Like all good shooters, XOP is easy to learn, but hard to master. Your ship is equipped with three weapons you can rotate: primary, secondary, and optional secondary. A nice touch is that you can choose your secondary weapons at the beginning of each level from the available pool of different weapons that vary in power and speed. Your ship is also equipped with shields that can reflect enemy fire to destroy them except the bosses. Another nice innovation is the “score attack mode” which allows you to tackle each of the eight levels individually. There are over seventy kinds of enemies, each with their own attack and movement patterns, three bonus levels, and an excellent soundtrack that ranges from jazz to techno, and even classical music.

If you enjoy no-frills, playable shoot ‘em ups, you can’t go wrong with XOP. Customizable skill levels make this a great game for novices and masters alike, and a nice tutorial is offered before you get into the game. Well worth the $15 cost of the registered version. Two thumbs up, way up!