“When life gives you explosions, make Explosionade”, says the trailer, which should give you an idea of where Explosionade DX is being pitched. This isn’t the thinking person’s shooter: this is shlock, gore and mayhem. It’s Turrican, but less of the jumpy exploration stuff, and more of the bullet-hell, ‘make everything explode’ stuff. Explosionade DX is out now on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5 and Switch.
It’s a tale as old as time. Aliens have arrived, and they have no interest in phoning home or the odd probing. They want to tear the human race limb from limb. The problem is that Earth has sent its battalions to the Horronym Fortress, but left home utterly defenceless. It’s down to you, a glorified quartermaster, to hop into a mech and save the world.
You’re outfitted with a bombastic arsenal, as you’d hope. You get a bubbleshield, which gives you temporary protection from your surroundings, allowing you to bounce around like a wrecking ball. Then there are the wonderfully named MegaNades, and the Static Cling, which is an overblown sticky-grenade launcher. Mastering the various weapons of Explosionade DX will get humanity across the finishing line.
Probably the most exciting element of Explosionade DX, apart from the cathartic ability to wade into hundreds of enemies at once, is the local co-op. The view zooms out to take in the whole screen, and you and a mate can share the carnage. It’ll be a test of the tech to see if the game can handle two lots of destruction.
Outside of that, you’re getting a lot of what you’ve come to expect from a shmup. There’s a wide range of enemies, and they all approach you in different ways, from sneaking round you to lobbing a welcome-grenade. There are bosses too, mostly riffing on the Beholders from D&D, who do the traditional thing of filling most of the screen and sending salvos of bullets your way. There are 60 levels, leaderboards, and a vast array of difficulty modes (including, interestingly, the ability to modify the speed of play).
Sometimes you just need a mindless shooter, and Explosionade is proud of its mindlessness. If it’s gruesome 4K artwork does it for you, then check out our upcoming review and make your decision whether to down some Explosionade DX.
Features include:
- Infiltrate subterranean strongholds manned by cunning bipedal aliens and their mind-blasting hellions!
- Recharging MegaNades, and an earth-shaking machine gun rip destructible environments to hand-drawn bits!
- Heaps of challenge-room style gameplay with a zoom function that let’s in you close or zooms out to see all the action!
- Battle tricky aliens that can run, dodge, take pot-shots and throw grenades to blow you to bits!
- 2-player couch coop so you can share the alien-stomping, grenade tossing joy!
- Blast screen-filling bosses deep, deep down in the unexplored depths!
- Multiple difficulty modes, and gameplay speed control to find just the right challenge!
- DX remastered has 60 levels, tons of new challenge, all rebalanced!
- 4K resolution hand-drawn art, new Achievements, and online Leaderboards!
Explosionade DX is out now on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S and starts at £4.99 from the Xbox Store. It’s also out on PS4, PS5 and Switch.
Game Description:
Pilot an experimental mech and shoot giant grenades to blow up sneaky aliens. Stomp their guts, destroy their base, and save the day! All your friends are storming the Horronym Fortress but Colonel Bouche left you to guard the supply depot. Disregarding orders you open the depot to find a gigantic, prototype mech!
