X-Out: Resurfaced PC Review

The late 80’s and 90’s produced some fantastic platform and scrolling games, titles such as Gods, Xenon (and arguably even more so Xenon 2: Megablast) and R-Type… along with X-Out.

X-Out (pronounced Cross Out) is a side-scroller set underwater (as opposed to the more common space setting). You pilot a submersible and must defeat the alien invasion from the deep!

The first thing to note is the initial loading screen which is a tip of the hat to the old hackers/mod scene complete with scrolling wavy text. Which was all fun and good until I tried to skip past it to get to the actual game and initially I couldn’t find a way until I did the tried and true… mash different buttons on the keyboard until something works… more on that later.

The visuals will take you back to the glory days of side-scrollers and have been recreated (and in some cases enhanced) beautifully. The in game graphics have been enhanced enough to make them a bit more contemporary but without losing the original charm.

Before setting off on your mission you need to choose your ship/s and loadout. You have a set budget (which as you make your way through levels will hopefully go up… if you play well enough) it’s up to you to figure out the most effective way to spend it. You can either buy one ship and give it the best weapons your remaining money can buy… or you can opt for one or more extra ships so if one is destroyed you still have another to continue your mission with.

The actual game play can be quite brutal… but the more you play the more you will learn to deal with the different enemies you face and you should manage to progress in a die, make progress, die again cycle.

The keyboard layout is not what I would call conventional (though to be fair it does allow for local 2 player co-op)… this is what made getting past that initial screen so tricky… I had to find the fire key which was not where I was expecting… but once you figure that out (or get to the menu and can check the layout) it’s ok.

If I was going to be picky I’d say the big draw card of making it “underwater” instead of space isn’t that big a change… the landscapes and enemies still look alien enough that it could easily be space (the only real hint of being underwater is the ocean surface and some bubbles) and the shop which I preferred in Xenon 2: Megablast (to be fair though I have a nostalgic connection to Xenon 2: Megablast).

Final Thoughts:

If you want a great modern update to a side-scrolling classic… this is a good choice. It has just the right amount of visual enhancement to not look stale whilst not losing its retro charm. The levels are quite brutal but repeated attempts help you get the hang of how to tackle the enemies. If side-scrolling gaming is your thing… give it a go.