Xenon Valkyrie+ (PS Vita) Review

By Eric Ace 28.12.2017

Review for Xenon Valkyrie+ on PS Vita

Taking some of the most popular things in recent times and trying to combine them together is the direction Xenon Valkyrie+ takes. Mixing platforming, rogue-like elements, RPG, cyberpunk, ecchi anime girls, and even sci-fi, for good measure, the ingredients list of this title is simply massive. Taking place on a moon, players control one character through random dungeons as they try to kill an evil witch, and while the ingredients available seem intriguing, they fail to live up to their promise.

The splash screen art makes Xenon Valkyrie+ look… well, kind of like a science fiction anime, with some heavy sexual innuendo. The actual experience leaves much to be desired, despite many of the promises, as little of it is really fulfilled at all. The base of it is pretty simple: pick one of three characters, and start a random dungeon as you platform downwards until reaching the door to the next level. Along the way you will be fighting enemies to get EXP, and you will sometimes find a treasure chest with a random item.

Screenshot for Xenon Valkyrie+ on PS Vita

To best explain the problems at hand, it is best to express that the overall feeling is that little you do matters. Despite the promise of three different characters, there is next to zero difference between them. One has a high jump, one has a bomb, one has a radar, and that is it. Upgrading swords or guns does nothing different other than a new number for damage. The beginning sword is the exact same as a sledgehammer, or the 'apocalypse sword,' as they both hit at the same speed, and only some do more damage. For the entire game this means you get the sword and the gun, and only sometimes does it do more damage.

The platforming often revolves around falling downward, except that there is no way to see the spikes or enemies that cause damage often lying beneath. Remember, this is a rogue-like, meaning no way to learn a pattern. It is easy to die, but rather than posing a challenge, this just comes off as a large annoyance. Players will grind on enemies, then fall and die on spikes, restarting and repeating.

Screenshot for Xenon Valkyrie+ on PS Vita

To really get far, it is best to kill every enemy on the screen, but there is no real entertainment in this as there are no new patterns, challenges, or actions that are really required, other than, in general, just swinging away; then when a random fall or hit kills you, it rapidly takes away the fun of it all.

There is supposed to be a story, but despite its sci-fi leanings, it never really takes off or goes anywhere. It is unfortunate because the art of the character looks really cool. If each of the three characters had any difference, had a different story or, at least, talked differently, or… really anything, it would go a long way to improving the whole thing. It is these kinds of issues that make the entire game feel like it was shoved out at a fraction of its complete state.

Screenshot for Xenon Valkyrie+ on PS Vita

The random levels are not a bonus, either, rather they are often stitched together in such a bad way that two of the three characters may literally be unable to progress. Unfortunately, 'procedurally generated' levels have the real issue of them simply not being interesting, just random challenges compared to a carefully crafted experience. In many ways the entire of Xenon Valkyrie+ is like this - throw random stuff at the player and hope that some combination of it comes off as interesting.

In the end, for what it is, it is tough to recommend. If this was a very early stage alpha of a product, with the expected promise of high-definition sprite graphics, a real RPG system, an involved story, some fun platforming, and so on, it would be such a high recommendation for a pre-order. Alas, though, this is no alpha, but rather a supposedly complete package.

Screenshot for Xenon Valkyrie+ on PS Vita

Cubed3 Rating

4/10
Rated 4 out of 10

Subpar

Xenon Valkyrie+ is playable, but there is just so much left to be desired. Feeling more like an alpha version with tremendous potential, the longer you play, the more you realise everything you want the game to be, it sadly is not, and players will be left with a mediocre platformer/rogue title instead. If this was a demo of what was to come, it would be so easy to sing its praises but, as it is, it only serves as a source of aggravation for what it could have been.

Developer

Diabolical Mind

Publisher

Cowcat

Genre

2D Platformer

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  4/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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