The Serious Sam franchise is known for channeling old-school
gameplay, and Double D XXL is no different.
This time, however, we’re seeing the over-the-top Serious Sam style
applied to classic 2D sidescrollers, and the biggest flaw is that it’s not
longer.
Old-school 2D shooters like Contra are classics because they
combine tons of action with easy to pick-up-and-play mechanics. There was virtually no learning curve, making
those games widely accessible. They had
minimal stories and exposition, as the entire focus of the games was on running
and gunning, so players didn’t have to invest several hours to get any real
return. Those types of games easily
appeal to a wide variety of players, making them so well-known and enjoyed.
XXL embodies all of those characteristics. You start the game with a brief (skippable)
dialogue between two characters, but then you just run, jump, and shoot your
way to glory atop a mound of enemy corpses.
Aside from one awkward default button assignment (which you can easily
change), the controls are intuitive and fluid, so it’s easy to get started.
And the story is given in short bursts between missions,
never forcing you to spend more than a minute or so waiting for your next
chance rain death upon the world. Some
of the bits are genuinely amusing, though, so they come as a welcome break from
all the destruction, even if other bits try too hard to be silly.
Despite a somewhat jarring menu system, the presentation is
rather nice, too. Colorful environments
and characters along with smooth animations give the world a nice feel, even if
the graphics are a little simplistic. Most
sound effects seem to be taken straight from earlier Serious Sam games, so XXL
sounds like it fits in the Serious Sam universe. The little bits of voice acting are great,
too, giving the characters a realistic vibe.
Basically, XXL is a great game in the vein of old-school
shooters.
But the developers took it a couple steps further. In addition to the solid sidescrolling
foundation, there are some exciting elements that set XXL apart:
The first is the jump pad.
You’ll acquire this item early in the game that bounces you higher than
you could ordinarily jump. You can place
it on any surface (including bodies) and can quickly replace it. This setup alone allows for some additional
maneuvering, including a ghetto walljump, but the reason it’s a really neat
addition is the fact that it works on enemies, too. Clever deployment of a jump pad can completely
change an engagement, launching your enemies into the air to clear some space. It’s a cool mechanic, and it adds some depth
to the otherwise straightforward gameplay.
The second and even more exciting addition is “gunstacking.” Like with the jump pad, gunstack connectors
are available early in the game. These
bad boys allow you to combine guns so you can fire up to six simultaneously. To
start, it’s not too impressive – firing three shotguns at a time won’t soil
anyone’s shorts – but when you start mixing in rocket launchers, flamethrowers,
and laser guns, gunstacking quickly becomes the coolest thing you didn’t
realize your wanted (or maybe you did realize, in which case, HERE IT IS!).
Gunstacking adds some strategy, too, as you can mix and
match guns and upgrades to make the perfect gunstacks for any occasion. Mop up waves of enemies with four machine
guns, a shotgun, and a flame thrower, and then switch to a stack of rockets,
lasers, and grenades for big boss battles.
It’s hugely satisfying to see your character running around with a stack
of guns taller than he is, and it’s even more satisfying to use those guns to
smite your enemies.
Gunstacking makes XXL a stupid amount of fun.
The biggest flaw is that it’s all over much too soon. With only three acts, the story mode is pretty
short. There are a number of hidden
secret areas that are common in the Serious Sam franchise and several
challenges to test your mettle, but you still run out of content much too
soon. Some other features (like local
coop and an alternative single-player character to unlock, who comes with a
whole new set of dialogue throughout the game) help to mitigate this particular
flaw, but I still find myself longing for more to do. In the end, though, I guess that’s a good
problem to have.
Serious Sam: Double D XXL is a great 2D shooter, both as a
throwback to the genre and as an incredibly entertaining
experience in today’s market. It’s
goofy, way over-the-top, and terribly fun.
It’s a little lacking in content, though, so it may not be worth the
investment for every gamer, but it’s still a damn fine game.
My Rating: 8/10 – great.
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