Velocity 2X Review
When I first sat down with 2X, I felt right at home. Shooting enemies, rescuing survivor pods and teleporting back and forth to get to each and every area as fast as I possibly could. But then something happened: I docked my ship and started doing the same thing, but in the veins of Metroid for the NES. I was hooked!
Like Velocity Ultra, 2X is a vertically scrolling shmup where you try to get from point A to point B as fast as you can, without dying and all the while, collecting rescue pods. You have the ability to teleport in any direction, giving you the freedom to jump to restricted areas to grab pods or find hidden areas with unlocks. Trying to do all this, while still moving as fast as you can, is a challenge. I didn't find this at all bad, even when playing the same level over and over again, trying to get a perfect score. But unlike Ultra, 2X has combined two genres: vertically scrolling shmup and a side-scrolling action-platformer.
When the game changes to a platformer, the same rules apply. The only difference is you use the right stick to aim your gun to blast enemies and tele-dash to port through walls. This is where 2X really shines. Running through levels as fast as you can, while sliding, shooting and teleporting and then jumping back into your ship is so much fun and very addictive. The controls this time seem so much tighter and more responsive. You can really tell FuturLab worked to make the controls perfect and it shines in the game.
Graphics look amazing on the PS4 at 1080p and running at 60fps. There was never a slowdown or stutter. Sometimes, I would find myself stopping to stare at the lighting and visual eye candy for too long, only to die, but that wasn't a bad thing. If the visuals don't wow you, then the music will. The electronic music set the perfect mood for the style and pacing of the game.
Overall, I can't say enough good things about this game. It takes my two favorite genres and puts them into one game. It really feels like R-Type and Metroid had a baby and they named it Velocity 2X. With over 50 levels to play through, it never gets old, thanks to the challenge and great level design. The promise of day one DLC only adds to an already great game. Be sure to check out the gameplay video and see why I think Velocity 2X is one of the best games of the year!
5 out of 5
Velocity 2X is available now on the Playstation Store for PS4 and Vita (cross buy) for $19.99 or free for PS+ members.
Thanks to FuturLab for supplying a code for review!