Reviews

• gamedeal user

  Jan 7, 2022

  The old version of ExZeus 2, packed in with the Complete Collection of both games. This is the better version of ExZeus 2, because it's not plagued by the resolution being fixed at 624x464 or a stretched version of it, but it's still not a good game, being a mediocre rail shooter that changes to various other minigames - most notably and frequently a terrible third-person-shooter mode - which are almost all strictly worse than the basic game mode. The top-down shooter mode for "deep space" stages is kind of fun, but still, a pretty easy skip.
• gamedeal user

  Aug 17, 2017

  Bought this game for Android a while ago when it was part of the Humble Bundle. Thoroughly enjoyed it on a mobile device, though I wasn't particular good at the game. Since it was fun I added the game to my Steam Wishlist and when it was released today, I straight away bought it. In the game you fly a mecha robot "on a rail" shooting down invading aircraft. In between the flying parts of the level your robot lands on roofs or roads to combat enemies walking or flying around him. In other sections your robot drives a fast vehicle through streets. Each different combat section requires a different play style adding much variety to the level design. Having just completed the first level, which incorperates all game play styles stated above, I have moved on to level 2 which is in the format of a traditional space shooter game. So again, a different kind of gameplay experience. The game is fast paced, and at least for a fairly new player like me, quite difficult. I died a lot. The game is forgiving however, ending up being "Game Over" provides the option to restart the game at the last save point. Despite having spent limited time in the game, I had a lot of fun playing my way through the first level, and for the cheap price would definiatelly recommend it to players who like casual shooter games. Specially given the game can be played from the couch with a controller. Might update this review further after having spent some more time in the game.
• gamedeal user

  Aug 15, 2018

  Mecha Space Harrier So this is another hidden gem on Steam, a sequel to an obscure classic Exzeus 1 from the Sega Naomi arcade boards and later ported to the PS2, Wii (renamed as Shoot Out and Counter Force) and PC. This one came out first for the Android platforms, then ported to Windows 8 store and a few years later here to Steam. So what is this? Well in its core it is a Space Harrier type of game where you are on-rails, but can move around the screen blasting everything in your way. But Exzeus 2 puts his own spin on this formula by breaking the on-rails action with on-foot sections which are in 3rd person, in small areas where enemies spawn and you run around freely shooting and punching them. There are also occasional vehicle sections like bikes and jeeps which all have different moves you can pull off. At the end of each level, there is a huge boss with weak points to exploit. In your arsenal you have your trusty laser gun, lock on missiles and 3 special screen-clearing attacks. Aside from your health bar you also have a shield bar and a lock on bar which tells you how many locks on missiles do you have. You can collect them all in form of power-ups during the level but you can also buy them from the in-game shop between levels. Speaking of the shop you can also buy weapon, armor and speed upgrades for your mech, and the cool touch is that your armor upgrades can be seen on your mecha in-game. Between the "regular" levels there are also short shmup stages where you fly through space to another planet and they are mostly for collecting coins for upgrades. The whole presentation is ok, cartoony and bare-bones but the hard rock guitar riffs during the levels are very good and really pump you up for the action. The game also has full gamepad support like any good arcade game should. So yeah, I definitely recommend this game to fans of arcade games, shmups, on-rail games and of course mechs.
• gamedeal user

  Nov 20, 2019

  I'm surprised to find that ExZeus 2 is pretty much the closest to a StarFox 64-style game I've seen on Steam so far... It's got a good arcadey pace to it, with things happening all over that you have to react to and lots of mode switching to different kinds of action sequences. The main 3D shmup sequences are intense but tightly controlled with lots of shooting. However: the constant mode switching means that they've implemented a bunch of different little action games, and I don't like all of them equally. The combat on foot part is by far my least favorite, and the most common. Turning around and shooting enemies feels like driving a drunk pig, and it seems like they think that this mode is a good way to show you new character models, with little introductions each time a mechanically indistinguishable enemy is introduced, but this game isn't good- or strange-looking enough for that to entertain me much at all. There's a bit of a theme-mechanics disconnect in the minigames too, you're flying along powerfully, shooting down helicopters in the depths of space, and then suddenly your robot lands to have a fist fight brawl with a pack of velociraptors. You're trying to get to an 80 foot tall Kaiju so you can kill it and save the world, why are you stopping to fight velociraptors who don't even have guns and can't even threaten any civilians because there aren't any civilians in this solar system? I'm also pretty bothered that you can't hold down the attack button to shoot.