you’re a big retro fan, you’ll probably think that it’s worth the 20 bucks it’s selling for.

Concept: 6
In the world of stand-up comedy, if a topic has been done to death it’s called a “hack” topic. A “hack” subject is no longer “hack” if the comedian can put a fresh spin on the topic, or find an angle that hasn’t been done before. The producers have made an attempt at this by stepping away from the side-scrolling days of this type of game. It is definitely refreshing and takes the game to another level, but I expect more from this company. To take a “hack” game and make it your own, you have to bring in new elements, new angles, or a new spin to the game. If you don’t improve it in some way, then what’s the point? They made a good game, but it has all been done before.

Xeno Assault II has a really great and original feature, you have the opportunity to match your high score against others from around the world online.

Fun: 6
The opportunity to match your high score against others on the net is pretty cool and the different difficulty levels keep the game challenging and give you a reason to return to the game once you’ve beaten it.

Still, it is a pretty standard game—Shoot down the aliens. Win. Be happy. Do a strange little victory dance on the sofa. But what’s next?

Personally, I think an online version of this game would have been a great idea! I can imagine fighting in a group with my friends online to beat the wicked aliens.

Overall: 7
Xeno Assault II is fun to play, but there are better games out there. The concept isn’t entirely original, and you should be able to find games that are of a similar quality, but don’t cost quite as much.

I would also like to point out that I keep typing “Xena Assault II” as I write this article. Now – that’s a game I’d like to see!
Added: February 16th 2005
Reviewer: Martin Krantz
Score:
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Language: english