Xenowerk is fab but drab

Each week, we ask members of our App Army and ask for their feedback on the latest and greatest releases on mobile. One top pick this week was Pixelbite's top-down sci-fi shooter, Xenowerk.

Let's see what our App Army had to say...

Xenowerk is a decent top-down dual stick shooter. I love the slick presentation and smooth controls.

Not sure why I can only play as a lady, but I'll go with it! Each level is an exercise in exploration, taking out any enemies you come across as well as a boss. Really enjoying it so far.

There's a great camera system in place that seems to know which way to face so that it's always following you no matter which way you go. Definitely really well designed.

Is the multiplayer just for challenge sending?

It appears so.

This is the game that would be THE BOMB if it had 2-4 player co-op.

Aw man, I got all excited for some co-op! Even some arena action would have totally worked too.

• Spot-on controls that work beautifully; I don't even mind that they're on-screen
• Amazing graphics; details like the green light on the laser gun make it beautiful
• Smart camera, with a camera button that helps when the camera sticks a little
• Easy to get to grips with the basics, although I had no idea about the power section until level 8 or so.

• The levels too similar to each other, after an hour in I could really do with some variety
• Multiplayer has the potential to be so much more than just a scoreboard
• Yes, okay red flashing screen, I get it - my health is low
• I can smell a grind coming on!

I'm really digging the top-down shooter aspect of the Xenowerk. As far as the control scheme goes, it was a little weird for me at first, but after a while you get accustomed to it.

It looks fantastic visually. It's something different compared to other shooters not only in the concept of a top-down shooter, but also the idea of slaying monsters as well. Definitely worth a shot.

I've played Pixelbite's Space Marshals before, and the general feel is very similar. The camera angle is slightly different, but this really suits the game.

There's no messing around with a long backstory; you are thrown straight into the game. Some may like this, although perhaps not if you're an RPG fan.

This game would be awesome with some Game Centre co-op. Being able to flank the tougher enemies while your teammates lay down fire, and maybe a sniper at the back letting rip into the enemy would be amazing. Even just 2-player co-op would be good, but 4-player would be perfect

Pixelbite really need to tone down the low health animation, that deep red screen is very annoying and makes it hard to see what you are doing.

Also when you run out of ammo on a weapon it should auto-switch to the next weapon. I'm finding that I have to tap the switch weapon button, which forces you to either stop moving or stop aiming.

I do think that the levels appear a bit samey, but with each one only being about five minutes long, it makes for a good coffee break game.

Each level is quite action packed too. Never a dull moment where you are wondering around with nothing to do. The enemies get slightly harder each time which I find adds to the challenge of the game, but never becomes so difficult that I'm put off.

The fact there is not loading screens is a big win for me. I can get right into the next level as soon as the last one is done.

Xenowerk reminds me of Halo: Spartan Strike with similar control quirks and top-down gameplay. There's just something better about this game, although I can't make heads nor tails of the story if there is one.

The difficulty is balanced enough to ease me into the game. I love the customisation options available to the character too. For just the few first hours that I have spent playing the game, I can tell you right now that I want to keep on playing.

BIM! BOOM! Oh, a monster! TADADADADADA...

What a great dual stick shooter. More action and intensity than Space Marshals, with short missions, iCloud synchronisation and a heavy atmosphere.

Whether you control Xenowerk with the touch control system or a MFi joystick, the game responds perfectly. The missions are varied, even if they are similar in difficulty.

The co-op system is kind of fun but, as Clint said, it would be more enjoyable with three or four players.

Must go, a radioactive creature is attacking me... aaaaaaargh!

The gameplay is without a doubt top notch. The controls are really smooth, and the weapons feel really powerful.

Even so, you can't mindlessly bash your way through each dungeon as your character will die from 3-4 hits, even against the smaller enemies. I'd say the whole thing is well balanced, with a great setting and vibe to it. Runs smoothly too.

One problem is that the maps are really, really bland. The same textures and layouts are reused over and over. This goes for objectives too: Kill X, go to Y. There is little to no interaction with your surroundings, you can't loot cabinets; nothing.

Thankfully there's some variation between enemy types that helps to keep the game fresh, along with bosses, and stronger enemies that provide a fair challenge along the way.

I have yet to unlock the more expensive weapons but there's a healthy pool of choices, with several machine guns, sniper rifles, and even grenade launchers.

More map variation, meaningful interactions, and quests would have been nice. Nonetheless Xenowerk is a pretty darn good twin stick shooter.

Well, Balazs... you can interact with the surroundings a little bit. By blowing everything up.

Yeah! I'm disappointed by the lack of a proper multiplayer mode though, which is a huge minus.

I've only just noticed (after a fair few hours playing) that you can switch weapons with just a single tap on the fire button. Whoops!

Xenowerk is a very slick twin-stick shooter. Though the story seems thin, the polish on the controls, camera, and graphics make it very fun indeed.

There are light upgrades, three locations, and 10 floors in each. It reminds me quite a bit of Alien Breed in that way, alongside the shooting style.

The game auto saves after each floor, and has almost no loading time, but it doesn't save mid-floor. However, it closes and reopens just fine while paused.

It might not grip the slow-paced RPG-lover, but Counter Strike fans might enjoy it. I really hope they add co-op or arena multiplayer down the road. There's nothing better than shooting a freak of evolution than shooting a freak of evolution with your mates.

I might give Space Marshals a try after this. It really is an attractive little game. I hope they keep expanding it with updates. So much more fun could be had!

What would be good is if you could trade or sell weapons and suits that you have already bought to help towards the cost of the better gear.

There are 50 levels all in all, and it's taken me about around four hours to get to level 18 of the Military Branch area. That said, I'm spending time ensuring that every alien is exterminated on each level.

I'm really enjoying this game. Pixelbite always seems to come up with the goods!

Xenowerk is a brilliant alien shooter. I honestly was a bit worried when I saw some of the pictures for this game but when I started playing it, I played for five hours straight. I highly recommend this game to everyone and anyone.

There doesn't seem to be much of a storyline to the game, it's more of a "go round a map and kill things" kind of game, but this suits me down to the ground.

Sometimes I want a game with the feel of an action packed RPG, only without the grind.

I'll be keeping this game on my phone! The controls are simple, the graphics are very snazzy, and the lighting is mind-blowing!

The action is always a goo-soaked, guns blazing, mash of excitement, and I found myself playing level after level without wanting to stop.

The most exciting thing to me about Xenowerk is that it's completely premium; I didn't see any sign of IAPs of any kind. Bonus points!

The controls are spot-on. The sticks are responsive, and you get the feeling you're doing some real damage.

The universe feels a little bit like Halo to me too. Specifically, it feels like the parts of Halo where you get to fight The Flood.

The weapon progression is excellent. When you save up enough for a better weapon you actually get a weapon that feels much more well-rounded. The weapon upgrades are a great idea, and well implemented too.

My only gripe is I feel like it's the same thing over and over. I like grinding, so that isn't a huge deal breaker for me. I just wish there was more to it.

To me the game is like meeting a really attractive person. At first you're really excited, until they start speaking and you realise there's not much going on up there.

In a nutshell Xenowerk looks good, the controls are much better than expected, and you're a female hero armed with cool weapons. The problem is that the game is lacking in substance.

There's no compelling story or character development, so you could effectively put a three-legged dog in place of the character and no-one would notice.

The enemies are bland and you'll spend the whole game drawing them out then running backwards shooting them.

The game syncs between devices, which I love since it means I can play it anytime, but I'm not really feeling compelled to keep playing these repetitive levels.

If we start with the pros, the game is very polished overall. The controls are simple and straightforward, although inexperienced shooter players like myself find it a little hard to aim. It's easy to just pick up and play, since maps don't last too long.

Xenowerk is fun the first few times, but since the game doesn't introduce any new mechanics, and the maps are disturbingly similar, it starts to get very boring in the long run.

Yes, there are new weapons, pieces of armour, and bosses, but that just isn't enough to keep my attention. It feels like a bland game without a story.

Additionally, I am bothered that you have to click pause every single time you want to take a look at the map. It could be integrated in the screen itself.

It's really fun playing this late at night. I decided to throw down for the "pricy" $3.99 IAP for 100,000 coins. It's a totally unnecessary IAP, but not crazy expensive.

The only downside for me is that I wish this was a full-blown action RPG. It's also a bit of a pain when Game Center achievements drop down and get in the way of the action. Might have to turn those off!

A good strategy if you don't want to spend real money is to not spend anything until you have enough to buy the Ripper assault rifle. That one is a beast! Nothing stands in its way and once you have levelled it up you can fire it for about 30 seconds before having to let it cool down.

I love Xenowerk. It's proper arcade dual-stick shooting done right. Great graphics, wonderful responsive touch controls, and it shines even brighter with a game controller.

The level of polish and production value here is great. The levels, whilst not being incredibly inventive, are a great length for bitesize play on the go. It's just really, really fun!

The only thing I'm craving is a sprint or roll mechanic just to vary the pace of combat a little. Well worth picking up though.

Didn't think I'd really like this game at first, but I certainly do. The controls are smooth and the graphics are beautiful. I really enjoy the third person combat - it makes the game even more fun and interesting.

I love the setting of fighting aliens in a medical facility too. Xenowerk is not only visually appealing, but also a mighty fun action-packed third-person shooter.