In Soldner X-2: Final Prototytpe I've found an old-school style side-scrolling shooter that puts the others I've reviewed to shame. Modern entries in this genre seem to play to one extreme or the other; either they lose their soul as they deviate from the tried-and-true formula that made their forefathers such a blast to play, or they adopt some of the most irritating things about these titles (like dying in one shot; NOBODY likes dying in one shot). Soldner X-2 provides an excellent combination of new and old developments in this genre. The new: beautiful graphics, supporting a ridiculous amount of projectiles on-screen without lag. The old: a range of killer weapon types as seen in some of the finest old-school classics, enemy variety and their ability to completely alter your strategy at a moment's notice, and a number of interesting backgrounds that differentiate one level from the next.
The Pros
The best thing about Soldner X-2 is its unbelievably hectic pace and its ability to support it without issue. It's exceedingly rare not to have brightly-coloured enemy projectiles flooding the screen as you maneuver your ship through space, and you'll never have to chalk up your death to a few seconds of input lag because there simply ISN'T any. That might seem like a trifling detail, but I know that it was a frequent occurrence in older side-scrollers, and even a single occurrence of that kind had the power to make me huff and shut off the system. Soldner X-2 plays as smoothly as you could wish while bombarding you with all kinds of interesting, deadly projectiles... So you only have yourself to blame if your little ship explodes.
As I mentioned in the first paragraph, Soldner X-2 graphics are commendable. The enemies begin to look more and more exotic as you progress through the game, possibly even challenging your ability to keep your ship alive as you ogle them. Bosses are especially breathtaking, representing a wide assortment of giant robots/ships that take up half the screen while their projectiles take up the other half. The backgrounds are the real stars of the show, presenting stunning space vistas as a backdrop to the carnage in the foreground; it all makes for a nice, attractive package... Not that you'll be paying much attention to the quality of the visuals if your aim is to survive the first few levels.
The Cons
Soldner X-2 falls flat in every way that isn't important to a side-scrolling shooter. The story, for instance, is boring and convoluted, but who cares? This game is about blowing things up, and your only “character” is a ship with a faceless, nameless pilot. The game is also incredibly cheesy (featuring an announcer who makes The Price is Right's prize announcer seem like Morgan Freeman). There's also some banter between members of your HQ and other pilots, and unfortunately none of it is as unique or interesting as them telling you to do a barrel roll. These are really some tiny sins when you consider the genre we're talking about, however, easily forgiven in the face of all that's good about this game.
Here's the deal
If you're going to download a side-scrolling shooter from the PS3 store, make it this one. You'll be too distracted by constant, imminent death to worry about the thick layer of cheese that's caked on to this awesome shooter, and you'll just have to rely on the stunning visuals to immerse you in the game's perilous universe. For a taste of real, old-school nostalgia with all the right modern twists, look no further than Soldner X-2. Mike D. 9/10
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