Gigantic X review

Gigantic X is a top-down loot shooter that feels like a mix between Crimsonland and Destiny. You outfit three heroes with all kinds of weapons, armor, and items so that you can take on increasingly difficult waves of alien enemies. This isn't a game that explains itself all too well, but if you have the patience to try and figure out Gigantic X, you are in for a treat.

Will work for loot

In Gigantic X, you play as a team of space mercenaries working under interstallar megacorporations. These corps are interested in colonizing new planets that just so happen to be teeming with hostile alien lifeforms, and they want you to do all the dirty work of clearing them out.

That's pretty much the full extent of Gigantic X's narrative, which basically serves as the backdrop for a shooter that revolves around repeatedly running various mission types in hopes of getting new weapons and armor. Once you get these precious new items, your mercenaries get stronger, which allows you to take on harder versions of said missions.

Fire on all fronts

The repetitive structure of Gigantic X avoids getting dull primarily because of the game's level and enemy design. Every mission feels like its own, unique challenge that rewards skillful play. It also really helps that the three mercenaries you can play as all have completely different fighting styles and specialized loot that make it fun to try new builds and experience different co-op team dynamics.

I do wish the game let you pick one mercenary to play as and ditch the other two. In giving you three to manage, Gigantic X triples the amount of grind you have to do (since you have to have all three characters in good shape for some game modes). This isn't necessarily surprising considering this is a free-to-play game, but it doesn't make it any less annoying.

Multiverse of modes

Another thing to note about Gigantic X is its confusing structure. The game is divided into three separate modes. The most basic is Megacorp Missions, which have you grinding out gear by yourself. The other two modes, Frontline and Underworld are more time-limited multiplayer events, but are much harder to describe. Frontline is a co-op experience where team of three work together either taking down raid bosses or defending control points. Underworld, on the other hand, is a sort of multiplayer challenge mode to really test your skills to earn unique rewards.

These modes are all fun in their own ways, but Gigantic X does little to nothing to explain why you might play one mode over another and which rewards you should be chasing and why. You just kind of have to figure that out on your own, and that's made even more difficult by a confusing and cumbersome menu system that also doesn't explain things well. It's not completely impenetrable, but you have to spend some time with Gigantic X before it really starts to make sense and get its hooks into you.

The bottom line

If you want to take your loot shooting on the go, I can't think of a better game to pick up than Gigantic X. It's top down shooting is fun and satisfying in its own right, and the game has varied and interesting gear to keep you on the grind.