Velocity 2X

pro

If you were looking for a pure and fun arcade experience last year, you didn't need to look further than Velocity Ultra to quench that thirst. It was a fast paced and superbly fun shooter only limited by your ever increasing skills as you kept on perfecting levels. So when Futurlab introduced Metroid-like platform sequences in the follow-up Velocity 2X they set themselves up for a couple of concerned looks. Well, I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about. Following the story of Lt. Kai Tana and her quest to save the universe, you will shoot, teleport, smash - and now - run through 50 levels of increasing mayhem and eye-melting action. The new platform sequences are elegant and just as fast paced as the rest of the game. They require a familiar approach to perfect them, and includes all the tricks you've learned through the normal ship combat. The combination paves way for some very cool boss fights.

pro

The retro soundtrack is absolutely spotless. It's full of energy and will have you pumped up for most of the game until your senses inevitably go numb. The crispness to the sound design should really be enjoyed through a proper sound system or a good pair of headsets.

pro

It has a neat story, and while it doesn't exactly reinvent anything, it is made all the better by having a strong, funny and incredibly cool protagonist - she also happen to be female. Told through an art style that is nothing short of exquisite, it's one of few times I've been this engaged in a story wrapped around an arcade experience.

pro

There's a wealth of extra content to dip into. Bonus levels are unlocked by finding them in the regular levels, there's data about every enemy, ship and character in the game, and more importantly it once again features a calculator. You're game is not complete unless you have one.

con

I'm not a fan of gated progress, and 2X hit me with just that when I had only 6 levels left. This is a normal thing in score- and skill based games, but with such a cool art style and a story I was genuinely engaged in, it was a huge bummer to have to go back and perfect earlier stages to see the end of it. The fact that I could finish 44 out of the 50 levels before this happened makes it even more unnecessary and annoying.

con

I had some issues with the controls on PS4. I found it hard to be swift and precise with the dualshock, and even experienced a few infuriating moments where the game simply didn't respond as I expected in tight situations where timing was of the essence.