Hi guys from Hive Gaming, I hope you are all having a great time. Shooting games in 2D have been many and some, quite good, but few have captivated me so much as the Metal Slug Saga, so here I bring my review of Metal Slug X.
To begin with, this game is an improved version of the second installment in the saga. Once we select one of the four soldiers (two women and two guys), each with their own style and personality. Our mission is to save the world from an alien invasion supported by a crazy military leader that wants to conquer the world. To do this we have to advance through the stages of the game, exterminating hundred of enemies and avoiding their bullets.
As we advance, we will find a variety of weapons and healing items, and a good number of special vehicles that make our mission easier. These go from a camel with a machine gun, an air fighter, the classical battle tank, and even a mechanical robot that reminds me of the one that Colonel Quaritch uses in the Avatar film.
The more noticeable novelty in this title is that we now have support characters. The curious prisoner that we rescue during a stage can now help us fight throwing energy balls to the enemies, like Goku from Dragon Ball. There’s also a girl with a backpack full of useful items that appear from time to time in every mission.
But not everything has to do with the advantages, for example if we enter in contact with the purple steam that appears in the second mission, our protagonist turns into a mummy; or if we pick too many food items, he or she can become fat. And both transformations affect the speed at which our characters moves and the effects of the shoots of the weapons.
The visual aspect, in my opinion, is quite surprisingly good; especially the expressiveness of the characters and the multiple details in the backgrounds. The animations are so funny and so well elaborated that it’s impossible not to laugh once you see them on the screen, and it just makes the game’s tone so focused on that playful touch that’s so characteristic of this saga.
Now, the best part of Metal Slug X is how much fun the game delivers. Its focus on an old school style and dynamic rhythm, one that relies on an epic soundtrack, make the game a very enjoyable one. Besides, if you play with someone else, the fun aspect increases considerably.
Talking a little about the enemies, it can be said they are very varied and creative. Besides the typical soldiers, we are facing mummified dogs, aliens that seem to be taken out of those old Sci-Fi movies with UFOs. The more remarkable aspects are the bosses at the end of every stage, specially the Mother Ship in the epic and hilarious final battle that parodies the movie Independence Day (those who played the game will know what I’m talking about).
It’s worth mentioning that beside these six levels in the main campaign, the game also has extra modes where we can accomplish specific challenges that test our abilities and reflexes, for example: resisting the attacks of some missiles during a certain amount of time without any weapons, while in others we have to protect a baby from the alien threats in a escort mission.
In conclusion, this game is a classic and is hard to deny its charm and the fun it provides. It has much more variety and offers more enjoyment than the first installment. I recommend it to everyone who likes 2D games.
Anyway, this is all I have to say. Thank you very much for reading and supporting my post if you liked it.
All images in this post are screenshots taken by me.
