After successfully releasing Crimsonland and Sparkle 2 last year, 10tons Ltd. have announced that their latest project, Xenoraid, is on track to launch this year. Like their previous efforts, the title will debut on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Windows PC.
A shoot’em up with a focus on vertical-based action, Xenoraid is looking to be a less intense alternative to the hardcore action of bullet hell shooters. 10tons Ltd. Producer Jaakko Maaniemi explained that while the studio has a respect for bullet hell shooters, their shoot’em will provide a more traditional take on the genre.
I’m personally in the driver’s seat of Xenoraid, and the whole concept of the game stems from the fact that I personally enjoy shmups. Or at least the shmups that preceded the bullet hell movement. To me, bullet hell games feel too much about memorization, dodging, and extreme precision. I prefer my shoot ’em ups to be about good old-fashioned blasting enemies to bits!
While the action of Xenoraid may lack the intensity of something like DariusBurst Chronicles, that doesn’t mean it’s simple. One of the more interesting mechanics currently in place is the fact that player-controlled ships will lightly turn as the ship moves from right to left. This small movement allows pilots to be able to shoot in unique angles they normally wouldn’t be able to in other games.
Another unique facet to the shooting is the fact that the game features a weapon overheat system. Most entries in the shoot’em up genre allow you to fire freely, since you’re typically getting swarmed by enemies. Since the action is slower here, though, you’ll need to keep track of your weapons. If you overheat your guns by firing repeatedly, then the weapon system of your craft will shut down entirely. In order to help combat this, though, players will be able to switch between four different ships during each mission.
With slower-paced action and procedurally generated missions, Xenoraid is shaping up to be a fresh new approach to the genre and we can’t wait to get our hands on it.
