Old-school shooters are a dime a dozen these days. The genre has fallen by the wayside in the face of new technologies, although we still see a game slip out now and then to remind us of its glory. The latest game to do so is Playlogic's oft-delayed Xyanide, a fast-paced shoot-a-thon that's a breath of fresh air for the gasping Xbox game library. It's nothing new in terms of design and longevity, but who cares when you can take out armadas of spaceships and slugs with firepower that never ends?

In the game, you're an "executioner" flying a vessel through space. You've been assigned the daunting task of driving a vicious space queen to her final destination, a black hole in which she's been sentenced. However, en route to her exile, a gigantic asteroid made of Xyanide strikes the side of the ship, giving the queen enough power to break from her restraints and make the Xyanide material her own. She's now beginning to build enemy ships in an effort to escape, and as this "executioner", you must stop her before she can wreak unspeakable havoc throughout the galaxy.

One would think that the story's rather flimsy, as it sounds like something you'd find on Sci-Fi. But believe it or not, it's pretty solid, with cinema sequences that show just how evil she can be. They set up the levels themselves, which begin in a series of space tunnels and eventually make their way to a cave on an alien planet, filled with twists and turns.

You'll find that the gameplay takes a little getting used to at first. The shooting controls are pretty basic to follow, with the left analog stick controlling your movement and the right directing your gunfire. But there's a little more to it than that. See, you're flying through this series of tunnels, but you can actually point yourself in certain paths by leaning in the direction of the upcoming tunnels, taking on new groups of enemies and eventually getting to a massive boss showdown, which can range from technical terrors to large space slugs. Ah, love those large space slugs.

There's more than that. You can switch off two different kinds of gunfire with the R trigger, alternating between weaker spread fire and powerful missiles that are limited in range. The missiles are ideal for tearing apart larger enemies, while the spread fire will lay waste to the smaller enemies. Switching off between the two is easy. You can also fire heavy missiles by holding down the L trigger and aiming at a specific target. You'll see an indicator that shows you're locked on. However, it's not like the Panzer Dragoon system, where you can lock onto several targets. I'm afraid it's the "shoot one at a time" system. Rounding out the gameplay are additional power-ups, including bombs that leave a bright, destructive glow and shielding that protects you from certain attacks.

The gameplay works really well here, I think. It takes a little getting used to with moving around tunnels and shooting at enemies from a distance, but it really does come together like a good old-school shooter would. But what really compliments the game is its challenge. The game is far from a pushover, as you'll see enemies flooding the screen and grounded foes firing up at you to no end. A second player can join in at any time, but they'll be using the same credits that you are, meaning that your game will be over quickly if you keep getting killed. It's fun, though.

The presentation fits the Xbox perfectly, although you can see where the technology is pushed beyond its means. The graphics are beautiful at times, especially with the bosses. These huge vessels fly through tunnels and set up major attacks as lighting emulates all around them. However, there are times that slowdown sets in, especially if you've got a group of enemies flying off into the distance of space. The main beef I have about the levels themselves are that they lack variety. For the first four or five stages, you're flying through the same old tunnels, and then you change to a different set.

The sound is pretty good, but no one's really pushed the envelope here. The techno music is acceptable, and the sound effects deliver where needed, with explosions and gunfire effects going off all over. The real feature that many will want to take advantage of is the game's support of custom soundtracks. You can blast your favorite rock tunes as you decimate enemy after enemy, and it really gives the game a personal touch. Kudos to Playlogic for including this option.

Once the game's over, it's pretty much over, although players can access an Xbox Live leaderboard to see who's got the best Xyanide scores out there. And, to the credit of the designers, this isn't a 30-minute affair. I've been shooting for hours now and I still haven't beaten the highest difficulty level. Not bad for a $20 budget game.

Xyanide would've gotten a higher score had more thought gone into the level designs, the graphic touch-ups, and the length. But for a $20 title, it's a surprisingly fulfilling game. The gameplay's nice and balanced, even though it takes some getting used to. The presentation is pretty solid as well, especially with the support of custom soundtracks. If all you have is an original Xbox and you need some thrills, Xyanide isn't a bad piece of material to turn to.

Our Final ScoreOK

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