Serious Sam Double D XXL (XBLA): "A Content Packed Indie With An XBLA Facade"

In 2011, prior to the release of "Serious Sam 3: BFE" it was announced through various media outlets that Croteam was partnering up with some indie developers on a promotional project. This project included three Serious Sam spin-offs from three different indie game developers. One of the developers would be releasing a Serious Sam title as a "runner" type of game for mobile devices. It would be called "Serious Sam: Kamikaze Attack!". Another game that was scheduled for release was a turn based Serious Sam RPG titled, "Serious Sam: The Random Encounter". As of now I do not know whether, or not either of these games ever seen the light of day. One thing is for certain though, "Serious Sam 3: BFE" was released before the indie spin-offs were. The third, and final indie spin-off I'm here to review today will be released on the 20th of this month. It's a 2D sides-crolling platformer by the ever popular XBLIG developer, "Mommy's Best Games", and "Devolver Digital". The game is not entirely unique though since it was previously released as a STEAM title. With that being said though, "Mommy's Best Games" did go out of their way to add some additional content for the gamers.

Serious Sam Double D XXL is a game that is overflowing with content, and more hidden extras than I have seen in any previous XBLA title. The game itself seems to be a continuation of one of Serious Sam's wacky escapades. In this rendition of Serious Sam we find him wandering various time periods throughout history with the aid of his assistant Netrisca's AI (Think Cortana). It seems that Sam's arch nemesis Mental is up to no good again, or at least that's what Netrisca thinks. As usual Sam finds himself knee deep in swarms of Gnaars, Kleer Skeletons, headless Kamikazes, Femikazes, and other outrageous alien creatures. Luckily for Sam though he is well equipped to handle the endless flood of foes this time around. At his disposal are the usual wacky weapons with a highly unusual twist. The difference this time is that Sam can stack his guns increasing his combat capabilities. Not only that, but Sam can also add a variety of other-worldly attachments, and can even upgrade his weapons through a mysterious alien vendor who opposes General Maxilla's rule.

There are a total of 21 massive campaign levels that make up this portion of Sam's conquest. You can go at it alone, or even have a friend join in for 2-Player co-op. Either way you will have your hands full fending off the numerous alien armies, and larger than life bosses. When the game begins you'll find yourself playing through what could best be described as a tutorial. Netrisca (Sam's AI companion) familiarizes you with the game's odd control mechanics through dialogue/voice acting, and helps you to understand the whole gun stacking concept. Initially you start off with a gun that has unlimited ammo, but as you progress through each level of the game you will be able to find other guns, and gun stacker attachments that allow you to build some interesting weapon combinations. As I mentioned earlier "Serious Sam Double D XXL" is filled with hidden content. Not only will you find new weapons of mass destruction as you make your way through the various time periods in history (Jurrassic Era, Ancient Egypt, Pompeii ...), but you'll also find secret areas that pay homage to everything from other indie developers to well known movies. You will also be able to pick up the usual power-up items such as ammo refills, health items, health & shield upgrades, and even in-game currency that can be used at the alien vendors hidden shops.  Ultimately it is your duty to get to the bottom of the situation regarding General Maxilla (Mental's Second in Command), and his obvious time traveling invasion attempts.

Aside from the campaign levels you'll also find that "Mommy's Best Games" has included some hidden missions/arenas that can unlocked if you are able to find them within each level. The "MBG (Mommy's Best Game)" pie icons are well hidden, and must be collected before you can access the additional missions, or arenas via the start menu. Once collected you can go back an compete for time based leaderboard positions. Each mission/arena requires that you perform a different task. In some missions/arenas you'll find that you have to survive for a certain amount of time as enemies flood the small arena. In other instances you have to kill a certain amount of enemies before the mission/arena will be considered completed. This additional mode selection adds serious replay value to the game.

The guns in "Serious Sam Double D XXL" are what you would expect from a Serious Sam FPS title. You have guns such as an automatic pistol, a shotgun, a tommy gun, a flame thrower, a grenade launcher, a rocket launcher, a cannon, and even a lazer gun. While these guns do sound generic on their own the game's modification system adds some pizazz to the bland assortment. Through the in-game alien vendor that can be found in multiple places of each level you will be able to purchase a nice selection of other-worldly attachments. There's everything from attachments that heal (Life Leech) sam, and his weapons to the more interesting things like the maple syrup spreader that can be added to your flamethrower. Along with the purchasable odd array of attachments you'll also find gun stackers hidden within the game's many levels with which you will be able to create an even wider variety of weapon arrangements/gun stacks. Through an in-game menu you can create, and manage up to a total of 8 different gun stacks. While this is an option I think making three large stacks is probably the best way to go as the hidden guns that can be found are limited in number, and it's easier to switch between three gun stacks (Press RB) when faced with insurmountable odds. In the end how you mix, and match your custom gun stacks is up to you though.

Gun setups, and extra modes are not the only features that make this game the content rich title that it is. You'll find that through the in-game starting menu you can change some interesting things that affect the game's visual display. In "Serious Sam Double D XXL" the developer stays true to the FPS (First Person Shooter) roots by using an aiming reticule. The reticule is basically a target icon that lets you know exactly where the bullets you fire will strike. This reticule can be tweaked in the options menu. You can choose to either have no reticule, or use one of two different reticule displays. The original reticule is basically a triangular arch that changes color according to how much health the target/enemy has left. In "Serious Sam Double D XXL" the reticule will change color from green, to yellow, and finally to red when the enemy is about to die. The green color of course means that the enemy has full health while red means the enemy is almost to the point of death. The second reticule option is what the game is initially set on, and uses a circular target dot instead of the triangular one.

Another unique, and changeable option that is offered is the blood color. As one can imagine Serious Sam games are usually geared towards the more mature gamers, and this 2D rendition is no different. When the game initially starts the blood setting will be set to "Meaty". This option is as it sounds. You'll find that with every shot dealt to an enemy will be an accompanied by an ultra-violent splash of red blood. You can change this option to a more friendly display if you so desire. The game offers the choices of white blood, alien blood, and donut/pastry blood for those who find the gory content too hard to handle. You'll also find that the mature dialogue, and voice acting can be censored in a similar way as well. If you don't like harsh, and abrasive swearing such as the occasional F-Bomb then you can turn that option off by checking the appropriate box. Initially though the game is set to the non-swearing option. It struck me as odd considering that the blood was shown to begin with.

Serious Sam Double D XXL is a game that is teeming with content. I cannot say that enough. I spent hours of my time searching every nook, and cranny of the game for the many easter eggs that "Mommy's Best Games" had so cleverly hidden. With each, and every secret that I found I felt compelled to continue on searching for more. I loved the fact that the game was kept interesting, and the fact that the whole off-the-wall story was engaging enough to warrant several return playthroughs. I enjoyed the artistic style of the characters even though it had that indie appearance about it. The bloody gore, and swearing options were definitely something that I welcomed as well. It's not often that you see an indie developer such as "Mommy's Best Games" make a game with such mature content. I was truly glad to see "Mommy's Best Games" take a place in the XBLA market for once. If any indie game developer deserves such a spot it's certainly them. All in all I had a blast playing through the game's campaign mode, and am looking forward to continuing my playthrough even after I finish with this review. I need to go back, and finish the bonus mission arenas, and find all of the secrets within the game. I highly suggest that you get this game when it is released, especially if you are a fan of 2D platformers. It's most definitely worth every point required!