Xoo: Xeno Xafari
- August 6, 2020
- Willy Elektrix
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Xoo: Xeno Xafari" is a virtual reality game that takes players on an expedition to a distant alien planet. As a xeno-zoologist, you'll encounter and study a variety of exotic creatures while navigating through diverse environments. Use your wits, tools, and interactions with the creatures to survive and learn about the xeno-ecosystem.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features imaginative writing and quirky, colorful creatures that create a delightful atmosphere.
- It's a relaxing and enjoyable collectathon experience, perfect for casual play and exploration.
- The humor and charm in the descriptions of collectibles and characters add a unique and engaging layer to the gameplay.
- The gameplay can become repetitive, especially when trying to find the last few collectibles.
- Some players may find the lack of achievements and deeper mechanics disappointing.
- The game is relatively short, which might leave some players wanting more content.
- gameplay6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily focused on exploration and discovery, featuring a colorful map where players engage in activities like collecting eggs, observing creatures, and interacting with robots, reminiscent of "Ramble Planet." While the loop is simple and lacks combat, the experience is enriched by quality writing and a variety of collectibles, though some players may find the grind for completion tedious. Overall, it offers a charming, albeit straightforward, adventure.
“Even though the gameplay isn't much beyond exploration and discovery, this little gem is uplifted by the quality of its writing and the variety of things there are to find.”
“Gameplay-wise, it more closely resembles Ramble Planet (which I never finished but enjoyed my time with) in that there's no combat and a colorful map to explore.”
“The gameplay loop is simple: wake up, go rambling, pick up eggs, look at xenos, talk to robots, and explore the map.”
“The gameplay simply consists of walking up to stuff and looking at it -- perhaps collecting it based on one of your stats if it's a collectible.”
“A few cons would have to be the grind-like gameplay to find all the critters and collectibles.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as enjoyable, featuring a fun chiptune soundtrack that complements the engaging exploration and humorous character dialogue. However, some players feel that the music can be too frantic, detracting from the game's relaxing atmosphere, leading them to play with sound effects but mute the music. Overall, while the soundtrack has its fans, it may not suit everyone's taste.
“It's a fun little exploration game with a ton of funny characters and descriptions, with a fun chiptune soundtrack to boot.”
“The dialogue for the characters is nice, the music is cool, the descriptions for the collectibles and the xenos are nicely written and many are funny, and the xeno designs are really cool.”
“Don't let yourself get frustrated just because it takes some time to track down every last little thing-- just relax, explore and enjoy the island with its great music, fun graphics and awesome writing.”
“My only pet peeve is that the music is too frantic and clashes with the relaxing atmosphere of the game (so, I play with sound but without music).”
“About the only thing I can't comment on is the music, since I'm usually playing it on mute while something else is on, but it's still fun and engaging.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its abundant humor, featuring a variety of funny characters and witty descriptions that enhance the exploration experience. Players enjoy the absurdist humor found in the lore of the collectibles, with each of the 240 xenos offering unique and amusing insights. The dialogue and overall writing contribute significantly to the game's charm, making it a delightful experience for those who appreciate quirky humor.
“It's a fun little exploration game with a ton of funny characters and descriptions, with a fun chiptune soundtrack to boot.”
“The best part of the game is the lore of the xenos and the collectibles, full of absurdist humor that made me laugh out loud several times.”
“But for me, it's more than enough just uncovering all the bits of weird and hilarious writing that Willy is always putting out.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The graphics in Xoo are praised for their vibrant, color-coded zones and charming aesthetic, reminiscent of Pokémon, blending cheerful elements with darker, more twisted themes. The game's visuals, described as a mix between NES and Game Boy Color styles, contribute positively to the overall experience, enhancing the thoughtful level design and engaging writing. Overall, the graphics receive a thumbs up for their appeal and creativity.
“Don't let yourself get frustrated just because it takes some time to track down every last little thing-- just relax, explore and enjoy the island with its great music, fun graphics and awesome writing.”
“The graphics are a mix between NES and Game Boy Color and very charming.”
“The graphics are a mix between NES and Game Boy Color, and very charming.”
“But where Ramble Planet had a pretty severe aesthetic that was hard to 'read', Xoo has vibrant color-coded zones, flora, and fauna that strangely put me in the mind of Pokémon; very cheerful... but a little twisted at times (lots of vampiric creatures and creatures described as being able to kill you or overtly hostile... but only in their descriptions).”
- story2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story is conveyed through letters from home and scattered notes, which vary based on the player's starting character. However, it primarily revolves around simple fetch quests and puzzle-solving, with a focus on humorous text rather than a deep narrative.
“The narrative unfolds as you explore the island, revealing humorous texts and engaging lore through various fetch quests and puzzle-solving.”
“You get a little bit of story from letters from home, which vary depending on your starting character, and notes sprinkled throughout.”
“It's mostly just walking around an island to do some very basic fetch quests and puzzle-solving to read humorous texts.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is praised for its uniqueness and charm, particularly through engaging side-stories delivered via emails. However, some players feel that the frantic music detracts from the otherwise relaxing ambiance, leading them to play without it.
“The atmosphere was really special, and the side stories via the 'emails' were charming.”
“The music is too frantic and clashes with the relaxing atmosphere of the game.”
“My only pet peeve is that the music is too frantic and clashes with the relaxing atmosphere of the game (so, I play with sound but without music).”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, especially towards the end when searching for the last few xenos. The absence of Steam achievements further diminishes the motivation to engage in extensive grinding, making it feel less rewarding.
“This may seem like a first-world problem, but the lack of Steam achievements also didn't feel great for a game that required a lot of grinding.”
“It gets tedious towards the end of the game when you're trying to find the last few xenos, so do look out for that.”
