OTXO is a minimalist top-down Rogue-lite shooter that will keep you coming back for more.
Lateralis Heavy Industries is a new developer on the block with a knack for minimalist design. While not much is known about them, their first game, Dogworld released on 18 March 2021 and was quite well-received for its gameplay and story aspects. Lateralis Heavy Industries went back into hiding from the looks of it to bring us OTXO, a pixel-art-based top-down shooter, yet again keeping to the minimalist aesthetic.
What sets OTXO apart from other games like it is purely speed. Fast reactions and even faster gameplay are the key points to this game, but there are a few peaceful moments where you can just have a drink with the bartender as you’ll see. Unless you want something else, then the smuggler can help import something more to your taste, for a price.
You start your gory adventure on a train with your ‘beloved’ until the train makes a stop, and the man across from you gets up and leaves in a hurry. However, he did drop a headset of sorts. Feeling compelled and curious, your character puts it on, and you get transported to a totally different world with your face in the sand on a beach. This is where you get a basic feel for the movement controls and where you’ll get to meet a stranger who will guide you through the tutorial.
You’re stuck in an unknown world with no way out, and your only way to escape is by going through the mansion and saving your ‘beloved’. Easier said than done but not impossible. All you need is some focus, a drink or two, and a good weapon to cut down anybody who stands in your way. Though you’ll also need some Focus.
The Focus ability slows down time, similar to a slow-motion scene in action movies. While Focus is active, our character is given a few extra seconds to dodge incoming bullets from others, retaliate with a few choice bullets of your own, or just duck back around a corner. It also gives us time to strategically fire bullets in the anticipated direction of the enemies when kicking a door down.
Nothing lasts forever in OTXO, the focus ability can run out of juice, but it does refill over time and can be triggered as soon as the ring has something to burn through. The ring is around your aim reticle that looks like an aperture, rather fitting for a game like this. Though there are upgrades, you can get from the bartender that helps with faster recharge or even extending the Focus duration.
You move between different areas, but each area has a lot of smaller rooms and locked doors. Going from room to room is pretty simple. All the doors might be locked but we have two options – Kick the door down, or turn it into Swiss Cheese with a hellfire of bullets. Though filling the door full of lead isn’t always a good idea depending on the gun you currently have, so you’ll have to be strategic and mindful.
The weapons only have so much ammo and mags, and you’ll need to pick more other weapons as you fight your way through the mansion. Though if you don’t have any more ammo, you can always throw your empty weapon for a little insult to injury.
Surviving the mansion as you are won’t be possible without the help of the bartender at the Bloody Rose, a safe room in the mansion where you can relax and have a drink. He’ll offer your first drink for free, provided you drop your weapon. What sets the bartender apart is that his drinks give you buffs depending on what you choose. An example of what he can give you is Grey Matter – Splattering an enemy refills your focus bar. Though if you want the buff, you’ll have to pay for it with the coins you get from killing enemies
Another interesting feature of The Bloody Rose is the smuggler. While she seems suspicious, she’s perfectly harmless. Though she has your best interests in mind since she can smuggle/import new drinks for you to try out at the bar for a price. Her prices might seem a bit outrageous, but they are well worth every coin in the end.
After surviving a few areas, you’ll arrive in a room with just one guard and a few guns on the ground. This room serves two purposes. It’s like a warm-up room before a boss fight but also a testing ground for the guns you’ll find there to see which one will work best for you. Luckily, in this room and in boss fights, ammo is unlimited, so you don’t have to worry about running out, but you’ll need to be sure about the weapon you choose as well.
Boss fights in OTXO are a horror to deal with, and they become the definition of bullet hell. You’ll need to rely heavily on dodging and the Focus ability if you want any chance of making it out alive. Another thing to note about the boss fights, for the most part, the beast or person you’re going up against is heavily armored, except for one small piece. It becomes a game of cat and mouse to line up your aim on that one spot to deal damage, combined with the onslaught of bullets the boss can throw at you, which can turn up the intensity to a new degree.
As mentioned before, OTXO uses a very minimalist pixel-art aesthetic. While the characters might look simple, the world you’re fighting in is actually very detailed for pixel art. A lot more detail comes into play with boss fights, which is to be expected since they are generally much bigger as well. OTXO doesn’t use a wide color palette, and it instead uses more black, white, grey, and very little red for highlights. This also adds to the overall inspired aesthetic of the game.
OTXO has a fitting take on music, built partially on chiptune and electronic. The music helps with immersion and really plays into the type of game it is. You’ll feel the rushed atmosphere as you run and gun your enemies. The gun sounds are also quite accurate, and you’ll hear that each gun has its own realistic sound as well.
The game has the potential to grab the eyes of many and can have so much more brought into it. The retro feel to the game with its pixel art in the interactions and overall design, might for some, not be to their liking but it’s worth giving a try anyway. OTXO does not make you feel mocked or taunted.
Instead, OTXO gives you a sense of wanting to meet the next stage with more vigor, like in the old-pixel games. Once cleared, you feel sort of proud as the levels are tough and get tougher as they progress. So give it a go and see how far you can take your run and improve your run times and scores at the end of each attempt, edging closer to victory with better results.
