For those who were actively gaming in the 80s and 90s and opted to go down the route of computers rather than consoles, most will have heard of X-Out. The horizontally scrolling shoot-em-up, published by Rainbow Arts, was an instant classic with its addictive yet challenging gameplay, superb visuals and great soundtrack by Chris Huelsbeck. Released for the Commodore 64, Amiga and Atari ST it’s still fondly remembered today and copies of the original release are still highly sought after.
The Game
X-Out (pronounced “Cross Out”) is spread over 8 stages, and you’re in control of a heavily armed submarine. Battle through a range of underwater adversaries until you reach the boss at the end of each level with each getting increasingly difficult. As well as the other craft to avoid and take out, you’re under fire from weapon placements above and below on the terrain so you’re constantly under attack so you have to have your wits about you at all times.
Unlike other side scrolling shooters, you don’t pick up extra weapons or powerups during play. Instead, you start the game with a fixed amount of cash and are presented with a shop screen. From here, you have to buy a submarine from a choice of four, and purchase your weapon loadout for it. There’s a diverse selection to choose from including homing missiles, two and three-way firepower (with three different types of shot to choose from) bombs, drones that circle your sub and much more.
Money Matters
Careful use of your funds is essential as you only start with enough cash to get one sub and enough firepower to get through the first level. Once you finish the first (or any of the other levels), you’re taken back to the shop and this is where X-Out really stands out from the crowd. There’s no cash to collect during each level to upgrade your sub, but you’re awarded a score bonus depending on your performance. So when you go to the shop, you have to spend your points to buy weapon upgrades.
Each sub has a limited number of weapon slots and can only have one main weapon, but if you choose to buy a more powerful one, you get a refund on the one you replace which helps immensely. Also, you can buy additional ships and upgrade those as well to a maximum of 9, essentially giving you extra lives during play. These will be brought into use as soon as your sub is destroyed so it’s important to buy an extra sub as quickly as you can.
Illegal Copy?
First thing that you see when you load up X-Out: Resurfaced is a screen that gives you the impression that the game has been cracked. Resembling the type of intros that were added to hacked games back in the Amiga’s prime, it gives you a list of cheats you can use in the game to make life a little easier. First time you see it, they’re all locked but for those who remember seeing these growing up (or intros like it from the thriving Amiga demo scene) it’s a nice touch to kick things off.
The cheat menu can be accessed from the game’s main menu and these will be unlocked throughout play… and some of you might find that you’ll need them as X-Out is one tough game…!
X-Out: Resurfaced – What’s New?
Unlike a lot of releases of classic games (like the Turrican Flashback collection we looked at previously) X-Out: Resurfaced isn’t a compilation of games from the series (X-Out and it’s sequel Z-Out), but instead is a remaster and update of the original Amiga game. Rather than taking the original Amiga code and running it under emulation and adding a new coat of paint on top or just adding new features, this has been completely re-built from scratch using all of the original game elements as reference material to make it as accurate an update as possible. So what’s change for this modern incarnation of the Amiga classic?
The first thing you notice right away is the shop. It now starts off with a choice of three preset sub configurations to choose from to get you into the game quicker. You can still build your craft from scratch, but if you want a faster start, now you can. You also now have 9 slots instead of the original 4 for your subs.
The Facelift
The main thing you’ll notice during play will be the changes to the look of the game. While it’s quite subtle, the graphics have been redrawn in HD so now look sharper and use more colours that the original Amiga artwork. There are also more visual effects added to the explosions and underwater distortions added to the backgrounds. I have to be honest here and say that I didn’t pay too much attention to the effects, and the main graphics didn’t seem to be upgraded too much. Whether this was a sign of how detailed the original was or they remake was kept deliberately subtle I don’t know, but as a fan of the original I didn’t think it was a major enhancement.
Sound on the other hand was more noticeable. There are three options on the main menu available. You can select the original Amiga music and sound effects, those from the Commodore 64 version, or a brand new remix of the soundtrack and all new sound effects. All are produced by the original composer Chris Huelsbeck and regardless of which you choose you won’t be disappointed. Personally, I tend to swap between the Amiga and modern ones when I play.
New Game Modes
It’s not just the visuals and shop that have been changed. There are two new game modes added to give the game more longevity should you manage to complete it. First up is a new two-player mode allowing a friend to join in and hopefully help you have a better chance of completing the game (and frustratingly for PlayStation Trophy hunters out there, you need to complete the game in two player mode to get one of them).
The second is reverse mode where all of the levels are flipped so you play them from right to left. It takes a little getting used to, not only with the revised attack patterns, but also the entire concept of playing a side-scrolling shooter facing the opposite direction to what you are used to.
Playability
I did mention it earlier on, but X-Out is an incredibly tough game so you’re in for a challenge to complete it. The cheats do give you a helping hand, but they disable trophy support, so if you want to get them you’re on your own! Even though it’s one of the toughest side-scrolling shoot-em-ups that you’ll encounter, probably on any system, it’s not unfairly so – or at least not until the later levels when you’ll have enough firepower to get through even the toughest sections.
After a few plays you’ll soon start to learn the attack waves, what weapon loadouts work best and where the safest places are to stay during boss battles so you’ll want to keep coming back for more. Add in the complex weapons system and you’ve got a game that will keep you gripped long after the initial hook wears off.
No Retro?
One thing that did disappoint me was the fact that ignoring the game itself, the only direct connection to the original version was the inclusion of two alternative soundtrack options – that of the Amiga or Commodore 64 alongside the modern reworking by Chris Huelsbeck of his own original score.
When you watch the trailer for the game, it features footage from the C64 and Amiga versions of the game and it does give you the impression that both are included alongside the remastered release, which sadly isn’t the case, not even hidden away as unlockables.
Overall
While I was disappointed with the lack of the original releases of the game, this is a superb reworking of the original and is a worthy tribute to the Amiga classic. With the original commanding high prices on the secondary market, this is a great way to experience it on modern platforms in what can only be described now as the definitive version of the game.
The copy of X-Out: Resurfaced used for this review was supplied by ININ Games.
Related posts:
Game Review: Pinball FX – Star Trek Pinball (PS4, PS5, Steam, Xbox, Switch)
Game Review: Pinball FX – Star Trek: The Next Generation Pinball (PS4, PS5, Steam, Xbox, Switch)
Game Review: Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story (PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, XBox, PC)
Classic 90s Shooter Returns To PC and Consoles in X-Out: Resurfaced
Leave a Reply