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A 2D game in a 3D world - Revolver ocelot - 02/10/2007 20:32:57
Genre: Action / Adventure - Publisher: Playlogic - Release Date: TBA (aparrently)

When Dave (rage, yars owner) sent me this game, he explained it to me as a 2D game in a 3D world. I couldn't have put it any better myself. Xyanide resurrection is basically an updated version of the 1979 hit arcade game asteroids, in which the player (represented by a small triangle) has to shoot or avoid all of the asteroids and UFO's coming towards them. Xyanide is in essence a 3D update, in which the player is flying around in a small space ship shooting down weird and wonderful enemies, culminating in an end of level boss. Each enemy type and boss has its own individual attacks, which you must overcome. Most of these attacks however are alarmingly similar, and become easy to predict and avoid.

The graphics are pretty average for a game of this type

I am going to be honest here and admit that I expected this game to be completely and utterly unplayable, which was backed up by a couple of other reviews I read before playing the game. To my surprise, the game is better than I expected, though not an awful lot. The game is basically asteroids with a cringingly bad plot. From the Blurb ?The evil witch Aguira managed to escape her death sentence, and its your job to bring her to justice. Your pursuit leads you into a strange world Aguira created with the powerful Xyanide? Fight Aguira in the battle of your life!? This plot to me seems completely unnecessary and for me worsens the game. To me, it seems that the game was made first, but Playlogic felt that they needed to justify it somehow, and so wrote a flimsy and cringingly bad plot to go with it.

The graphics are pretty average for a game of this type, and some nice effects are used. The graphics however never exceed average and seem merely functional, rather than being there to be admired. The music is quite upbeat and fitting of the style of gameplay, but again it is only functional and is nothing to admire.

At the end of the day, this game is good fun if you take it simply on face value, and put the plot out of mind. Although PEGI have given the game a 12 rating, it is a game for kids, and wont provide adults with more than a half hour's fun. The game does include the ability to replay any level you have previously completed with extra upgrades to your space ship, and it also has a multiplayer mode so that you can play it with a friend. The game is presented as an arcade game and in essence that's exactly what it is. I would not buy this game at full price, but if you spot it in a bargain bin somewhere, it may be worth a try.