Xenotilt: Hostile Pinball Action game review

I thought I could handle it. The developer’s previous “occult pinball action” hit, Demon’s Tilt, has been my favorite game on the Steam Deck since I owned the Valve handheld. I knew I was in for another round of customary pinball mixed with shmup-like ball splatter – been there, done that, and got a pentagram-emblazoned T-shirt.

But no, at first I was as overwhelmed by the riot of colors, fireworks, and pixelated retro cyberpunk style of Xenotilt as anyone else. There are energy scythes, cyberscorpion women and billiards decided by dragons. I can collect ammo drops and shoot dazzling pink snake lasers at swarms of monsters that give points. It’s basically pinball that I imagine the NPCs from Cyberpunk 2077 playing.

Xenotilt only has one table, but it’s so gigantic that it’s essentially three different pinball machines stacked on top of each other, with each zone resembling part of an abandoned spaceship with multiple states, moving elements, and animated flourishes. I never thought I’d want auto-firing turrets in my pinball games, but now that I’ve had a taste of heaven, I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to go back.

So I spent most of my first low playthroughs admiring all the lights, sometimes with the monitor tilted to the side so I could bask in the game’s vertical glory, familiarize myself with the Game Over screen, and feel… pretty good about it all despite my destitute performance. Even the smallest points multiplier awarded or the activation of the most basic multiball mode brings a wave of celebration to the screen. Xenotilt is always elated to throw a party or 10 in my honor, no matter where I end up on the highscore table.

Time, practice, and determination eventually overcame the admiration I had for the game’s gorgeous lighting and special effects (fortunately, both are highly customizable, leaving me to decide how distracting I want them to be). I finally spotted the skill shot ramp and felt pleased with myself when I managed to get the ball to land somewhere near it. I started looking for specific paths and labels, eager to get the latest win I had scored – or strategically add another ball to the matrix of multiple balls providing benefits on the side of the screen.

This matrix is ​​a three-by-three grid, and each square provides a unique ability (from basic things like more ammo to a vacuum-like effect on enemies, as if they were being sucked out of an airlock). They are all helpful and there is no one right way to complete them. Spread the balls evenly across all three columns and you’ll have a gigantic selection of basic power-ups. Stick with one for a narrower but ultimately more powerful skill set and the chance to hit the multi-ball trigger later, releasing stored balls onto the table and causing scoring mayhem. But– of course there is a but – should you wait until you fill all three, or play it sheltered and release the multiballs as quickly as possible? Or do you even want to, considering you only get the benefits of the matrix when the balls are resting in their gaps?

Despite the quirky nature of some of Xenotilt’s features – it’s not every day you play a pinball game with a combo counter or a game where you actively counterattack when you hit it – the game’s responses are always consistent, and the table isn’t as rugged as its menacing retro might suggest -cyber style and mocking vocal commentary (such as a slightly disgusted “I expect more!” after the last ball falls into the gutter).

Every major potential point of ending failure has some subtle sort of time-limited or limited-use safety net – ready and waiting to stop the game from abruptly ending and a single moment of bad luck. Compared to conventional pinball games, the threshold for using directional tilt is extremely gentle. This is practically expected in certain areas of the board, such as when I need to push balls to the desired left lane on the second level – either sending the ball to the top of the table or back to score more points – milking the area in the same way.

By the seventh or eighth session, the deeper layers of this evil metal onion were exposed. Scoring and survival are crucial, but I was beginning to understand that Xenotilt was all about goal cycles. And to be candid, I’m a little lost in the jargon. At least I could take a look at the quick lend a hand section if I wanted to cover the basics (e.g. “What the hell is a ‘loading crackle’?”). There’s a handy tip on each loading screen to keep in mind, the pause menus fully describe the Multiball matrix’s bonuses, and every time I try a up-to-date mode I’m greeted with a brief explanation of its basic functions.

The EX Xenotilt variant includes point-boosting survivors that can be permanently unlocked and recruited, as well as “tri-gifts” – powerful effects that are only granted after performing a “major overkill” on one of the bosses at the table. The most obvious change in Hardcore mode is the apply of slightly smaller fins, which require tighter ball control and expert apply of the tilt function to ensure that the one life I’m given lasts as long as possible. Crisis Mode is so different that it feels like a completely up-to-date game, even though it still uses the same table layout as every other variant. It’s a high-pressure time attack mode with a completely different set of priorities: the only thing that matters here is surviving as long as possible, and to do that I have to risk everything by following the time-adding targets on the table.

No matter what mode I play, it’s always tense and invigorating, and I feel like my knowledge and skills are tested in compelling ways. For every thing I master, there are a dozen up-to-date challenges waiting for me that will allow me to perform better than ever before – if I can master them. With very good streaks, I receive random bonuses that are hard to obtain. I used to need three balls to get them. Not that I always paid attention to my final score: there were times when I started a up-to-date game so soon after finishing the previous one that I didn’t even take my score into account. I could have waited later to see where I landed on the leaderboard because at times like these I just needed to play more of Xenotilt.

Pinball paradise

Xenotilt is not just pinball for people who already know they like pinball games. This is pinball for people who love the thrill of arcade-style skills turning into raw points. This is pinball for people who enjoy the thought of suddenly attacking the exposed heart of a cyberdinosaur skeleton that’s busy punching a metal ball with neon pink breathing lasers and ice attacks. This is pinball for people who dream of playing at a table that lights up like a Terminator Christmas tree. It’s even pinball for people who think they don’t like pinball, a game different enough – and enticing enough thanks to the lend a hand on offer and the presence of a challenge tracker that always seems to be one step away from recognizing the next achievement – to offer an engaging, understandable and an unusual approach to the genre.

The fact that a great game takes just a few minutes and a full restart takes just a few seconds makes it the perfect game for any occasion, whether I have 15 minutes and Steam Deck in hand or a whole evening off in front of my computer. computer.

I should warn you though, if you’re anything like me, you may kiss your life goodbye once you start playing.