Alternate Title: This game is also shown in some listings (including some Dashboard entries) as "radiangames Crossfire 2", so if you don’t see it in XBLIG’s catalog under ’C’ for ’Crossfire 2’, check under ’R’ for ’radiangames.’
There have been several shooters in the Indie Games Uprising lineup, but it’s hard to complain when most of them are very well made and affordable. Crossfire 2 continues this trend, pitting you against waves of enemies in your starfighter (which primarily scrolls left and right, much like Galaga or Space Invaders) until you clear the final wave or are defeated. On its own, that sounds like dozens of other games... but Crossfire 2 has plenty of nice tricks that make it stand out.
The most important of these is the ability to flip over to the other side of the stage. In most games like this, you can only move to the left around right along the bottom of the screen; Crossfire 2 lets you hop over to the other side and move along the top. This is an important skill to master, since there will be times where you simply cannot avoid damage with horizontal movement and jumping to the other end of the play-field will save you. It’s joined by your ’super fire’ mode which releases a barrage of bullets that can easily punch through half a wave or more in an instant, but ammo for it is limited and must be collected when found. A few temporary power-ups also help, giving you plenty of quick options against the alien hordes.
Such features would be enough to make Crossfire 2 a competent and enjoyable shooter on their own, but the developers went much further than that. Along with two-player local co-op support, this game makes heavy use of an upgrading system divided into three categories. The ship’s direct performance is first, and you can assign points to giving it more health and speed. Alternatively, improving its main gun will let you change how fast its bullets move, how wide an angle they hit, and more. Finally, upgrading your ’super mode’ takes a potent weapon and makes it even more incredible, suitable for cutting through later waves. Some modes give you a lump sum of points to spend all at once while others dole them out every few waves, but it’s a fun addition regardless.
Crossfire 2 is pretty short, and its main mode consists of sixty waves that each take about half a minute to defeat if you’re quick about it. This means you can reasonably finish the main game in under an hour, though a direct score attack mode may bring you back for more fun. Like many of its peers, Crossfire 2 is a short game but will keep you excited all the way through; there is perhaps something to be said for how fun the experience is versus how many hours of play it offers, especially at such a low price.
At $1 USD/80 Microsoft Points, Crossfire 2 is a bargain. Adjustable difficulty modes ensure it can be made challenging but fair for most players, and the shooting action is very well paced. Whether you plan to play alone or with a friend in co-op mode, anyone interested in this genre should pick Crossfire 2 up.
