Xenon Valkyrie

In conclusion, Xenon Valkyrie was a game that got swept in my backlog that I didn’t think much of at first, but upon playing through several runs and getting further and further each time, I find myself totally engrossed in this game. As an action platformer, the controls are excellent and the combat is satisfying, and the random elements here work great, shaking things up every time in a good way without making the game frustrating or too dependent on luck. With a good list of in-game achievements to tackle and ways to keep on trying until you finally beat the game, Xenon Valkyrie is easily one of the best indie roguelikes I’ve played in the past few years, and despite it’s simplistic look there’s a ton of depth here that makes it a worthy addition to your library.

67%Game Brain Score

music, graphics

gameplay, grinding

63% User Score Based on 126 reviews

Critic Score 77%Based on 3 reviews

Platforms

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About

Xenon Valkyrie is a single player role playing game with a anime theme. It was developed by DiabolicalMind and was released on February 3, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Xenon Valkyrie is a rogue-like with many RPG elements in which you will have to get to the deepest part of a moon and finish the plans of a wicked witch. You will be able to get many weapons randomly as you fight in a world that is created every time you play. There are a lot of characters, stores and enemies that will tell you a legendary story.

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63%

Audience ScoreBased on 126 reviews

music14 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

The game features great pixel art and an engaging soundtrack that evokes nostalgia.
Frequent updates from the developer have addressed many initial issues, improving gameplay and responsiveness.
The game offers a challenging roguelike experience that keeps players engaged with its mechanics and character variety.

The gameplay can feel frustrating due to unclear mechanics, poor hit detection, and a lack of tutorials, making it hard for new players to understand how to progress.
Boss fights restrict players to melee weapons only, which can lead to unfair encounters and a lack of strategic options.
Randomly generated levels can lead to cheap deaths and inaccessible areas, making the experience feel more luck-based than skill-based.

gameplay
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
66%
17%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding the core loop frustrating and lacking in variety, despite appreciating the visuals and music. While some enjoy the technical challenge and retro style, others criticize the unclear mechanics, clumsy controls, and a lack of engaging features, leading to a general sentiment that the game could benefit from significant tweaks to enhance the overall experience. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a barrier to enjoyment, with many players hesitant to return due to its irritating mechanics.
- “If you enjoy very technical gameplay, you might feel the opposite and Xenon Valkyrie might be worth checking out.”
- “Like most roguelikes, this one has a fair bit of challenge, and getting used to enemies and mechanics can take a little while.”
- “Gameplay is very nice; it's just classic style retro.”
- “I want to like this, but the core gameplay loop feels frustrating in a dozen small ways.”
- “It was actually really hard to decide whether or not to recommend this game because there are things about it I love (the great pixel art and chip tunes), but the mechanics were fundamentally lacking and often downright frustrating.”
- “There are various other things that make the game clumsy (having four usable abilities, but having to cycle between them rather than mapping them to separate buttons? Really?), but one can learn to work with them and they feel sort of forgivable, but really the simple boringness of this game's main gameplay makes it impossible to recommend.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
34%
12%
The music in the game is widely praised for its energetic and nostalgic quality, with many players considering it the standout feature. However, some users noted that the soundtrack can be repetitive and the sound levels are excessively loud without adjustable volume options. Overall, while the music evokes a retro feel reminiscent of titles like Cave Story, it has received mixed feedback regarding its repetitiveness and lack of volume control.
- “Booting up the game made me feel like a kid again; the game and its soundtrack radiate with energy and excitement.”
- “One of the big standouts for this game is the music.”
- “Music / sound is very loud, with no in-game volume sliders, just on/off.”
- “Music is a bit repetitive.”
- “The music itself sounds unique, and I'm not sure of the source, but it definitely reminds me a lot of Cave Story, as does a lot of the aesthetics of the levels.”
graphics
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
62%
13%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a retro art style that is visually appealing, featuring pixel graphics and a sci-fantasy anime theme. However, some reviewers noted a lack of unique level design, as many tiles serve dual purposes for backgrounds and collisions, which detracts from the overall experience. While the aesthetic is praised, there are calls for more depth and variety in the graphical elements to enhance gameplay.
- “As a retro platformer, it has an outstanding art style, nothing more than that unfortunately.”
- “The soundtrack and art style are great and have a nice retro feel to them.”
- “It plays a lot like Spelunky, with pixel graphics and a sci-fantasy anime theme.”
- “No more unique design of levels, only different tile graphics.”
- “Do they add any value other than aesthetics?”
- “(By the way, don't use interpolating graphics - it looks like smeared Vaseline on your screen; the standard look is crisp and very pretty.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
The story in the game is described as vague and lacking depth, failing to engage players or provide a compelling narrative. Comparisons to other titles, like Cave Story, highlight a perceived lack of finesse and character development, leaving players feeling disconnected and uninterested. Overall, the narrative aspect does not contribute significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The music itself sounds unique, and I'm not sure of the source, but it definitely reminds me a lot of Cave Story, as does a lot of the aesthetics of the levels.”
- “+ some story”
- “- story is vague, so I can't comment on it”
- “So here it is, this is my comment on this game after I think I beat this game (only got a bad end I think because I completed all missions in 1 hour and 16 minutes).”
- “It reminds me of Cave Story a bit, but with a tad less finesse than that game's character feel.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews suggest that while some players find the game tedious and perceive it as grindy, others argue that strategic experimentation with stat builds can significantly ease progression, making it less about grinding and more about finding the intended playstyle. Overall, the experience may vary greatly depending on individual approaches to gameplay.
- “The game's tedious otherwise, so decide if you really want to go through these janky pixelated maps just because of the promotional art.”
- “As I make my way through, I feel more like there is a certain intended way of playing this, not just grinding to the teeth.”
- “Honestly, I don't see why people say this game is grindy or frustratingly difficult. If you just take the time to experiment with stat builds, you can cheese all the way to late game quite consistently, even on completely unfunded runs. For example, if you max defense early on, you will be almost invincible against most enemies at least until the final biome.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, feeling a nostalgic excitement reminiscent of childhood, fueled by its energetic soundtrack. However, some also experience frustration, as the sense of wasted time in exploration and combat detracts from the overall enjoyment, leading to mixed feelings about the game's pacing and structure.
- “Booting up the game made me feel like a kid again; the game and its soundtrack radiate with energy and excitement.”
- “It kind of made me feel like every run I'd had beforehand was simply training for the run I would find this weapon in.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
Players find the game offers significant replayability, with each route providing a distinct experience and revealing hidden content beyond the initial playthrough. However, some feel that the overall polish of the game could enhance this aspect further.
- “Update: I just 100%'d the game, and it had even more replay value than I thought. Every route feels very different, and surviving your first run is barely scratching the surface of all the hidden content in this game.”
- “Frankly speaking, this game would have a lot more replayability if it were more properly polished.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has improved significantly since its initial buggy release, thanks to developer efforts and community feedback. However, issues like visual clutter and slow weapon switching still need to be addressed for a more enjoyable experience.
- “Originally it was buggy and near impossible, but the dev has worked with the community to make a better game.”
- “That being said, if the problem of the visual clutter and slow/buggy weapon switch gets dealt with, I can see myself enjoying this game.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its quirky and sometimes awkward translations, which many players find amusing and entertaining.
- “The translation is a bit wonky, but it's hilarious to see, for me at least.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players have praised the developers for their responsiveness to feedback, noting that they have effectively addressed and optimized nearly all requested issues, resulting in a significantly improved gaming experience.
- “The dev has been listening to player feedback and has pretty much fixed, repaired, and optimized almost everything we asked for!”