Xeodrifter

 A Competent but Forgettable Experience 

Written by: Gyaoon

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I'm sure many of you have run into Xeodrifter in the eShop's sales section. At least, that's how I came across it. A metroidvania for only a dollar (down from $10)? Count me in. After playing the game I came to learn that it was worth every single penny I paid for it, but not much more.

Originally released in 2014 on the 3DS, Xeodrifter made its way to the Switch shortly after and has been put on sale regularly ever since. The game takes heavy cues from Metroid in more than just its game-loop. The enemies, environments, and even the main character look like they could have come out of a Metroid spin-off - not that I consider that a bad thing. Metroid is popular for a reason. I mean, it even helped co-found an entire genre.

Most of you should be familiar with the metroidvania game-loop by now. You're given a section of a level to explore and encounter obstacles that impede your progress until you eventually find a new ability that will help you overcome it. These games work because backtracking and overcoming those hurdles can feel extremely rewarding, and it's no different here.

In this case, you're given four different planets to explore, and abilities gained on one planet can help you with obstacles on another. While you can explore these worlds in any order you like, the most efficient sequence to explore them in is fairly linear. There's plenty of variety when it comes to the enemies and strategies used to take them down, so repetition isn't a major issue - that is, except for the bosses. Throughout the game, you'll essentially be fighting the same boss with minor variations in attack patterns. You could say Xeodrifter is a little like Cave Story in that sense.

While Xeodrifter's execution is competent enough, I'm going to have to give this game 3 out of 5 stars because of its extremely short length and lack of narrative. There's nothing particularly wrong with Xeodrifter, but since it's over in about three hours,  it just doesn't last long enough to leave much of an impression. If you spot it in the eShop's bargain bin for a buck, which I'm sure you will, then I recommend you pick it up, but only at that price.