Game Review: XCEL (ZX Spectrum, Mastertronic)

A Storyline of The Future?

Amazingly, it’s as if the programmers back in the 1980’s could see into the future with a crystal ball.  Many predictions here have pretty much come true so I’ll being by adding a couple of thoughts here and why.

After eons of time, all knowledge that has been striven by man has gradually been lost with only a few people remembering brief details of it.  The game is based on the desire to get this knowledge back.  My initial first thought here was Egyptians hieroglyphics or the translating of old languages from ancient civilisations.  XCEL has a made up alien language text together with English.

It then goes on to along the lines that with automated computers have gained knowledge, a consciousness and have now turned the tide against mankind.  Society is now dormant and this forgotten information is now protected by The Sentinels with their defence systems.  My Second thought here is obvious rise and prediction of A.I. with its possible consequences should it get into the wrong hands.

Anyway, to stop the computers maintaining all the power, you go the Oceania Museum of Technology and steal an alien spacecraft.  For a few hours you convert the vessel over to English to track down and destroy the Sentinel spread over 300 locations, covering 30 different planets.

Two Computers

You have control over two computers (no, you don’t need two Spectrums!) with each doing slightly different functions.

Computer 1 is the game control computer which allows you to load in or save games to cassette tape.  With 300 screens, this is a very sensible idea.

Computer 2 is the alien library computer that holds the information and knowledge about the different planets.  The thing is though; not all the text is readable and this alien language (which looks like a made Chinese characters) needs to be changed to English.  Gaining clues as you progress should help and decipher this problem.  So, when you are about to hyperspace to different planets, you will see your spacecraft which you can move up and down, but the alien language makes no sense despite it being clear that you need to go and hyperspace somewhere.

Five Spacecraft

You begin XCEL with five lives.  Before flying over the defence ground terrains, a white gated style doorway open.  This is where you will lose any lives if you make an error.

Before playing these you can press M, you can view a map of these defence areas.  On the left-hand side of the screen, a map of where objects are scrolls down showing the locations of the trees, and various objects in different colours.  One of the tips in the game is that all objects stay in the same place throughout the game, so you may want to either memorise or note down where to go.

Some of these defences can’t be all shot through, so you need to get in the right place and fly through a pathway or end up in a dead-end and crashing.

Playability

Your spacecraft is capable of not only moving left and right but also three quarters up the playing area.  If it was any higher, you wouldn’t see what is scrolling down the screen, so it’s just right.

There is however an issue when the screen gets filled up with objects.  The more there are on the screen, the more the game starts to slow right down.  When the objects scroll of the screen, it speeds up again!  Collision detection is okay but it isn’t perfect either so changes in speed don’t help the gameplay.

The alien sequences are where the real action begins.  The aliens move quickly (and smoothly) in set patterns and the sequences.  These are well designed and offer quite a challenge to destroy them.  They fire plenty of shots too, so practice is key here where you’ll want to proceed further.  You can only fire two shots vertically at a time.

If you do get shot, the aliens fly downwards in a nice sinewave effect of the screen.  You then go back to the sequence where flying over the rotating planet below and scrolling messages.

Keyboard Issues and Flight Lagging

It takes a short-while to get to know what you are doing as some of the game is icon driven.  Keys are Q and A to select computer 1 or 2.  Caps Shift for status, Z for a map, O to remote a probe launch, Enter to Hyperspace, Space for Communications and Symbol Shift for TV.

The game isn’t fully helped as the inlay card doesn’t list all of the keys (if you are playing by keyboard only).  During the flying over defence sections, these are essential to know, or you’ll end up losing lives by crashing!  On my first few goes; I lost a few lives before working it the keys.  Anyway, to fly in any direction (including diagonals) and shooting, the keys are Q, A, O, P and the bottom row to fire.  Joystick players obviously don’t need to worry about this issue of course.

The Loading Screen Sequence

Whilst loading, XCEL you’ll see this as an animated after a chunk of the game is loading.  Rather than a standard loading screen appearing, on the screen, you’ll see an animation sequence (with some sound) as the screen gradually appears from darkness with a dark blue sliding door effect.

You are then treated to the ground appearing as if lights are being switched allowing you to see the landscape.  The XCEL logo then emerges from the skyline as if it were a sunrise.  Very clever.

Initially, I stopped the tape whilst it was doing this (thinking the game had loaded) but don’t do that.  Keep the tape running as once the sequence has played out, the main chunk of the game then continues to load the rest of the game code itself.

Graphics

The rotation of the planets below you is very fast and look great to look at.  Continents rotate downwards from the top of the planet giving a sense of speed.

The Hyperspace sequence draws a few lines towards the middle of the screen before you see stars whizzing past you for around 10 seconds.  This gives a good 3D feel to the game during that section.

During the spacecraft missions, there is some slight flickering but nothing terrible.

Sound Effects Only

With no music, there just a few sound effects that you’ll hear.  The first sound effects are, as mentioned above, when displaying the loading screen.

You’ll here during the game a sound which sounds like crumpling up paper in your hand for a few seconds each time the screen changes.  Before entering the space sections, you will hear a high pitched sound and rapid grinding sounds.

Apart from that, there is a repeated tapping sounds every when flying over the planet when its rotation and defence areas.  If there is a message awaiting, you hear it tap more but generally its irritating.  The other sound is when you fire bullets.

* * *

You know what we think but why not share your thoughts on this game! Let us know what you think of it in the comments below, or add your own score using the slider in the summary box at the top of the review!