REVIEW : pixelBOT EXTREME! (PC)
There are lots of side-scrolling retro shooters in the market but pixelBOT EXTREME! comes with a different twist. What that is, time to find out!
A retro game
Before we jump deeper into the chaotic world of pixelBOT EXTREME! it’s crucial to know what type of play this is. Fortunately, it doesn’t hide and reveals to you what to anticipate from it right from the origin. Your a pixelBOT who’s searching for its soul but has to get past the security system to be free. A not so impressive story set in that typical 16-bit Super Nintendo look. Look of the Game is amazing. Needless to say, it’s far from that today but it still has its charm and for pixelBOT! it even serves a purpose as I’m pretty sure this game won’t work as good if it was created with top-notch 3D-visuals. Why? Because of its colourful twist!
Follow the rhythm of the colours
At first glance, this is just one of those side-scrolling shooters where you have to endlessly grind and restart before you can finally clear the game. But, pixelBOT! does things a bit differently when it comes to gameplay mechanics. First things first, calling it just a retro shooter doesn’t do it justice as it’s more than just that. It’s a modern and original take on the classic genre and the big difference is the way you defeat your enemies. As you can see in the screenshots, your enemies have a specific colour, as have your rockets. You can only defeat the enemy that matches the colour of your rocket, making it a lot harder to advance if you don’t memorize your controls. It’s difficult at first but once you get the hang of it, the game feels more like a rhythm game than just another retro shooter, of course, the great soundtrack plays a crucial role in this vibe too. Everything about the game is created for players to get in this vibe and it’s hard to snap back out of it. Yes, it’s a difficult game to master but it’s incredibly fun while playing, even if you die multiple times. Everything is created for you to have fun, increasing the quality-of-life.
One of these quality-of-life improvements is the amount of save points. Unlike other games, this one gives you plenty of respawn points if you die, all to keep you in the right vibe. It’s an incredibly fast-paced game and you won’t lose a lot of time when you die. It’s just a quick respawn to the latest checkpoint and your good to go. It’s fun to just jump, hover, slide, and shoot your way to the finish if you know you never have to restart the entire level. If you manage to get past the regular levels, you’ll face off with bosses from time to time too, to truly test your skills. pixelBOT EXTREME! really found the right balance when it comes to difficulty and forgiveness.
