DDX49

Most people have a soft spot for shooters. Almost any game that makes it possible to shoot and destroy tens of thousands of enemies grants a sense of satisfaction. It’s probably one of the main reasons why you just can’t have too many shooters.

DDX49 is an indie top-down, twin-stick shoot’em up that features a slightly overused theme and setting but comes with its own visual style and an interesting start for weapons and weapon choices.

In most part, DDX49 is somewhat of a generic shooter but even so it has its vibe. More so, at the time of writing this, DDX49 is in early development and even a handful of improvements or added features can set it on a path to becoming totally great.

For one, the gameplay pace is excellent, it makes you feel like you’re in the arcade. Secondly, the aggressiveness of the enemies really keeps you on your toes, and that’s a very good thing for a game of this sort. I’ve come across plenty of these, and this one is one of those that really punishes you for any mistake. Again, this is a good thing.

A thing I like about DDX49 is that at the end of each wave, you are presented with two weapons to choose from. One primary and one secondary, and every time they are randomized. Currently, there seem to be only a few to choose from but it’s still a good idea, especially since you can opt to keep your current arsenal and salvage the rewards in exchange for ship health. Not to mention that weapon animations are quite nice.

If at some point you can combine weapons to get new ones, there could be some impressive results. The game does, however, need some updates in the design department; the ships look a bit too much like simple cutouts.

DDX49, for an indie game, is as good as they come. This one is easy to play but very tough to master, it has its own look and feel. It’s a nice little shooter that can go a long way.