The original QIX first hit arcades
and pizza parlors way back in 1981. A fun and engaging action-puzzler, it never
really attained the critical mass of its back-in-the-day brethren like Asteroids
or Centipede, but still managed to attain a cult following over the decades and
even scored a pretty sweet Game Boy port back in the early 90s. Now, Taito is
returning to the cult classic with an Xbox LIVE Arcade version, titled QIX++.
The game is an updated HD port of
the original arcade title, offering up the tried-and-true gameplay of it’s older
brother while utilizing the retro-futuristic look and pulsing techno soundtrack
that has become commonplace with Xbox LIVE Arcade ports of decades old games.
Unfortunately, the game doesn’t really give you a whole lot of bang for your
buck, offering only a measly 16 levels diced into two sections and a substandard
multiplayer mode. When playing QIX++, you may find yourself wondering just where
the "++" actually comes in.
For those who missed out on QIX, the
game is a land grab puzzler. You control a tiny ship as it moves along the edges
of the game grid, slicing away at real estate in order to trap the QIX, which is
a floating mass of vector lines or polygons and your primary antagonist. Each
stage has a different one with a different aesthetic and behavioral patterns,
requiring you to change up your strategy a bit for each stage. Each level has
specific victory conditions, requiring you to section off a certain percentage
of the game grid while avoiding the QIX, which is constantly moving and bouncing
off of the walls in order to stop you.
The core QIX gameplay is still
pretty solid, although QIX purists might balk at the new, somewhat superfluous
additions. You now have power-ups that you can attain whenever you block them
off, which will give your craft a shield boost, slow down the QIX, and so on.
You can also level up your ship, earning boosts in stats for speed, shield,
luck, etc. These new changes work decently with the game, but an original arcade
mode without the power-ups would’ve definitely been appreciated.
This brings us to the main problem
with QIX++ – there’s just not enough here to warrant a 10 dollar (800 Microsoft
Points) purchase. For your money, you are getting a barebones and short-lived
experience, two sections comprised of eight levels each. The single-player
element can be completed in about half an hour. While there is some room for DLC
(the plan seems to be that additional levels and sections are to be downloadable
at a later date), charging 10 bucks for what is essentially half a game is just
ridiculous. There is even a How To section for two additional game modes that
aren’t even in the game yet (these will be also be available at a later date to
siphon even more of your hard-earned dough).
A short single-player experience
isn’t always the death knell for a game, given that the multiplayer experience
is fun and compelling, but unfortunately that just isn’t the case with QIX++.
While you can do a multiplayer mode that allows for up to four people to vie
over grid superiority with the winner being the player that sections off the
most percentage, it’s quite difficult to get a game going, and quite laggy when
you do.
Graphically, the game tries to apply
the kitschy futuristic style of other Xbox LIVE Arcade games, but in the end
just looks like a bland mess. The entire aesthetic seems to be lifted from
Geometry Wars, but while that game was interesting and fun to look at, there
just isn’t a lot going on in QIX++. Additionally, the techno soundtrack is
pretty minimal at best and obnoxious at worst, and you’re likely to find
yourself reaching for the mute button before too long.
There is a right way to apply the
micro-transaction model to Xbox LIVE Arcade games, but QIX++ is not it. For your
10 bucks, you’re basically getting an extended demo, with more of your cash
required should you want to get the full experience when it becomes available.
The new additions are unnecessary and don’t add very much to the overall
experience, and the whole experience is just too short and not a very good
value. QIX fanatics would do well to avoid this one like, well, the QIX itself.
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Gameplay: 4.5
The overall mechanics about as fun as they were nearly thirty years ago, but
there just isn’t really enough content here to recommend a purchase. The new
gameplay mechanics are superfluous at best.
Graphics: 4.5
Bland and derivative, QIX++ isn’t much of a looker.
Sound: 4.5
The pulsing bass driven soundtrack is likely to get on your nerves before
too long, even if you’re a techno fan.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 3.0
Charging 10 bucks for an extended demo is a slap in the face to QIX fans.
Multiplayer: 4.0
Finding a game on Xbox LIVE is a feat in and of itself, and online play is
pretty laggy.
Overall: 4.0
A bland and uninspired rip-off, steer clear of this one.
