XSquad - PC Games

While it's possible to snap off some curt little orders to your squad mates, they're intelligence is a bit too artificial to be of much use to you. Luckily for you (though not for the game), you don't have to actually depend on them to finish any particular level. If you were dependent on their assistance, you'd probably never live to see the sun rise on the game's final level.

XSquad does make good use of the PS2 controller's two analogue joysticks. The left stick controls the general movement of the character, while the right stick is used for turning the character and aiming the weapon. You'll have fun shooting up enemies, unlocking puzzles, fragging level bosses and such, but the game won't provide much challenge. Setting the game's difficulty to "expert" might cause you to break a sweat.

In all, XSquad is a decent game, but would have been better had its story and characters been allowed to percolate a bit longer. In some ways it's amazing that Sony actually allowed EA/Square to proceed with a concept that must, at one time, have seemed to be rice paper thin. But if you're in the mood for a simple arcade shooter, there is a definite fun time to be had here. --Todd Mowatt