XNcAve – 200 points – Action & Adventure – Download

Inspired by a java game, XNcAve is a fast paced arcade game that sees you navigate your space ship through an ever more challenging cave.

The basic mechanics in XNcAve require you to pull the right trigger to engage the ships thruster which raises your ships height and pressing LB which activates your ship’s shield and protects you from damage. You must use both these abilities to avoid colliding with the cave walls and obstacles. Occasionally earthquakes occue which cause the screen to shake and make it even tougher to control your ship.

The gameplay and graphics, whilst simple, are very polished and the game is extremely addictive. There are three difficulties and the two harder difficulties increase your ship’s speed (I found the hardest diffculty, Insane, to be the most fun).

One of the problems with the game is the fact that the entire game is available in the trial and you could just keep playing it without buying. The only part of the game that is unlocked when you purchase it is high scores. The lack of an online leaderboard is a little disappointing but they are so rare in XBLIG’s it is to be expected.

Overall, XNcAve is an addictive, well-made title. By keeping it simple the developer has been able to polish the features and make the game fun to play. If it was 80 points I would have no problem recommending buying the full game (even if there is not much reason to, other than to support the dev) but even at 200 points you should at least download the trial. (It’s worth noting the 80 msp price point was not available when the game was submitted, hopefully the developer will reduce the price at some point)

At the very least you should download the trial.

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