Xotic

Save a beautiful planet from the clutches of an omnipresent monster

Release: September 15, 2011 (PC, Xbox 360)

By Ian Coppock

Some video games are best played alone; Metroid Prime is the best example of this. For those of you who missed out on perhaps the greatest video game released on the GameCube, Prime follows a bounty hunter as she explores a beautiful world that's been long abandoned. Critics and gamers alike praised the feeling of isolation and solitude that came with Prime. It's not a feeling of loneliness, it's a guilty-pleasure treasure trove of sights and sounds that is acutely personal in its delivery. It differs from other games because you are literally alone, with only creatures and space pirates to keep you company. I've found that same atmosphere lacking in the current generation, until I discovered Xotic, a bizarre and colorful indie game that I'm presenting to you for that very reason: it's a treasure trove of sights and sounds.

The Story

The story of Xotic takes place on a nameless alien world. You are a similarly nameless creature who has been charged with saving the world from the Orb, a malicious, god-like being from outer space. 

After eons spent as an intangible creature, the Orb wishes to feel again, but can only do so by growing and then inhabiting thousands of glowing red plants called scabs. Scabs choke the life out of the planets the Orb touches, though, meaning that it eventually has to pack up shop and plonk down on another world to feed again.

The Orb's story is definitely a tragedy. It only wants to feel again, but it's willing to sacrifice whole worlds to get its way.

Where your character comes from or what it is, exactly, is unknown. It's implied that the alien you play has cleansed worlds of the Orb's presence before, or has been created to clean multiple planets out of the glowing red gunk. Your character's primary weapon is the Macro Terra, a living, insect-shaped weapon that has symbiotically bonded to you.

Your character is guided by an unknown narrator whose synthesized voice reminded me of the Reapers from the Mass Effect series. You and your Macro Terra must complete about 22 levels divided into four regions. In each one, the objective is simple: destroy creatures that have been infected by the Orb, and wipe out as many scab plants as possible.

Each of Xotic's levels contain enemies mutated by the Orb. A lot of them look like evil, anthropomorphic palm trees.

Xotic's primary game mechanic is a score and combo tracker. You rack up tons of points for destroying more and more numbers of scabs. The plants cause splash damage when shot at, and are conveniently lined up into neat rows for maximum pointage.

I don't normally care about combos and points and things like that, but Xotic made it really fun. The game rewards exploration and creativity, which are traits I like to think I'm good with (hopefully). In addition to the scab plants, there are floating point pickups you can grab for additional scores.

The scab plants are the glowy red things. You can also find and destroy Orb brains, which add more points.

I like Xotic because it brings that same element of isolated exploration to the table that Metroid Prime did. You are alone against hordes of baddies and pickups, but it's not the tone of a survival horror game. Rather, it's like having a big, beautiful world all to yourself.

What breaks my heart about Xotic is that the gameplay is quite clunky. Your character jumps like the world has no gravity, making it difficult to judge distances and height. For whatever reason, it's also next to impossible to move your gun as you're shooting it. I died a few times because I had to move my Macro Terra's path to match a speeding enemy's, but couldn't stop firing at it because I'd die otherwise.

MUST NEVER STOP SHOOTING! AAAAAAAAAH!!!!

Your character can deploy a shield called the Hard Hologram for combat and platforming, but I found it getting in the way more often than being helpful. It takes practice, but these headaches are surmountable. With each level completed, you gain points that you can use to upgrade your character.

Xotic's upgrade trees are simple to navigate.

The Artwork

Xotic's graphics are hardly top of the line, but I found them good enough. The level design is somewhat mediocre, and I found myself doing lots of backtracking to find all of the enemies and goodies. Enemies are sometimes hidden in similarly colored environments, so seeing them can be a challenge. 

Xotic is not without gameplay and level design issues, but the worlds are still quite beautiful.

Xotic's landscapes are... well... exotic. Your character visits underground temples, desert canyons, glass cities and other environments in his quest to free the planet from the Orb. The stark beauty of these environments and their relative uniqueness kept me very interested in the game throughout the adventure.

The game is also complimented by a contemplative, beautiful score. The music features overlays of electronica and dance, but remains quiet and cool in its sound. It was very fitting for what the game tries to accomplish.

I can't photograph sound, so here's a picture of my favorite level, a desert marketplace.

The feeling of solitary exploration is evident in Xotic's level and game design. Hidden caches of pickups, occasional but not overwhelming enemies; the game pays strong homage to Metroid Prime whether it knows it or not. You don't need to find all of the scabs or pickups to progress, though, which I was grateful for. 

There are also bonus levels which contain nothing but scabs and pickups, allowing you to rack up massive combos. If you're one of those people whose gaming is meaningless without a leaderboard, breathe easy, because Xotic has lots of them.

Xotic is nothing if not a bright,colorful study of contrast.

Should I get it?

Xotic is an interesting game, to say the least. It has a bizarre idea and environmental artwork seldom seen. It's marred by some annoying gameplay issues that seem to have never been resolved, but if you like to explore and think you can stand the headaches I mentioned up top, then grab $5 and try it out. I beat it in about four hours on a diet of water and green tea, so it's by no means impossible.

Thursday's game is... well it's not pleasant. Actually, it's the scariest, goriest, most terrifying game I've ever played in my life, but that's why it's in my top five. See you on Thursday :D