The first thing that you’re bound to notice about this game is the fact that the name is pretty much unpronounceable. Is it “kicks” or “quicks” or something that doesn’t even make sense? It doesn’t matter how it’s pronounced, because by the time you figure out that is properly pronounced “kicks”, you’ll probably be done playing the game for the most part.
Features
The features list is the main reason that this game will forever stay in mediocrity. Once you look at the modes available to you, you have single player and multiplayer. Selecting single player will take you to a screen where you will choose either “Section One” or “Section Two”. Section One features classic gameplay where the player will battle Sparx that usually go along a defined path. Section Two features “biological” enemies that are more reactive to the player’s moves. The fact that this choice appears on a large screen tends to make the player believe that there will be more sections unlocked after beating those two first sections. That is not the case.
Other then the very brief single player mode, gamers will be able to play an addicting mode of multiplayer. Four players compete against each other to see who can box off the most area of the screen. Also, boxing off big spots will send attacks the way of the other three players. The idea is fantastic, and executed really well, but the problem is finding enough players to have a full game. The game remedies this as best it can by having any non-player controlled ships be controlled by a pretty strong AI player.
Presentation
The presentation of this game is really nothing special. Players control a little ship that draws lines as different geometric shapes in the middle attempt to block the ship and it’s lines. There really isn’t much to the presentation, but there really doesn’t need to be anything to the graphics to be effective. The game has a strong old school feel, which in my mind is mission accomplished.
Gameplay
The gameplay of QIX++ is highly addictive. Basically you control a small ship who’s objective is to box off a large percentage of the screen in order to trap the monster in the middle. Sounds simple enough right? Throughout the game, the Sparx in the middle will climb across the screen in either a pattern or in response to the player and do everything in it’s power to disrupt the ship’s line-drawing. Box off enough of the screen (usually somewhere between 75% and 85% of the screen) and you’ll clear the level.
Each section has 8 levels that go by very quickly. Throughout each section you can upgrade your ship’s shields, speed, cutter speed, and luck. Upgrading almost feels useless since the sections are so brief. Hardcore gamers and achievement hunters will be drawn in to improve their scores and unlock more achievements, but multiplayer is where it’s at. Players might be hard-pressed to find a full four-player game, but the AI is more than sufficient to fill in for the lack of human players.
The Verdict
QIX++ is an incredibly addicting and enjoyable experience. The only problem is that there is not enough content to justify the price. The right price for this game would be along the lines of 240 Microsoft Points, not 800. I can only assume that DLC will be released, and if it’s anything but free, QIX++ will be a total rip-off.
The game remains one of Taito’s most classic titles, but this version feels more like a value-based iPhone App than a full-priced Xbox Live Arcade Title.
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