X-Squad

X-Squad, known in Japan as X-Fire/Crossfire (XFIRE ~クロスファイア~, XFIRE ~Kurosufaia~), is a PlayStation 2 launch title developed and published by Electronic Arts Square under the EA Games label.^[1] It was released on August 3, 2000 in Japan, October 26 in the U.S. and on December 8 in Europe.

X-Squad
North American PlayStation 2 cover art
Developer(s)	Electronic Arts Square
Publisher(s)	JP: Electronic Arts Square NA/EU: Electronic Arts[a]
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Release	JP: August 3, 2000 NA: October 26, 2000 EU: December 8, 2000
Genre(s)	Action, Third-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player

History

X-Squad served as the launch title for the Playstation 2 in North America when it was released on October 26, 2000 with 29 games.^[2]

Plot

Set in 2037, W-Squad has been defeated, Doctor Bianca Noble has been kidnapped and her experiment Project Medusa has been stolen. Ash, the leader of X-Squad, along with teammates Maya, Melinda and Judd, is deployed to rescue Dr. Noble and take down her kidnappers.

Gameplay

The player is prompted to use commands for Ash to give to his teammates.

X-Squad takes the form of a third person shooter, with the two analog sticks moving the character and camera respectively. In the game the player leads a group of up to three soldiers through nine levels, giving them commands to perform helpful actions.^[3][4] The player can also use the R1 and L1 buttons strafe.^[5]

Development

EA partnered with Animation Science Corp. for developing the game's 3D animation.^[6] An early preview reported the game used 30 fps with a huge amount of motion capture sequences.^[7]

The game was formerly known as X-Shooter^[8] prior to being known as X-Fire.^[9] X-Squad was first shown in Japan in 1999 during the TGS convention.^[10] EA showcased the game in the E3 2000 convention.^[11]

According to an interview with Mike Jeffress at Electronic Arts, the changes made for the non-Japanese version include English voiceovers, AI improvement, and changes to the story's plot to suit North American audiences.^[12] He mentioned that plans were considered to add multiplayer, but it was later discarded due to time constraints and feedback that most players didn't want to fight each other in the game.^[12]

Reception

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	64/100[13]

Review scores

Publication	Score
AllGame	[3]
CNET Gamecenter	6/10[14]
Edge	6/10[15]
Electronic Gaming Monthly	6.67/10[16][b]
EP Daily	7.5/10[17]
Famitsu	30/40[18]
Game Informer	7.5/10[19]
GameFan	(J.W.) 80%[20] 75%[21][c]
GameRevolution	C−[22]
GameSpot	5.3/10[23]
IGN	6.8/10[24]
Next Generation	[25]
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine	[26]
Maxim	8/10[27]

The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.^[13] Randy Nelson of NextGen called it "A concept game that unfortunately doesn't even get its concept right."^[25] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 30 out of 40.^[18]

In one review, Human Tornado of GamePro called it "a great game for the action gamer who longs for a little more to chew on. The graphics are fast and nimble, and the action can be very challenging especially on the higher difficulty level. Even though it doesn't push the envelope, X Squad [sic] is a unique and very entertaining ride."^[28][d] In another GamePro review, Jake The Snake said, "If you can't get enough of third-person shooters, X Squad [sic] gives you plenty of trigger time, but nothing especially innovative or new."^[29][e]

Notes

1. Under EA Games label
2. Three critics of Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the game each a score of 6.5/10, 7.5/10, and 6/10.
3. In GameFan's viewpoint of the game, three critics gave it each a score of 65, 82, and 77.
4. GamePro gave the game two 3.5/5 scores for graphics and sound, 4.5/5 for control, and 4/5 for fun factor in one review.
5. GamePro gave the game two 4/5 scores for graphics and control, and two 3.5/5 scores for sound and fun factor in another review.