Xenoraid

Despite a couple of niggles, Xenoraid is an excellent example of how a modern top down spaceship shooter should be done, purposefully going out of its way to do something a little bit different.

While it has aspects of a roguelike and the progression of an RPG, it still sticks to its guns as a shooter. It works and works well in that part. The shooting is tight and when learning the proper way to aim, it felt very satisfying. It has a few issues here and there, and while the look is not really fantastic, it offers up a rather fun experience, if even for a few hours.

A fresh take on a decades-old formula. Even though it has its problems, it's definitely an enjoyable challenge that any genre enthusiast will be happy to add to their library.

Xenoraid does do a lot to try and stand apart from the deluge of similar games out there, and it should be commended for that effort. But with its lack of refinement, progression resetting, and fairly bland overall presentation, it's unlikely we'll be looking back on this one a year from now.

A traditional vertical shooter with a single good idea but many gameplay flaws, restrained by an anonymous and unattractive look.

When there are games out there like Rez and Geometry Wars that reinvent that chassis, it’s difficult to play something like Xenoraid and feel… well, much at all.

Xenoraid hides some good gameplay deep in an initially weak-looking package and it hides it well but fans of the genre who want some cheap, but different, shoot ’em up action may well end up enjoying the game.

Xenoraid is yet another game by 10tons that you’ll have fun playing it, but also looks poor and empty in the final sum. There is definitely talent behind that studio, but they should stop choosing quantity over quality.