Here I go, here I go, here I go again! It’s been a while since I’ve seen a good vertical scrolling shoot-em-up, and Xenoraid looks like it’s ready to deliver in spades. Makers of twin stick shooter Crimsonland and unusual physics game Tennis in the Face, 10tons Ltd. is poised to unleash bullet hell on the PS4 this November. Xenoraid brings a modern take to a classic SHMUP formula, letting players swap between four different classes of ship in order to bring the best weapons to bear against the alien threat that menaces the Earth.
Players can customize each craft with different weapons and tech upgrades then swap to them on the fly, making sure that there is a ship configuration waiting in the wings with the right tools to handle each situation. The way you manage your squadron could mean the difference between life and horrible, firey, alien filled death.
Don’t think you’re going to be able to rely on your memory to get you through stages either, because each mission is procedurally generated, so you’ll have to stay frosty. You’ll never know where the enemies will come from, or when. With a 40 mission campaign weaving its way through four major boss fights, it will put your reflexes to the test, but if you think you can’t hack it alone you can also invite two to four friends to join you in the co-op action. Go it alone or team up in three Endless Survival levels too, in case your masochism of chasing online leaderboard fame gets the better of you.
Xenoraid is available now on Steam, and will be released on PSN on November 8th for $9.99 USD. There will also be a 10% launch week discount that runs through November 14th, so get your SHMUP on early!
Jack McBastard is a contributor for AYBOnline. His opinions are his own. He don’t know how you do the voodoo that you do. So well it’s a spell, hell, makes him wanna SHMUP!
