Other helpful tools that come into play is a bomb. These don’t come around too often but if you tap the screen on the PS Vita, a bomb explodes that will eliminate every enemy on the screen. You can also get a power up that allows you to recruit a droid. This droid helps you shoot enemies and is arguably the best power up in the entire game. If these power ups didn’t exist in TxK, than the game would have been linear and boring. Thankfully they are in the game which makes TxK a lot more fun and exciting to play.
Graphically, TxK is simple but the visuals are still pretty in its own right. The wire frame type of look retains what the original games looked like, but the PS Vita’s screen makes everything brighter and more colorful than ever before. The color palette in this game is astonishing and it’s a type of game that really shines if you play it in the dark. You truly have to see the game with your own eyes to see how magical everything looks. Screenshots or even YouTube videos of the game don’t justify how brilliant this game looks on an actual PS Vita screen. Having said that, the game is fast paced so people that are sensitive to fast movements and flashing lights shouldn’t really be playing this game at all.
If there’s anything bad to say about TxK, it’s the lack of modes. There is only “Pure” and “Survival” mode on offer here plus a level selection after you have cleared the levels before. Pure mode sees you traditionally play the game with three lives. Your goal is to basically get through as many of the levels as you can with three lives. You can get more lives along the way, but that’s if you good enough to survive for that long. Survival mode is slightly harder as you basically just need to survive as long as you can without dying.
The longevity of TxK depends on how determined you are to survive and get a higher score. There is a worldwide leaderboard you can look at, plus the game takes records of your own high scores. The game can get quite addictive if you’re looking to improve on your own personal best. I looked at the worldwide scores, and their points were crazy high. I instead focused on my own scores and got a pretty decent 300,000 points. Ever since I got that score, I vowed to try and beat it, plus to get further and further into the game before I lost all of my lives. The levels get much harder the further you go because the enemies take a lot more bullets to get killed.
Overall, TxK is a fun and additive space shooter that will keep you satisfied for several hours. The game itself may not last that long, but the longevity lies within your determination to better your high score. Not to mention the game is challenging in itself and is a blast to play from the get go. The graphics are also great and the game also has a killer soundtrack too. If you are a PS Vita owner and want to play something that will arouse your senses, TxK is a great game that will get you pumping…
[Editor’s Note: TxK was reviewed on the PS Vita. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]