X-Out: Resurfaced

X-Out: Resurfaced is a faithful and well-crafted revival of a classic Amiga shmup. While it doesn’t reinvent the genre, it successfully modernizes the original with refined graphics, smoother gameplay, and quality-of-life improvements. The remastered soundtrack and optional co-op mode make it more accessible, and the fleet-building system adds depth rarely seen in side-scrolling shooters. For fans of classic shmups, this is a must-play—a lovingly restored slice of gaming history. However, for those looking for a more innovative take on the genre, X-Out: Resurfaced may feel more like a polished relic than a groundbreaking new experience.

X-Out: Resurfaced comes close to hitting the mark but doesn't quite make it. It stays true to its era and is overall a solid shooter, offering a refreshing experience that stands out both in gameplay and audiovisual presentation. However, its punishing difficulty level inevitably pushes less experienced players away, making it hard to recommend without reservations — except to fans of the original game and the most dedicated bullet-dodgers. That said, if you're feeling lucky and looking for new challenges in the realm of 2D shooters, feel free to add an extra star to the score. Once you master X-Out’s intricacies, it rewards you handsomely. Now, we can only hope that its sequel also makes its way to modern platforms for everyone to experience!

All in all, X-Out: Re-surfaced is a little different from the other horizontal shooters of yore, and this does give it its own identity. I would have liked some more content on the history of the game, but the more tasteful aspects of this remaster give it appeal, just be prepared for a serious challenge!

Ultimately, X-Out Resurfaced is a shooter that’s definitely more fun for fans of the original game compared to a newcomer such as myself. A lot of QOL tweaks help make the game enjoyable to play and less tedious than the Amiga original, but make no mistake, Resurfaced is still a very vicious experience.

X-Out: Resurfaced marks the return of the classic Commodore 64 shmup back to life in its best form possible. It not only keeps the spirit of the original title alive with its retro visuals and hard difficulty but also brings some added features for the new players, like some cheat codes and 2-player multiplayer. Intense boss battles, the challenge of surviving, plenty of customization options, and the threat of constantly returning to the main menu screen make it an intense shmup of modern times. If you loved playing the original Amiga release or, in general, love playing shmup titles, X-Out: Resurfaced is a gorgeous title to try out. It will keep you busy for hours as you try to master its levels and challenging boss battles. Highly recommended for all shmup fans out there, whether casual or hardcore.

X-Out Resurfaced is a bizarre proposition. There isn’t anything particularly bad about the game, nor is there anything amazingly standout aside from the soundtrack or the opening cinematic, leaving it as little more to me than just a curiosity. I enjoyed my time with the game (and even more when I found out you can have more than one life), but I genuinely don’t think I’ll be returning to this one again due to it lacking much in the way of outstanding qualities. It’s a pick for inquisitive fans of the genre, but unless you’re starved for something to play or just HAVE to have every Shmup on the market, there isn’t much here with X-Out that you can’t get elsewhere with less bloom.

X-Out Resurfaced is a faithful remake of the 1990 classic, preserving its challenging gameplay, retro visuals, and customization system, but missing opportunities to modernize key mechanics.

A pretty straightforward remaster of an excellent 90s shoot-em-up set in the depths of the ocean. The enhanced visuals of the deep sea stages look vibrant and faithful, though a classic graphic toggle would've been nice. A new mirror mode, some added cheats, and a preconfigured submarine loadout screen are nice additions and all, but the lack of save options or online co-op is a missed opportunity. Still, what's here is solid stuff, especially if you like a well-earned challenge. This is a strong recommendation for fans of the game or shoot-em-up enthusiasts, but the $20 price tag might be too much to swallow for others.

X-Out is back with some tweaks to bring it to the modern era whilst keeping it's retro charm.

X-Out: Resurfaced is one of the easiest shoot 'em ups that I've ever played but its ship customisation is so fun that it's still a solid game. 🛸