Funded by Kickstarter, the developer duo in Bitmap Bureau offers us a game with a strong aroma to the past
At the beginning of 2018, a new project received the blessing of the public in the form of money by crowdfunding on Kickstarter. More than 70,000 pounds were donated for a study made up of two industry veterans to realize their dream of creating a completely new game for Mega Drive, in 2019. Mike Tucker and Matt Cope constitute the Bitmap Bureau study and got their hands on the work to shape Xeno Crisis, a title that would be put on sale in various formats, from current machines such as PC, Switch, PS4 or Xbox One to retro machines such as Neo Geo, Dreamcast or, of course: Mega Drive.
The main objective was to make a real game for the 16 bits of Sega, that is, it was not enough to have a certain aesthetic or a soundtrack that sounded similar to how the Yamaha YM2612 roared: it had to be a game that would work 100% in the console, with all that implied, its virtues and limitations. The result is a game that, indeed, could have appeared perfectly in the 90s and would have stood out then for values that do not go out of style: good control, action in abundance, remarkable work in graphic matter and an effective soundtrack at the time of putting The necessary adrenaline is underway.
In the footsteps of Smash TV
The game follows the model of Robotron / Smash TV, with an aerial perspective where one or two players clean rooms infested with enemies until we reach the final boss. The action runs on a single screen and scrolling only occurs when we change rooms, so what we are asked is to know how to move quickly through a limited space and infested with enemies in which we have to move precisely to take advantage of the spaces that are created and avoid their attacks while we are cleaning the ground. The theme revolves around an alien invasion to a military base, so that the enemies enter abound "distant cousins" of the Xenomorphs and other designs of that theme that will be gained in resistance, variety and attacks as we go to more advanced areas in the games Cleaning up a horde of aliens that go in a group and only attack melee is relatively easy, but when those same enemies get faster and arrive accompanied by other enemies that throw projectiles and have other forms of attack is when we will have trouble dealing with everything.
Two levels of difficulty, difficult and easy, ensure that anyone can enter the game regardless of their ability. In the initial configuration of the Mega Drive version we can choose different button configurations for 6 or 3 button controls, which is a detail. With the six we can assign four buttons to shots in a specific cardinal direction, which will allow us more agility when addressing enemies on multiple fronts, although we find the three-button configuration more comfortable, with the firing button serving to Set the address until we release it. In any case, the movement is fast and agile, with good animations and a fast somersault that we must master to face all kinds of situations and special bosses.
Following the canons marked by the Eugene Jarvis classic, it is a game that does not give a break in its constant rise in difficulty. Every time we clean a room we do it knowing that the next one will be a little more difficult. It is fiercely arcade and proud to be, with a high pace and enough variety of enemies so that it is not boring. Also, to give us a certain variety, we will have other elements to consider as a progression system based on the collection of fallen soldiers' medals. Some enemies will drop these medals when they die and you will only have a limited time to collect them, which can be delicate considering that enemies can appear from any corner. At the end of the phase we can use these medals to increase the power of the shot, be faster, have more health or other advantages that will be necessary throughout our adventure.
The base armament is a machine gun with limited ammunition, a few grenades and a weak automatic melee attack that can save us a life on more than one occasion. The ammunition is spent, although a new charge will always appear magically when it is finished – that, of course, must be reached, which creates tense seconds in which the only possible defense is to know how to move well. Also from time to time we will have the possibility of equipping ourselves with special weapons limited to a few seconds, which will allow us to shoot bouncing bullets or shotgun shots with a wide range of impact. None of this changes the basic mechanics of the game, it just gives it some freshness.
Beyond the Neoretro
It is a well executed game, but the most striking is in its condition of neoretro. The use of the color palette inevitably reminds us of Bitmap Brothers games (the study is called Bitmap Bureau so some emotional bonding we dare to imagine). The first sequence, when a huge ship leaves the soldier at the door of the premises, already leaves an excellent taste in the mouth due to the solid work of pixelart and the wealth of details that the ship treasures. Being the type of game that it is, the development of the phases does not allow dazzling graphic demonstrations on stage, but tries to offer variations and a personality that accentuates scenes interspersed with illustrations of the main soldiers advancing in their objectives. It is not the graphic zenith of 16-bit Sega, of course, but it is a very good work and also representative of the era in which it is inspired. The soundtrack meets properly, with catchy and also recognizable melodies that will accompany us in our killings.
Xeno Crisis is a game especially recommended for a nostalgic audience of the 16-bit era, since using the palette, the sound chip and other elements of the legendary console, the smell of nostalgia is patent (and if you have opportunity to play it in a Mega Drive, honey on sequins). But the value of the game goes beyond a look at the past, being as it is well executed and being considerably fun, although it is not very innovative and ignores the great advances produced in several decades of twin stick shooters – as is also normal for a game that It seeks to revive the past, it is more an observation than a criticism. Even ignoring its relationship with the sega console, it is an action title more than recommended for the arcade lover.
