While you’ll find that shooters are virtually a dime-a-dozen on the XBLA, most of them are dual analogue shooters. There aren’t that many vertical or horizontal scrolling shooters, so Triggerheart Exelica is able to fill this gap somewhat, even if you'd hardly call it the best of the genre. While it does have a few little features that help set the game apart, given the degree with which the game sticks to its arcade roots, that just might work against it.
There is a backstory to Triggerheart Exelica, where you’re playing as one of two ‘Triggerhearts”, known as Exelica and Crueltear. These are (female) humanoid weapons, who were sent to fight an enemy that vastly outnumbers them. During the battle, they are accidently sent to Earth and can't get back. However, their enemies follow them here, so the Triggerhearts are off to protect their new home. Along with a very clichéd anime style, re: young girls with very large eyes, the game struggles a little to give itself distinction from being just another Japanese developed game. Still, shmups never really were about their riveting storylines.
Even on easy, it's nice and hard.
Triggerheart Exelica comes under the 'manic' category, when it comes to shooters. There will be plenty of bullets flying on the screen, and you are slightly compensated with a generously small hit box. Even on the 'easy' difficulty level, the game is very tough and caters for a hardcore audience. Before starting the game, you have a choice between the two characters. Exelica has a spread shot, which will cover a lot of the screen, while Crueltear has a linear shot, which is one focused line. Crueltear is a tad stronger, due to the focused shots, but also requires more skill when it comes to dodging the numerous onscreen bullets. Both control somewhat identically, and the controls are reasonably good.
Triggerheart Exelica has the two standard shooter weapons, your endless supply of ammo and a very limited supply of bombs. You get 'power-ups' but they didn't seem to do anything. The twist to the gameplay is that each character also has an 'anchor'. Basically, you can fire the anchor at virtually any air unit, though you'll need to take into account how heavy it is. Once anchored, the unlucky enemy will be swung around in a circle. Not only does it now act as a shield, but you'll cause a whole heap of damage if you manage to throw it back into a cluster of enemies. Of course, the bigger the enemy, the more damage you'll do.
This twist to the gameplay is actually quite good, because even though you have infinite continues, the only way to get through the game is to learn how to use the anchor proficiently. It can be fun as well, particularly when you bail yourself out of major trouble. Even though the game does manage to lift itself out of the doldrums with this mechanic, there are a few other issues that hold the game back. Vertical shooters have always had trouble adapting to screen, and as you can see from the screenshots, there's a lot of unused space. And you're not likely to be turning that HD set on its side anytime soon.
Those little ones need to watch out.
Given that the game has infinite continues, you can run through a solitary play through in around twenty minutes, even if you have no idea how to use the anchor. In reality, unless you care about your high score or achievements, Triggerheart Exelica has very, very little value. Manic shooter fans can get a fix here, as the game rewards high skill levels and the memorisation of skill patterns. Even though this is a fairly recent release, the pricing at 800 points is too steep for anyone but the aforementioned afficionados. Chances are, there will be a lot of disappointed impulse purchases, as well as a lot of people scared off by the typically hardcore difficulty level. However, that's more an appeal issue than an issue with the game itself.
Apart from the massive borders, Triggerheart Exelica has otherwise come through quite well in terms of the presentation. Given the anime style, we're a tad surprised that a lot of the game is in 3D, but it looks pretty good in HD. It's very clean and runs perfectly. In terms of sound, the game has retained a very limited amount of Japanese voicing, though any dialgoue sequences are subbed. The music feels somewhat typical, but in a good way. Anything else wouldn't have fitted quite so well.
As far as shooters go, Triggerheart Exelica has a good little mechanic going with the anchor and there aren't a lot of this kind of shooters on the XBLA. Unfortunately, the very limited nature of the game, as well as its price, will in the end most likely be its undoing. Namely because it almost solely appeals to high score and achievement chasers. Still, fans of the genre might get a kick as they wait for something more prominent. We'll admit, we did enjoy the game, but the price doesn't quite seem right.
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