X-Out was originally released in 1989 for the Commodore 64 and was launched on the Amiga, Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, and Amstrad the following year. A sequel Z-Out was also released in 1990. Even though I owned a Commodore 64, I haven’t heard of or played this game before. As a result, I can’t comment on how faithful the remake, X-Out: Resurfaced is.
When people think about alien invasions, they typically imagine the attacks coming from outer space. X-Out was revolutionary by having aliens attacking from within the Earth’s ocean. It’s up to your fleet to stop the alien invasion and save humanity.
X-Out: Resurfaced has three gameplay modes. You can play single-player, two player, and Mirror mode. Until you complete the single-player campaign, Mirror Mode is not available. Mirror Mode has the levels flipped where you’re going right to left instead of the other way around. In total, there are eight levels and they are undoubtedly easier with a second player.
In my stream I played the single-player mode and focused on spending the 12,000 credits customizing my submarine with the best options I could afford. The game does offer you three presets to choose from if desired. What I didn’t realize at the time is that if you want more than one life, you’ll need to configure a FLEET of submarines to immediately spawn a replacement when you die instead of getting a game over screen. The conundrum here is determining what to skimp on in order to be able to afford multiple submarines. The good news is that you’ll earn credits back upon completing a level and those funds can be used to upgrade and/or replace submarines in your fleet.
Built in cheats will unlock as needed. Before I discovered the ability to have multiple submarines, the game noticed I was dying a lot and added a cheat option for better armor. While the cheat system is nice, you’ll be prevented from earning Steam achievements while using them.
Designing your fleet is the meat and potatoes of this game so let’s discuss the available options:
There are four submarine models to choose from and as they allow more configurations and satellites (three maximum) to be equipped, they go up in price. The highest end model, Shark, costs 6,000 credits and allows up to ten options to be equipped.
There are three different primary cannon types. Each option has one, two, and three blast options available with the price increasing as you shoot more projectiles. Heat shots are the cheapest, followed by titanium and uranium as the most expensive option.
As you fire your cannons there are automatic attacks including missiles and bouncing bombs that can be equipped. The missiles are available in small, large, and extra large configurations.
If you hold your primary attack button for a couple of seconds, you can unleash a more powerful primary attack provided it’s paid for and enabled on your submarine. These attacks include fire lightning, flamethrower, and electric arc. I’m not sure how these fire-based attacks work under water, but whatever.
Secondary options include drones, shields, and a smart bomb. There’s an upgrade option to recall deployed drones (provided they’re not destroyed). The smart bomb can only be deployed once per submarine so use it wisely (ex. Boss battles). The last upgrade option is a teuton laser which increases the damage power for satellites and drones.
There are eight different satellite options and the biggest factor is how they fire and what their flight pattern is. You can have them in a fixed position, orbiting your ship, flying vertically or mirroring your movements. The most expensive one has a guided system where it tries to align with the next enemy. That model will set you back 3500 credits.
Once you have your fleet configured, it’s time to head out and blast away at underwater aliens. X-Out: Resurfaced plays like many side scrolling shoot ‘em ups where enemies will spray bullets your way for you to dodge. I honestly found the environment more challenging to navigate while avoiding deadly collisions with the stalactites and stalagmites. Most levels have a mid-boss and a final boss to defeat before moving on. If you lose your entire fleet, it’s game over.
Looking at screenshots of the Commodore 64 version of the game, this remake captures the retro look while finetuning the visuals. The background music is good but a little repetitive. In the intro scene the pilot says something but it was too garbled for me to understand. I get that the sound chips were not great in the early 90s, but having the audio understandable in the remake would have been a nice touch.
Most of the enemies are robotic in nature so there is no blood to be seen as they take damage. The only other issue worth noting is that after beating the final boss and saving the world, the game suggests opening up and enjoying a fine aged whiskey.
If you’re good at this game it may only take a couple of hours to beat. If you’re not doing well, the cheats that unlock if you fail. The asking price is a little steep at $19.99, but I definitely recommend picking it up on sale if you enjoy shoot ‘em ups.
