XO-Planets

[b]XO-Planets[/b] is best described as a roguelike/roguelite platformer. When I first saw it on Steam it immediately reminded me of a Risk of Rain with the visuals of They Bleed Pixels and Probability 0. [u][b]Story overview:[/b][/u] One thing that intrigued me from the start was the story. After an alien invasion Humanity is forced to accept to coexist with the aliens in order to avoid extinction. Soon enough, an evil plan that involved the aliens is found and Humanity decides to bring back the fight to them and this is where you come in. You play as one of various AIs sent to XO-Planets in order to scavenge resources and wipe out the hybrid alien creatures living there. [u][b]Visuals & sound:[/b][/u] In terms of visuals, I think that game looks pretty good. It is certainly not the best pixel art I’ve seen but, when in motion, some of the effects look really cool. Some people will find it appealing while others will despite it, it is up to you. As for the sound, I think the music is probably one of the things I enjoyed most when playing the game. The sound effects however, despite sounding rather simple and nothing to be amazed at, they provide some pretty useful auditory feedback as to what is going on, thus making it really easy for tou to realize when you take a hit or hit an enemy, especially when you’re still learning the game. [u][b]Gameplay overview:[/b][/u] Before anything else, you start with only one AI and you’ll unlock more as you play the game. Each one of the characters has its own unique set and the game also gives you a little background on each one of them, which helps giving them some character. Despite the fact that the game is difficult by nature, one thing that for me makes the game a lot less welcoming to new players is the fact that it has no tutorial, you have to figure out everything for yourself. That said, the gameplay itself is pretty simple to understand once you figure out the controls. Your character has two different weapons besides bombs, a melee weapon (sword, dagger, battle axe, whip) and a ranged weapon (pistol, shotgun, sniper rifle), which you’ll eventually change once you find better ones while playing the game. And, like most platformers, you’ll find yourself jumping a lot of times in order to reach other places, dodge enemies and so on. Before you’re thrown into a mission, you’ll get a very short briefing by one of your contacts. Once you’re in a XO-Planet, your objective will always be to defeat a certain boss but you’re also given a secondary objective via email, which might be something like “kill X type of enemies” or “collect X”. You might also come across these things that look like terminals which, once you activate them, you’ll have to defend them while it downloads some intel for you. After completing these, you can pick up your reward on one of the vending machines that you can find on each level. Besides killing enemies, completing these side activities is a very good way to earn resources. That said, the game resource system is divided into “components” and “xolyrium”. Components can be used to repair drones that you find scattered throughout the levels, build turrets or buy weapons or upgrades at vending machines. On the other hand, xolyrium is much harder to come across and it is most important because it allows you to upgrade your characters once you die, thus providing a permanent progression system which I really enjoy and keeps me playing. As for the combat system, it is pretty solid, which combined with a small, yet challenging range of enemy variety keeps things hectic and interesting. When dealing with small groups of the same enemy you can easily get rid of them by just adapting your movement to them, but as soon as the game throws you everything at once, well, good luck with that… you’ll find yourself jumping franticly and using a combination of your abilities and both your melee and ranged weapons to fight off the hordes of aliens. With that in mind, the game does incentive you to go out of your way to explore the levels, other than just rushing the boss. You’ll find these loot chests that can contain resources, weapons, health, bombs or even AI mods (passive and active abilities for your current playthrough) which help make your life a lot easier. One small feature that I really like about this game is the fact that you can activate a “visor”, which shows you very different kinds of information about your enemies and surroundings (which can be increased by picking up mods) while also changing the look of the level due to some sort of filter, think of it like the terminator visor. [h1]Pros:[/h1][list] [*]Procedural generated levels and weapon stats - adds more replayability [*]Lovely pixel art style [*]Permanent progression system that makes you want to come back for more [*]Robust combat system[/list] [h1]Cons:[/h1][list] [*]Limited video options (no full hd support) [*]Lack of tutorial [*]Some bugs/glitches - enemies getting stuck on terrain or spawning inside walls[/list] [h1]Verdict:[/h1] [b]Despite being in Early Access, the basics are in place and now it’s just a matter of adding more content and refining what is already there. I think that XO-Planets is very much worth checking out if you’re looking for something in this genre. It is challenging, yet not frustrating, and addicting, which can make you want to go back for more due to the various unlockable characters and the permanent upgrade system.[/b]

[h1] Before I start the review, those with epilepsy should stay away from XO-Planets. There are many instances of bright flashing colorful lights. [/h1] [quote][b]This review was made possible by[url=http://steamcommunity.com/groups/DeductionsReviewClub] Deduction's Review Club [/url] [/b] [i]I received a reviewing copy of this game for free. However, my review is honest.[/i] [/quote] [i] Skip to the bottom for my Final Thoughts[/i] [url=https://youtu.be/qtsuf89X25E]There is also a video counterpart to this review (Click!) [/url] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtsuf89X25E Anyway, onto the review. XO-Planets is developed by BohFam, and was released on October 23rd, 2015. XO-Planets is an Early Access, Indie Action Platformer with Rogue-Lite elements in procedural generation levels, as well as frequent updates (the last update at the time of writing this review was on April 28th, 2016 with many new additions not just bug fixes to the game). The story of XO-Planets takes place billions of miles away from the Earth, in a dystopia between warring factions. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] XO-Planets gives off a very Risk of Rain esque feeling, in fact, when I first played it the very first thought in my mind was "Risk of Rain" , and that thought is in no way a negative one. XO-Planets has many features that differentiate itself from Risk of Rain. For one, the levels as well as the weapons are procedural generated (which is a big plus in my mind) as well as a ton of upgrade opportunities. [h1]Graphics[/h1] The art style of XO-Planets is very visually pleasing, however, as previously mentioned, those with Epilepsy should stay away. The art style is pixel art, and is all in dark neon colors. The enemies in XO-Planets are VERY unforgiving, and getting cornered is a death sentence. The XO-Planets soundtrack is in the 8-bit format, is very catchy and does not easily bore you. When you play XO-Planets, you can definitely feel the developer's heart and soul which he or she has obviously poured into the development. [h1]Developer Recommendations[/h1] The only downsides of the game in my mind are the lack of a tutorial, lack of settings for windowed mode as well as very strange controls, which leave much to be desired. Some people may adapt to the controls easily, but not me. However, those three cons are no reason to turn away from XO-Planets. If you are a fan of rogue-lite, procedural generation, or indie games in general, I would definitely recommend this game. [h1]Final Thoughts[/h1] XO-Planets is a great game that I [b]highly[/b] recommend for those who enjoy indie games. Every playthrough is different and challenging, with different levels, weapons, and monsters. Rating: Graphics: 8.0/10 Audio: 7.5/10 Gameplay: 7.8/10 Overall: 7.8/10 [i]Edit as of 20/2/2017 - I have changed the score to better reflect what I thought of the game.[/i] [quote]Like the review? Consider checking out and following[b][url=http://store.steampowered.com/curator/31837076/] My Curator Page [/url][/b] for more! [/quote]

"Ugh, another rogue-like/rogue-lite game. Great, as if we needed another!" you may be thinking to yourself. And, yeah - I'd agree with you completely. I'm getting a little bored with the whole "permadeath" concept; it's been done dozens and dozens of times to the point that it's getting a little stale. So hey, why not toss in some pretty rainbow blood splatters, a kickass soundtrack, and some run n' gun fun to add some spice to a stagnating genre? [h1]The Breakdown[/h1] It feels a little weird trying to place XO-Planets into any one particular genre, actually. Is it a platformer? A nail-bitingly difficult RPG rogue-like/lite? Or perhaps just an "action" game, as a sort of catchall. Well, it's pretty much all 3 of those! See, XO-Planets allows you to choose from a variety of unlockable characters, each with their own starting traits and weapons. It then thrusts you into a randomly-generated alien planet and tells you to just "go!" From there, it takes a bunch of running, gunning, stabbing, and slashing to work your way to the bottom of the planet, where a boss awaits. Now, it's a little more complicated than that though. First, almost everything is randomly generated of course, from the loot (whether that's one of a few weapons, melee or ranged, or some form of currency to upgrade your character with) to the enemies to even the environment itself, which you can freely destroy using some explosives. On top of that, each planet contains one upgrade shop, a miniboss, a side objective (which could range from simply destroying the terrain to killing a certain number of enemies), and an optional "defend the object" goal. I personally never successfully defended the object (I can't remember its name) because it was both difficult and not necessary at all, so eh, what's the point? There's also towers that you can place occasionally, but they don't seem to be very useful currently. Of course, there's also the boss of each planet! Now, initially the bosses made me a little sick. See, they're not disgusting or anything, but when you start fighting one the screen goes all crazy and it just gets unnecessarily disorientating. The screen flashes a little too and the lighting gets a bit weird. I mean, I get it - the game is trying to be trippy. Honestly though, I preferred playing with the light flickering and screen shaking [i]OFF[/i], which thankfully there's an option to turn off. For the bosses themselves though, they weren't anything particularly special. I managed to kill most of them with little difficulty once I'd found some good weaponry (I beat the game using a rapid-fire pistol that had incredible knockback and healed me simultaneously which was awesome). The final boss was pretty interesting, but the rest were just mostly frustrating to try and kill. See, with any weapon besides the base weapon, it seemed to me like the knockback on everything was simply crazy. I'd shoot a boss with my gun, take off a tiny bit of their health, and then they'd fly all the way across the screen. This wasn't just with one gun either - it was pretty much all of them. It got to be annoying after a while and made killing bosses take way longer than it'd have needed to. It's a somewhat minor gripe, but definitely something that could (and very well might) be fixed in a future update. (EDIT: Hey! Look at the cons section for more on this) Speaking of updates, I think it's particularly noteworthy to mention how great this game's updates are. They come frequently, and not only that, but they also tend to be chock-full of either new additions, key changes, or bug fixes. It's great! For instance, Steam achievements were recently added right before I started playing, and then the game got a huge update adding local co-op while simultaneously improving gun firing (previously you had to stand still while firing a gun, but now you can move while firing). If the developer keeps it up with these fantastic (and frequent!) updates, I think this game may very well turn out to be something very special. [h1]Pros[/h1] [list] [*]Action-packed "rogue-like/rogue-lite" platformer with light RPG elements [*]Vibrant yet simultaneously muted visuals (enemies are mostly dark, but attacking them shoots out rainbow blood all over) and solid animations [*]A pumping, energetic electronic soundtrack to rock out to as you kill aliens [*]Decent replayability in the form of unlockable characters, randomized planets, weapons, permanent upgrades, etc. [*]Steam achievements and local co-op [*]Updates ([i]so far at least[/i]) come out frequently and are usually pretty good [/list] [h1]Cons[/h1] [list] [*]The game is Early Access right now, so both bugs and crashes are to be expected. I personally experienced a decent amount of bugs and a few rare crashes. [*]The bosses (enemies in particular really but the bosses have the most noticeable impact) take way too much knockback from both melee weapons and most guns; this basically makes boss fights take much longer than they need to. Apparently a recent update may have fixed this, though I didn't notice much of a change. Still though, the devs may reduce the knockback even more! [*]Video options are a bit limited (so far). You can change the resolution and disable/enable the flickering lights and visual diarrhea that happens when a boss fight occurs (thankfully there's an option to disable it!). [*]The story is a bit hard to follow (though as the game nears a full release I'm sure it'll make more sense and be a bit more polished) [*]There's no tutorial (again, this may be added in the future), though controls are provided. [/list] Sure, XO-Planets isn't super innovative. If you've played Risk of Rain, this game is quite similar. Yet, in many ways it still manages to distinguish itself from the competition. The vibrant visuals (for better or for worse), fast-paced, action-packed combat, and overall fun gameplay make this game a blast to play. The frequent and important updates the game has been receiving so far only serve to improve the game in a multitiude of ways, and if the developer keeps it up, this game will turn out to be something special. Even in its current state, XO-Planets is an absolute joy to play, and I'd definitely recommend it. [h1][b]Final Verdict: 7.5/10[/b][/h1]

[h1]A neat little game full of content and easy to get into[/h1] [i][b]TL;DR[/b] at the end for the lazies[/i] [quote=][b]Time to complete[/b] 6hrs [b]Time to 100%[/b] 25hrs[b]+[/b] (farming and luck involved) [b]Difficulty[/b]: [■■□□□] - Pleasant [b]Audience[/b] Casual - ■■□□□ - Hardcore [b]Genre[/b]: Rogue-Lite, Action Platformer [/quote] This game is one full of very varied content to discover and master, and yet is still very straightforward and pleasant to explore. The wide array of playstyle options make it really interesting to test out things, and keeps you captivated [h1]/!\Early Access Disclaimer/!\[/h1] Since it is still in its [b]earlier development stages[/b], the game still presents a few [b]balancing issues[/b] and even some [b]bugs and crashes[/b], but the developer is very [b]attentive to feedback[/b] and works really hard to counter those issues, so it is to be expected that this game will have none of those in the near future, hence I won't go into much detail about them here [b]In short[/b] this is a game full of potential that is only held back by time As stated above, the asset of this game is the large range of content it offers in varied forms, and those ideas work well towards the fun of it, and its replayability [h1][b]Level design[/b][/h1] Every level contains a kind of mini-universe of its own, all of which you can choose to interact with, [b]or not[/b] You are [b]free[/b] to do whatever [b]you want[/b] through it (including blowing everything up), but taking on a challenge will always be rewarded [list] [*]The game is composed of a set of [b]5 levels[/b], each containing the same fundamental gameplay assets, and of which the structure is [b]procedurally generated[/b]. The main objective of each level is to get to the bottom of it, defeat the boss present there, and proceed to a portal [*][b]Each level[/b] offers a specific [b]Miniboss[/b], [b]Boss[/b] and a different population of mobs, most of which don't reappear in other levels. On top of that, at the start of each level you are assigned a random secondary objective (chosen between 5 different tasks), which is entirely optional [*]Every [b]Miniboss[/b] and [b]Boss[/b] has a different mechanic and attack pattern, and offers a good scaling mob>miniboss>boss in terms of difficulty [*]Every level contains a terminal that you can activate to gather "intel" for the sake of doing it, or the sake of getting a [b]free upgrade[/b] upon completion [/list] [h1][b]Gameplay mechanics[/b][/h1] The game offers [b]various ways[/b] to proceed to the end of it, all of which can be used independently or in synergy [list] [*]As said previously, you can blow [b]everything[/b] up, by using bombs which are given to you at the beginning, can be found naturally in a level of bought with [i]components[/i](which is a currency obtained by looting, killing and rewards, and only lasts for the playthrough) [*]You can use the [b]environment[/b] to your advantage, as violent [b]impacts[/b] hurt [b]everything[/b] in the game other than flying entities [*]A [b]variety of weapons[/b] is available through drops and looting, and with stats generated [b]randomly[/b] between certain brackets. On top of that weapons are [b]customizable with mods[/b] to add [b]functionalities[/b] to them or improve their existing stats [*]Various [b]upgrades[/b] can be bought during a playthrough to work in several creative ways to kill your foes, and they [b]can all combine[/b] together [*][b]Drones[/b] that follow you and [b]static turrets[/b] with a limited lifetime can be bought with [i]xolyrium[/i](a rare currency that lasts through [b]all[/b] playthroughs unless consumed) [/list] [h1][b]Character Mechanics[/b][/h1] You are offered a decent amount of characters to unlock and choose from, and upgrades to improve your character, which further adds to the freedom of choice the game offers [list] [*][b]Characters[/b] (AIs) can be unlocked by completing different objectives, which you are rarely, vaguely told about during [i]mission briefs[/i]. Every character has different perks, restrictions and starting equipment, which allows for a few very different playstyles [*]During a playthrough, you can get upgrades through [i]shrines[/i] or [i]terminals[/i], or by buying them in a [i]Distro machine[/i](a sort of store), with components. Those upgrades vanish once you die or win the game, but they offer very different kind of perks to build your own playstyle [*][b]Permanent[/b] upgrades can be bought with [i]xolyrium[/i] to [b]improve the performance[/b] of your character, whichever you pick, or add a few mechanics (like attacking through shield) [/list] [h1][b]Ambiance[/b][/h1] [list] [*]The game offers a pretty nice soundtrack (which you can buy on the [url=http://store.steampowered.com/app/464460/?snr=1_5_9__405]store page[/url] as DLC) [*]There is an overall background story of course, but each AI has its [b]own story[/b], and [b]2 different endings[/b] depending on how you play it [*]The interface offers you [b]descriptions[/b] of the AIs, story, and a [b]detail of your stats[/b] and best playthrough [/list] [b]TL;DR[/b] The varied types of content available keep the game entertaining throughout it and give you a very large freedom, which makes it very pleasant. The music and interfaces really contribute to the atmosphere of it, and the story adds even another layer of stuff to get into

What a strange game. Six and half billion miles from the Earth, I'm digging, slashing, and shooting my way through one of the most nonsensical platformers in recent memory. Though its design tenants are conventional (double jumps, simple controls, focus on accurate movement), the application is anything but. Enemies are difficult and unforgiving at close range, which would be a great incentive to use the gun, except properly landing shots is itself a challenge. Without a tutorial to explain a few of its nuances, be prepared to stumble through the first few lives working out the timing required to take out lesser enemies before progressing to the boss. This game has the appeal of trial and error, as well as a high difficulty curve who those that want a challenge. Ultimately, this game is oozing with creativity from the mind of a talented developer. Despite this, it has unfortunately fallen by the wayside, ignored largely for no reason. Plastered in visuals that range from stunning to vision-ruining, and unfettered by the laws of conventional sound design with sounds both satisfying and irritating, its certainly one of the more interesting games I've played aesthetically speaking. Its worth mentioning here that you should take the epilepsy warning very seriously. If you have any history of reactions to flashing lights, avoid this game at all costs. It's a strange game, and I recommend it not because its perfect, or even great, but because playing it is a trippy, awkward experience. It's like stumbling through the first kiss; its like dealing with parental disappointment; its like a trip down a road you haven't seen in twenty years. Refreshing, but something's changed. Something important. Its an experience. Hell, that's more than I can say for most of the triple-A industry. Good on ya, dev. Looking forward to your future projects.

[h1]DARKKi's Dark Star Reviews - XO-Planets[/h1] If you would like to compare XO-Planets to other games then Risk of Rain would be that. XO-Planets is an side-scrolling rogue-like game combined some rpg elements, platforming and even little tower defence thrown into mix and it works well! Oh. Did i forgot to tell you that this game is hard as hell too (but in a good way). You can play single play or co-op and first you choose you AI character and you can also buy permanent upgrades to you characters. Levels are procedually generated (with free terrain destruction) and your mission is to reach the bottom where the boss is. In your way there you must fight monsters with your melee and ranged weapons and do some light platforming to avoid traps and you can use your bombs to destroy terrain freely. You get materials from killing enemies which you can use to buy some upgrades (only lasts for that game) and Xolyriums which can be used to permanently upgrade your AI or buy different kind of turrets which can only be placed in pre-arranged fixed positions. Each planet contains one upgrade shop, miniboss and side objective along the way to bottom. You get random drops of different melee and ranged weapons and you also can get enchantments to them. And this is permadeath so if you die then you are dead. Visually game is pretty decent looking with fluidly animated pixel graphics with nice effects. Games soundtrack is also noteworthy since i still get some tunes playing in my head after playing. I experienced few bugs, but nothing big and this is still an EA title so that is to be expected. Big applause to developer for bringing fast updates and listening to community! [h1]Should you buy this? / Rating:[/h1] [b]8.5/10[/b] If you like these kind of games then this is an must buy! At this point of Early Access the game is pretty much playable with some bugs so i can recommend buying XO-Planets at this stage. [h1]Pros:[/h1] [list] [*]Good looking and fluid pixel graphics [*]Great soundtrack [*]Good mix of different game types [*]Fantastic developer which bring regular updates and listens to people [*]Good replaybility [*]Co-op! [*]Price [/list] [h1]Cons:[/h1] [list] [*]Bugs (EA title so what would you expect?) [*]Boss fights [*]Video options (there is not even 1080p resolution right now) [/list] [h1]Hardware Information[/h1] [table] [tr] [th][u]Hardware[/u][/th] [th][u]Type[/u][/th] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]CPU[/b][/td] [td]AMD FX-8350 @ 4,7GHz[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]GPU[/b][/td] [td]Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 MSI Gaming 4GB Edition - Overclocked[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]RAM[/b][/td] [td]16GB DDR3 1333MHz @ 1830Hz[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]Controller[/b][/td] [td]Xbox One and Playstation 3 Contollers[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]OS[/b][/td] [td]Windows 10 Pro 64bit[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][b]VR[/b][/td] [td]None[/td] [/tr] [/table] [h1]Disclaimer:[/h1] [code]Source of consideration: I got this game for review purposes but it does not influence my opinion[/code]

Whilst it's still in early access it still has enough content to chew on. The newest update/patch has definitely improved a fair few things to do with the general balance and ux of the game. If you're into survival roguelikes ala Risk of Rain then this will probably float your boat!

Solid game for early access. Feels a lot like risk of rain. Bubble + anything a lil too op, but on some chars u can't upgrade so not an issue. Doesn't quite have the item selection risk of rain does but then again its early access. Also not sure if items even stack/don't think they do. Anyways a solid game that with more improvements could be really great. Crisp controls. Played well with an xbox controller. Would def recommend a buy if you played risk of rain.

[h1]XO-Planets Review[/h1] [code]Game: XO-Planets Tags: Action, Indie, RPG, Early Access Other information: Developed and published by Bohfam on October 23, 2015.[/code] [h1]My Comments:[/h1] XO-Planets heavily reminds me of Risk of Rain, an indie rogue-like platformer that was released two years prior. While I learned Risk of Rain’s control scheme relatively quickly, XO-Planets has more complex controls in my opinion. I found myself dying over and over again at the start, which was very frustrating (I don’t wish to remember how many times I died to spikes!). Patience and determination are required if you want to play this game. After dying more than 30 times, I felt I had gained a relative understanding of the game’s controls and how to progress without dying in the first 2 minutes. This was due in part to my accidental discovery that one of the only ways to get batteries (the game’s equivalent of life points) was to destroy receptacles that spawn small monsters. This is where I wish there was a more detailed tutorial, or even some hints (although games like these rely on player discovery rather than detailed tutorials). The thing that kept me involved in the game were the RPG elements. There are 9 different weapons to collect and weapon enhancements/modifications to apply. Another thing that I enjoyed about XO-Planets was the freedom of choice to blow your way through the levels or simply traverse the platforms by jumping. You have explosives that can be used to destroy enemies and the environment alike. On to the highlights: [h1]The good:[/h1] [list][*]Vibrant electronic soundtrack that goes well with the sci-fi atmosphere [*]Randomly generated enemies, loot, and environment so no two playthroughs will be the same [*]Non-stop action with hard to predict enemies that require fast adapting to defeat (25 different enemies with varying attack and movement patterns) [*]Steam achievements for those who are interested (37 of them) [*]RPG elements mixed with side scrolling action (modifications and varying weapons to keep you interested in the gameplay; 6 characters that can be unlocked) [*]Varying missions ranging from data acquisition to killing a boss [*]Simplistic pixel art graphics that don’t distract from the gameplay [*]Co-op mode to play with friends [*]Some tower defense elements with repairable drones and turrets that can fend off attack [*] Great replayability value with new upgrades, loot, and characters to acquire[/list] http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=792962685 [h1]The bad:[/h1] [list][*]Strong difficulty level; not recommended for casual gamers who dislike a challenge [*]Minor bugs and glitches [*]Lack of detailed tutorial to explain objective and controls. [i]I’ll let this one slide for the moment, as I soon discovered that one of the joys in this game is figuring out the controls yourself[/i][/list] [h1]Final Verdict:[/h1] [strike]Run away! 1-2/10 Handle with caution… 3-4/10 Buy on sale 5-6/10[/strike] [h1]Everyday purchase 7-8/10:[/h1] [h1]7.5/10 If you are interested in this genre of game, make sure to check this one out. [/h1] [strike]Must buy 9-10/10[/strike] [h1]Thanks for reading my review :)![/h1] http://store.steampowered.com/app/439730/