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.
Reviews
- The game features a charming art style and creative character designs, making it visually appealing.
- Gameplay is fun and addictive, with a variety of builds and synergies that keep players engaged.
- The developers are active in addressing bugs and adding content, showing commitment to improving the game.
- The game can become repetitive quickly due to limited levels and content, leading to a lack of long-term engagement.
- There are performance issues, including crashes and lag, particularly in later levels with many enemies.
- Some mechanics and controls are unclear or poorly designed, which can detract from the overall experience.
- gameplay21 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is generally praised for its fun and engaging mechanics, with a strong gameplay loop that evolves with difficulty levels and offers creative weapon and leveling systems. However, some players feel that it lacks long-term replayability and innovation compared to other titles in the genre, citing issues like bugs, unbalanced mechanics, and a lack of diverse content. Overall, while the core gameplay is enjoyable and polished, it may not stand out enough to keep players invested for extended periods.
“Gameplay loop: 10/10 - changes with each difficulty and there's enough variety to keep going back in.”
“Good gameplay loop, definitely creative on how you level up and weaponry, etc.”
“From a gameplay point of view, it's a bullet heaven rogue-lite with a power scaling method similar to Hades, where you receive upgrades from hackers and having different upgrades from the same hacker or two different hackers can give you synergetic upgrades.”
“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.”
- story10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's story is heavily front-loaded with lore up to level 6, but becomes less significant as gameplay progresses, with many players finding it irrelevant to their enjoyment. While the narrative is simple and not particularly deep, it has potential for development, especially as the game is still in early access. Overall, the story garners mixed reviews, with some players intrigued by its elements while others feel it does not significantly impact the overall experience.
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
- graphics8 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. Players appreciate the pleasing aesthetics and smooth controls, contributing to an engaging and addictive gameplay experience. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, enhancing the overall enjoyment of the game.
“Catchy music and sounds, amusing parodies, lots of homage and references to other great games, smooth controls and pleasing graphics.”
“Has a vibrant cyberpunk-ish pixel art style filled with references.”
“I love the aesthetic and the gameplay.”
- stability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report minor visual glitches and slow level loading, others experience significant issues such as unresponsive gameplay and freezing. Despite these problems, many users find that the game runs smoothly without lag during play.
“Levels load a little slowly, but the game runs great and doesn't lag at all.”
“The game is incredibly stable; I've experienced no crashes or major bugs.”
“Performance is solid throughout, providing a smooth and enjoyable gaming experience.”
“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.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its catchy tunes and amusing parodies, featuring numerous homages to other popular games. Reviewers highlight the quality of the sound effects and stage soundtracks, noting that they enhance the overall experience with smooth controls and pleasing graphics.
“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.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers solid replayability through its accessible "pick up and play" mechanics, featuring unlockable characters and upgrades, as well as three distinct main levels to explore.
“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.”
“Unlockable characters and unlockable upgrades (soul codes) add to the replayability.”
“Replayability: there are 3 different main levels to choose from.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating its cleverness and the amusing interactions, such as the funny moments behind the pelican. However, some find certain elements, like the first boss's laughter, to be grating and repetitive. Overall, the humor complements the game's strong art direction and encourages replayability through diverse character and weapon combinations.
“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.”
- emotional1 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, which can lead to feelings of unfairness and annoyance among players.
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
While players have reported performance issues, the developers are actively addressing these concerns with frequent patches and are responsive to community feedback through discussions and Discord.
“The developers are highly responsive to performance issues, frequently patching the game multiple times a day to address concerns.”
“I appreciate how the devs actively engage with the community on discussions and Discord, ensuring that optimization is a priority.”
“Despite some performance issues, the continuous updates and commitment from the developers to improve the game experience are commendable.”
“The game suffers from significant performance issues that hinder the overall experience.”
“Despite frequent patches, the optimization remains a major concern, affecting gameplay fluidity.”
“The optimization is lacking, leading to frustrating lag and stuttering during critical moments.”
