VELOCITY 2X: HIDDEN GEM REVIEW
VELOCITY 2X: HIDDEN GEM REVIEW
For our first hidden gem review, I decided to showcase the game Velocity 2X. This indie game created by Futurlab, is a very unique title. I’ve personally never played a game like it before. It is a hybrid of an arcade space shooter like Galaga, and a platformer such as Shovel Knight. As bizarre a pairing as this sounds, Futurlab pulls it off perfectly.
"LIVING, BREATHING, SPEED DEMON OF DEATH"
In Velocity 2X, one plays as Lieutenant Kai Tana, a pilot from Earth, who gets pulled into another galaxy. Kai is critically injured in this process, and is reconstructed with cybernetic enhancements. This operation makes her a living, breathing, speed demon of death. As the title, Velocity suggests, Kai in her missions, both in ship and on foot, must traverse at breakneck speeds to thwart the alien threat. As the game progresses, both her physical and ship capabilities and powers skyrocket dramatically. Kai greatly reminds me of the gaming legend Samus. Both are female warriors, armed to the teeth with weapons, and ready to crack some alien skulls. Kai most closely resembles Zero Suit Samus, the less armored, but insanely fast version of Samus. Kai is not only fast, but she can use teleportation spheres, and have a tele-dash through walls and ledges. She has a beam launcher in her hand, which upgrades dramatically as the game progresses, and eventually acquires a large rifle to use, as well, which also improves in late stages of the campaign.
"SMALL SHIP WITH THE FIREPOWER OF A DREADNAUGHT"
Kai’s ship goes from being a swift little vessel, to a hyper speed blur of death by the end of the campaign. Starting off with single shot cannon beams, she steadily upgrades its weapon capabilities, and eventually creates a small ship with the firepower of a dreadnaught. Single shot beam cannon, bomb launcher, triple shot beam cannon, and a clone vessel to fight alongside Kai’s main one, are among the armaments in space combat sections.
"ONE OF THE VERY BEST GAMES OF THIS CONSOLE GENERATION"
Velocity is a game that I tried on a whim, and, am really glad I did. Simply put, this game is a masterpiece that should not be missed. One of the very best games of the console generation. The story is beautifully told through exquisite storyboard slides in a graphic novel aesthetic, and the soundtrack is brilliant as well, perfectly playing off the high speed and sci-fi vibes of the game. It is available to play digitally on PlayStation 4, Vita, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One, with physical editions being available on all platforms except Xbox.
Misc: Reviewed on PS4 Pro, game runs incredibly smoothly, and is a perfect match for controller at home, or Switch on the go. Velocity 2X is a remastered version of Velocity, and includes three DLC packs, containing extra missions, and achievements/trophies.