X Invader
- August 12, 2024
- AllafGames
- 12h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"X Invader" is a challenging 2D pixel art shoot 'em up game. Blast through hordes of alien invaders, collect power-ups, and dodge their projectiles in fast-paced action. With multiple difficulty options and a survival mode, there's plenty of replayability for both casual and hardcore players.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game is incredibly fun and offers a lot of build variety, allowing players to experiment with different playstyles.
- The art style is charming and the enemy designs are creative, adding personality to the gameplay experience.
- The developer is active in the community and regularly updates the game, showing commitment to improving the overall experience.
- The game suffers from performance issues, including slowdowns and crashes, which can detract from the gameplay experience.
- There is a lack of content, with only a few levels available, leading to repetitive gameplay after a short time.
- Some mechanics, such as hitboxes and control options, are unclear or poorly implemented, making the game frustrating at times.
- gameplay42 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its fun and creative mechanics, particularly the leveling and weapon systems, with a solid core loop that offers variety across difficulties. However, some players feel it lacks depth and innovation compared to other titles in the genre, leading to a sense of repetitiveness after a few hours. Additionally, issues such as bugs, glitches, and unclear mechanics detract from the overall experience, suggesting that while the foundation is strong, it requires further refinement and content expansion.
“Good gameplay loop, definitely creative on how you level up and weaponry.”
“Let me start my review by saying the core gameplay of this game is really fun.”
“Gameplay loop: 10/10 - changes with each difficulty and there's enough variety to keep going back in.”
“After just maybe 12 hours of gameplay, I feel like there is really no point in me continuing to play.”
“I've had my fill of the core gameplay system and with no other levels to mix things up, there's really nothing else here for me to do.”
“Even worse, the gameplay experience is marred by numerous issues, from bugs and glitches to unbalanced mechanics.”
- story20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 70 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The game's story is currently in early access and remains incomplete, featuring a simple plot that unfolds as players progress through levels. While it includes intriguing lore and a cast of supporting characters, the narrative is not deeply engaging and is considered somewhat irrelevant to the overall gameplay experience. Players can expect a light-hearted approach to storytelling, with the potential for more development in future updates.
“There is a simple plot that develops as you clear levels, 5 distinct weapons to pick from with their own in-run upgrade trees, a very large number of costumes with passive effects, equippable gear to upgrade select aspects, and an appreciable cast of supporting characters who offer interesting skill trees to you during runs.”
“They've recently added in some story to the game as well, which is interesting.”
“Just beginning, it seems to have some sort of story which already intrigues me.”
“Okay, maybe it's not exactly about rescuing slime waifus, but the game is currently in early access, so the story is incomplete.”
“The story is fine; don't expect something deep, though.”
“It's heavily front-loaded on lore/story up to level 6 of each stage, but once you get past that point, the whole game basically opens up.”
- graphics16 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their vibrant cyberpunk-inspired pixel art style, which is filled with references and homages to other games. Reviewers appreciate the pleasing aesthetics, smooth controls, and overall visual appeal, contributing to an engaging and addictive gameplay experience.
“Has a vibrant cyberpunk-ish pixel art style filled with references.”
“Catchy music and sounds, amusing parodies, lots of homage and references to other great games, smooth controls and pleasing graphics.”
“I love the aesthetic and the gameplay.”
- stability10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
The game's stability is inconsistent, with users reporting various bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, including freezing issues and slow level loading. While some players noted minor visual glitches that didn't significantly affect their experience, others faced more severe problems, such as the game becoming unresponsive. Overall, the stability issues detract from the overall gameplay experience.
“Levels load a little slow, but the game runs great and doesn't lag.”
“Even worse, the gameplay experience is marred by numerous issues, from bugs and glitches to unbalanced mechanics.”
“I finished every run by stopping the process with task manager because the game simply wouldn't respond whether I won or not. If it is minimized for too long, it freezes completely. Some elements seem to be made without any thought put into them; for example, the second map is pretty much impossible to complete with rockets, and the translation is, at best, okay.”
“There are some visual glitches, but those have yet to impede my playtime.”
- music8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy tunes and well-executed soundtracks that enhance the gameplay experience. Reviewers appreciate the amusing parodies and numerous homages to other games, alongside solid sound effects that complement the overall presentation.
“Catchy music and sounds, amusing parodies, lots of homage and references to other great games, smooth controls and pleasing graphics.”
“I think the soundtrack for the stages is done well.”
“Good soundtrack”
- replayability6 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers solid replayability through its accessible "pick up and play" mechanics, featuring three distinct main levels and a variety of unlockable characters and upgrades (soul codes) that encourage players to return for more.
“Replayability: there are 3 different main levels to choose from.”
“Unlockable characters and unlockable upgrades (soul codes) add to the replayability.”
“Replayability: there's 3 different main levels to choose from.”
“This game is not as grossly complex as some of the other top-down horde shooters, but it offers a lot of 'pick up and play' replay value.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its balance and cleverness, particularly in the context of the art direction and gameplay mechanics. However, some find certain elements, like the repetitive laughter of a boss character, to be annoying and detracting from the overall experience. Additionally, humorous moments, such as walking off the map, add a lighthearted touch to the gameplay.
“And you can walk off the map behind the pelican, it's quite funny!”
“The art direction is amazing, the humor is just right, and the selection of perks/characters/weapons and their combinations are outstanding and makes me want to try multiple runs with different setups.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is negatively impacted by frustrating mechanics, such as inconsistent hitboxes for projectiles, which can lead to feelings of unfairness and annoyance among players. This detracts from the overall experience and can diminish emotional engagement with the game.
- optimization2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game experiences some performance issues, but the developers are actively addressing these concerns by frequently releasing patches, sometimes multiple times a day, and maintaining open communication with the community.
“The developers are highly responsive in discussions and on Discord, frequently releasing patches—sometimes multiple times a day—to address performance issues.”
“The devs are committed to optimizing the game, actively engaging with the community and implementing fixes regularly.”
“Despite some performance issues, the ongoing support from the developers through frequent updates shows their dedication to optimization.”
“There are some performance issues, but the developers are responsive in both the discussions and Discord, and they keep patching the game (sometimes multiple times a day) to fix issues.”
