The concept is very simple and addictive. The game is played via the top-down or bird's eye view perspective. One player is blue and can destroy all the blue enemies. One player is red and can destroy all the red enemies. The problem is, enemies of the wrong color are deadly to you!
There is no shooting, you simply have to touch the enemies of the right color to destroy them. Consequently, the game only uses one control per player: a joystick that determines which direction you move. The challenge involves coordinating efforts with your partner. Do you travel together or seek targets of opportunity? Can you trust and work together with your partner to lunge when you need to lunge and retreat when you need to retreat?
Some enemies are mindless, but others will avoid the player that can harm them and seek the player they can harm, making them very deadly. One type of enemy lays eggs which will hatch into more deadly forms if you don't destroy them in time.
Making it more challenging is the fact that you and your partner may start in completely different parts of the level, far apart. When apart, the camera zooms out so both players are visible at all times. Power-ups also add variety to many of the levels. The most unique power-up is one that stretches an "electric rope" between the two players, which can be used to defeat all colors of enemies, but don't stretch it too much or it may break.
Schizoid supports both 2-player local play (loads of fun), and 2-player remote play (which I haven't tried). Because the Xbox 360 has built-in audio chat capabilities with remote players, in theory, playing remotely may actually be easier, as you could then have a full screen dedicated to just your view of the level. Schizoid also supports multiple 1-player modes. You can either have the computer control the 2nd ship, or, for the masochist, you can control both ships with a single controller if you prefer. It is possible to get into a zone where 1 person controlling 2 ships can dominate the levels with ease, but a more common outcome is to be totally flabbergasted and overwhelmed trying to keep 2 ships doing different things simultaneously.
Regardless, the real strength of this game is its excellent 2-player co-operative mode. If you're looking for a good game to play with a friend, this is it.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Schizoid is truly one of the best co-op games I have ever played. The single player plays just like co-op except there is an AI controlling the second player. The AI is pretty good, but you have to "follow" it in order to really do well. Co-op with another human player is where it's at, and where this game really excels. Rorke Haining's review pretty well covered the details so I'll pretty much leave it at this: if you play this with a friend (either local or over Live) you will be hard pressed to find a better co-op experience. You have to work together precisely to succeed at the higher levels and doing that is incredibly fun.Best Deals for Schizoid
This is one of the best arcade-style games I have ever played on a console. The multi-player function is the real appeal here, and the players must not only develop their personal skills, but their ability to work together in order to truly succeed at this game.There are two single player modes, for extreme challenge, but the real fun of this game is being able to cat-call your wing-man after losing a hard level.
Honest reviews on Schizoid
A good concept, poorly executed with little to draw me back in to play again.
No comments:
Post a Comment