NOTE: while this is listed under the PS Vita version, I have played both the PS Vita and PS4 versions and the differences are small enough that this review applies to both versions (and as such, likely the PS3 version as well). Literally the only difference I've found is the ability to use the touch screen to adjust some things in the menu on the PS Vita version, and for all I know the touch pad may or may not offer that on the PS4. Regardless gameplay is entirely unaltered between the two systems.

Xeodrifter, the game that plays off of Metroid and does such a good job at it that it makes Metroid wish it were Xeodrifter.

Okay so let me start off by saying I do not like green eggs and ham, nor do I like Metroid. At all. Metroid is another one of those games that I really like in concept and see plenty of potential in, but between concept and execution it loses whatever it was that seemed so appealing to me, and I'm left thinking "this is it? It looked so much better before I played it". Bear in mind however that I've not played any Metroid other than the original and one of the SNES entries (if there was even more than one on SNES). Others may appeal to me more.

Xeodrifter is doubtless inspired by Metroid, and perhaps even a Metroid clone because yes it's that similar to Metroid, borrowing the classic formula of the beloved franchise. And yet still it somehow captivates me to no end. I simply adore this game. Let's get into the review and maybe I can show you why I love it so much.


Graphics: 9/10
Excellent.

I want so badly to give the graphics a ten because from the very start I loved the way this game looked. They go old school as Renegade Kid always does, and in fact the two founders of Renegade Kid actually split up because of this. The one wanted to stay retro and the other wanted to try modern. At least on the outside this was the reason seen.

Now I'm all for going modern once you have the abilities, and I feel that most indies that are popping up these days are stuck in a rut because they refuse to sharpen their abilities to the point where they can actually push AAA standards or at least go three dimensional and add depth to their games. Instead they stagnate and stick with retro because it's just what they've always done.

However, Xeodrifter takes that retro look and feel and uses it to it's advantage. Would the game have worked in 3D? Maybe. Would it have worked with modern 2D style? Sure. Still I think this game shines in it's retro aesthetic. It feels right, rather than just screaming "I'm retro, because why not?".

And then let's point out that there are three types of pixel art games out there:
Those that are incredibly pretty or just plain well made and attractive.
Those that truly look retro (precious few hit this mark)
Those that are weak and just look like a bunch of blocks.
Xeodrifter is the first of the three. It doesn't look fully retro since the color palette is more advanced than the eight bit look it goes for, but that's okay because it takes what it has and rocks it.


The backgrounds in the game are easily one of the best parts of the visuals. They have actual depth, and in Mutant Mudd fashion (and a few other games) you can switch between the foreground and background...eventually. Besides this, they just look pretty and really pull you into the atmosphere of the game. You are in this adventure from the moment you lay eyes on the levels.

Then there are the foregrounds: equally well rendered. They're pixelated and they make pixelation look good. Each of the four planets are simply beautiful with a wide array of colors, lovingly detailed environments, and just overall nice looking designs. As an added bonus the levels are a joy to traverse.


The characters. Now here's where the rating is held back from a ten. The player character is well made and sports nice detail for what it is, and the enemies all look good. The problem is that the bosses are all just pallette swaps. They use the same character and just change their color. This isn't really an issue however and in ways it makes sense, but it still feels a little less impressive given the great amount of detail in the rest of the game. And yet oddly I wouldn't change it if I could. More about that later.


The effects and items are nice as well, even if the design of the powerups make them look like...I don't know what. Still it all looks excellent in this game's setting. There's nothing fancy, but this isn't a fancy game. It's just a solid retro themed metroidvania adventure.


Highlights:
•Everything. This game is gorgeous.
•The levels are very well done and pull you right in with their lively vibe.
•Literal depth to the background allows for traversal between planes.


Sound: 7/10
Very Good.

So the sound goes retro as well, and it hits all the right notes (pun intended), but it still has it's flaws...

The music is great, it really is. It's fitting for the sort of generic space adventure, the battles with alien baddies (but if you're invading their homes and killing them, aren't YOU the baddy?), and the whole game aesthetic. From the moment the title screen comes up you already know what kind of adventures await you and how great this game is going to be, just by the music that greets you. Or you hope so anyway, and the game certainly carries through on that apparent indication of fun.

However, the music, while a huge shining point for this game, is also the game's downfall in audio in that there just isn't much of it.

Now again, true retro games often had very little musical variety, even those that appreciate high ratings for their sound (Super Mario Bros. anyone?), as they would play two or three tunes and that was it. They just repeated through the entirety of the game, but they made up for this by being great tunes. Well, Xeodrifter does just that: it plays only a handful of tunes throughout each planet and the overworld, but it doesn't ever really feel repetitive because it just feels so perfectly in place and sounds so good. Still, I have to judge fairly and as such I can't completely overlook the lack of variety in sound.


Then there's the sound effects: they too are solid and stereotypical eight bit game sounds, from the sound of your gun firing to the sound of enemies exploding (yes, we employ the Atari ideology here that everything explodes), to the sounds of saving and teleporting. Everything here is solid and varied enough that I can't complain really, though all non-boss enemies do make the same sound when they explode.


Highlights:
•Great tunes that aid the game in pulling you into the experience
•Solid eight bit sound effects


Story: N/A

While the game's description does tell you what's going on, and the game offers a cinematic at the beginning that shows why you're exploring these planets (to recover broken ship pieces. Toejam & Earl say hello by the way), there's no real story here at all. You hit something and recover lost pieces. I'll pass on rating this since there's no real narrative at all.


Depth: 7/10
Very Good.

Now this is again a bit lenient. A game that has a trophy for finishing it in less than an hour is obviously short, but does shortness equal shallowness any more than length equals depth? If a game consisting of nothing more than tapping a button when the screen lights up lasts for a hundred hours, does that game get high marks for depth? Hardly. So while Xeodrifter is borderline shamefully short, it's not exactly shallow either.


As I've already stated, the game can be finished in less than an hour if you know exactly where to go and when to go there, and it's linear, but it isn't as simple as running through each level as you would in a classic platformer game.

Remember I said it's a near clone of Metroid in many aspects? As such you can fully anticipate the kind of running back and forth between areas that you'll have to do. There are areas that you cannot access without certain abilities which you will gain from the bosses that you defeat. In this way, the game gives you a completely linear experience while seeming to offer you a choice by dropping you in among four planets that you can visit at any given moment. Still the game does offer some variable tactics as you can visit any planet at any time, even if you can't progress past certain points at that time. This is useful, despite how it may seem, as you can still sometimes use this limited access to find hidden gun and health powerups to help you along the way.


Speaking of hidden powerups, there are twelve health extenders to be found (so your max health goes from three to fifteen and you become nigh unstoppable, you pixelated powerhouse, you), and twelve gun upgrade points to be found. These are all 100% missable however, and as such you will need to spend a fair amount of time exploring and searching for them. Do yourself a favor and don't look up their locations, as it adds a huge amount of fun to the game searching for (and sometimes randomly lucking into) them.

Now to explain the gun upgrade points: each point you find can be allocated to any one of the five upgrade options. One increases the damage dealt by your shots, one increases the rate of fire, one increases how many "bullets" are fired (or perhaps this is for rate of fire and the other is for speed of the bullets after they're fired. I'm not clear on this, despite having used both), one acts as a Contra-like spreadshot, and one makes your shots travel in a squiggly line, rising then falling and then rising again etc.

Each of these upgrades can have up to six points allocated to them, and with each point added, the effect they give you is improved slightly. They can be mixed and matched however you choose, and best of all, upgrades are not permanent, meaning that you can allocate a point to one upgrade and then remove that point and allocate it to another at any time you choose. The amount of times you can move them around is unlimited, so feel free to play around with the different combinations to find which ones work best for you. Personally I suggest combining upgrades one and two (starting from the left most option).


Additionally each boss, while mere pallette swaps graphically, adds one new ability that the previous boss didn't have, and so makes you learn a new strategy each time, while maintaining portions of your old one. And the last boss has quite an interesting surprise twist. The differences, while small, all make the bosses a blast to fight.


Highlights:
•Plenty of secrets to find
•Several poweups and upgrades to gather


Addictiveness: 10/10
Incredible.

While the game is entirely linear in terms of progression, and the chances of you tinkering with new gun upgrade combinations after finding one that works good for your play style aren't all that great, the game will keep you coming back for one thing: fun. The sheer fun factor of this game is so high that I cannot justify anything other than a ten for this category. It's just that good. I played through it twice and fully plan to play it at least three times more (need dem trophies, man), so that should tell you how much I love it.


Highlights
•The gameplay is just plain fun
•Trophies :3


Difficulty: 4/10
Easy.

The bosses are your only real challenge for the most part if you're careful, since enemies run on a pattern in true retro fashion. Still that's not to say that you won't have any challenges: you will. The game as a whole is easy enough though, and as such it's accessible to everyone. Still, some challenging moments will present themselves, but most players will not have any trouble besting them.


Highlights:
•Some small challenges along the way to keep it interesting while not pushing the difficulty on the whole too far for the majority of us


Overall: 8.2/10
Exceptional.

This feels like an appropriate score for Xeodrifter on a "professional" level, but honestly on a personal level I'd rate it a 9-9.5/10 probably.

It's a solid, if short, side scrolling adventure game, and it's Metroidvania style will appeal to many gamers. It offers plenty of fun in the first playthrough and probably at least a few additional plays for those who just enjoy a straight forward classically styled adventure title.


To buy or not to buy?
I cannot stress enough that you need to play this game if it appeals to you in even the slightest way. It's easily one of the best at what it does, and I highly doubt you will regret it.
If you see it for $10 or less it's a no brainer. Personally I wouldn't have regretted dropping $15 or maybe even $20 on it, but your milage may vary.

Simply put, Xeodrifter is a must play. It's that simple.

If I don't read the review how would I know what game it is?

More importantly, you had me at ps Vita.

I head really good things about the PS4 version but never heard of the Vita one so I might get that if I get a chance.


Think I also saw the Steam version a lot.