Developed by Dragon Divide
Released for XBLIG (1/2011)
Alpha Squad is a twin-stick shooter that supports up to four-players, local or online, though the trial version only supports local co-op. If I had to guess I'd imagine it'd be near impossible to find a random player but it's nice to know the option is there if you have some friends that have the game. Alpha Squad plays a bit different from many of the single-screen shooters of this genre in that the screen branches off and you have a little freedom in your path. The screen doesn't scroll but will transition over to the next area when you walk off to the side, helping to add some variety to the environments.
The artwork is very detailed and has a cool '90's comic book style to it. The controls are simple and responsive, with the left stick for movement and the right stick for firing. One issue is that you really seem to have no defensive maneuver, you have to either continuously strafe or duck behind cover if you can manage to find some. A roll move to duck out of fire would have done wonders for the gameplay in my opinion. The rock music in the background suits the '90's 'tude that the game exudes. I definitely found Alpha Squad to be a solid effort. The game retailed for $2.99 which is a bit high compared to most indie games, especially when there are a few top-tier efforts in the twin-stick shooter going for a buck. I'd say Alpha Squad is worth a look as it does have a polish to it that helps justify the price tag and it was released exclusively for Xbox Live Indie Games.
Final Verdict: Alpha Squad is a good looking game featuring some very detailed artwork and though it was a bit more pricey than other twin-stick shooters on XBLIG it's still worth a look.
Related Links:
Alpha Squad - GameFAQs
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