A sequel of an original classic, Xenon 2 was a vast improvement on its predecessor. While the principle remained the same (Fly your ship, dodge the enemy and shoot stuff until your eyes bleed, essentially) the designers took their time expanding on everything they possibly could.
The graphics were the first thing to be upgraded. Technology had moved on to much improved levels, allowing for curvy sprites and smoother animation, faster processing and better response times, giving the game a much better feel and flow.
A sequel of an original classic, Xenon 2 was a vast improvement on its predecessor. While the principle remained the same (Fly your ship, dodge the enemy and shoot stuff until your eyes bleed, essentially) the designers took their time expanding on everything they possibly could.
The graphics were the first thing to be upgraded. Technology had moved on to much improved levels, allowing for curvy sprites and smoother animation, faster processing and better response times, giving the game a much better feel and flow. An eternally scrolling premise meant that this was a vast step up, in terms of really bringing the game up to date. Whilst never original, Xenon 2 certainly took the best aspects from many games in its genre
and combined them in a fairly unique way.
Sound also took a boost, as Xenon 2 really was quite a shock to the senses. A number of effects were used, and the synchronization between the effects, graphical and aural, was fairly flawless, even at the most heavy duty moments of destruction and mayhem. Whilst these effects may not hold up against the modern day movie quality visions we're becoming accustomed to, at the time they were top of the hill.
Game play had been boosted from the original, levels had become vast. In some cases this may have been a drawback, as a certain level of tedium would present itself in the higher echelons of the game, as the levels dragged on and on. However, the rewards for sticking to your guns and blasting away at seemingly endless aliens and their machinations of war are there. They present themselves in some fun little power ups, weapons and bits and bobs, but primarily, in some very impressive end of level bosses. They are challenging, but not overly so, good to look at, and best of all, offer a real sense of accomplishment when blasting the pesky little blighters out the sky.
Although these things are true, Xenon 2 was no huge leap from its popular previous game. The premise, as I mentioned, stayed the same, as did the style, the control system, the general look and feel. In a lot of respects, it’s almost like the sequel here was simply what the writers were aiming for with the original, but the options available to them at the time hadn’t allowed it. This doesn’t mean however, that the game isn’t worth wasting a few hours of your life on. I know I have, and like most good pilots blasting away at alien races and the technology that supports them, in galaxies distant – I regret nothing!
