Infinity Danger (XBLIG): "Shmup Combat Evolved"

Milkstone Studio's 7th game 'Infinity Danger' takes the shmup genre in  a new direction. Instead of the usual formula used in shmups, Infinity Danger features one ever evolving enemy that constantly adjusts to your playing style. The enemy ship begins small, and gradually grows in size adding weapons and armor to itself in order to destroy you. How long you can survive the onslaught depends greatly upon your actions, and the way you decide to destroy each ship's evolved state.


Infinity Danger is a lot more complex than it may appear in videos/trailers of the game. The main point of Infinity Danger is to eradicate the colossal enemy ships, and get the highest score. Achieving this goal is complicated by your actions against the enemy spacecraft, and a time limit. Taking out cannons, and other weapons will cause the enemy to evolve in a more defensive way, and going straight for the kill will make it more aggressive. If you want to make it far you'll need to balance your strategy, or make the enemy evolve in a manner that best suits your gameplay style. The timer in Infinity Danger is another matter all together. You do not have a set number of lives, but once the timer reaches zero it's game over. The time limit can be increased during your battle by taking out the ships weapons/parts, but it will also speed up if you get hit. Factoring in the time limit, and deciding on a strategy that suits you best is a must in this game.

Aside from the main part of Infinity Danger you also get worldwide, and peer-peer leaderboards. This feature definitely makes the replay value of this game very high. As a high score seeker I'm constantly on the lookout for games with worldwide/online ranking, and this game definitely delivers. In games like this there is no cheating, so you are truly measured by the skill you have/don't have. This is a plus since online gaming has suffered from cheap players, and hackers in the online gaming communities. If you find that you like your highest score in the game there is an option to challenge your friends via Xbox live messages. I actually challenged some of my friends recently. I think it's good to have a little friendly competition every now, and then. Alongside the leaderboards, and challenging options Infinity Danger also features achievements. This is definitely good for all those achievement hunters out there. Another thing I discovered was that the game also keeps detailed track of your gaming stats. This includes everything from how much you've played to what kind of weapons killed you, and how many times. With all these extra features Infinity Danger is a very inviting shmup shooter.

In the end I found Infinity Danger to be one of the best available shmups in the XBLIG library. The unique concept of an evolving ship that adjusts to your gameplay style is brilliant. The little things like the addition of a timer instead of lives is a huge plus. It allows you to focus on getting the kill without having to worry about quick game overs. I can honestly see myself shooting for the 1st place rank on a daily basis (until I actually get 1st place ...). If I ever manage to get that rank I'll definitely be sure to let you guys know.