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    REVIEW: Project Xandata is a fun shooter, but needs more to stand out

    The Filipino-developed shooter game is brimming with potential
    Mar 27, 2022
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    MULTIPLAYER shooting games are a dime a dozen these days. With VALORANT, Apex Legends, Fortnite, Overwatch, and many many more, fans are never wanting in the series when it comes to choices. It's a monumental task trying to differentiate yourself from the tried and tested formula, but Project Xandata from Filipino developers Secret 6 does a pretty commendable job.

    Project Xandata offers a fast-paced action packed team shooter with a lot to be hopeful for. Bright visuals, crispy character movement, and weapon variety are the solid foundations which the game is built upon.

    But it's the class system, paired with its flamboyant abilities, that really give the game wings. The three classes in the game — the Marksman, the Agent, and the Juggernaut — allow players the freedom of choice to play the game according to their personal playstyle.

    A screenshot from Project Xandata.

    Project Xandata class system shines

    The Agent is there for those who favor stealth and teleportation to catch their opponents unawares. The Marksman specializes, as one might expect, in long-range engagement and mobility, while the Juggernaut is the heavily armored class with a love for explosives.

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      The game also comes with abilities — the MagiTech system — that can swing fights in players' favor if used properly.

      The different classes call on different elements for their abilities. Juggernauts can use Fire or Water for offensive or defensive purposes. The Marksman can use Wind or Lightning to augment their mobility and offensive capabilities. The Agent can use Shadow for enhanced stealth, or Ice for extra range abilities and mobility.

      The names of the MagiTech elements such as Bathala Fire and Bakunawa Shadow are a clear homage to Secret 6's Pinoy roots.

      But the cultural homages are quite light, and definitely could have taken more of the spotlight. There’s use of baybayin script alongside some other nods at Filipino culture, but I feel it did not reach its potential. There are a lot of futuristic shooters out there, and a distinctly Pinoy touch could have greatly helped Project Xandata stand head and shoulders from the pack.

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      A screenshot from Project Xandata.

      Granted it is only Early Access for the game, so I do hope that they solidify the Filipino feel for the game. Filipino culture is slowly becoming more mainstream. Look no further than Spider-Man: No Way Home's scene-stealing lola, or how the Uncharted movie leaned heavily on Philippine history. (Coincidentally, Secret 6 first made their bones in the dev world with their work in the Uncharted series.) If Project Xandata wants to stand out, it could better capitalize on its Filipino spirit and production design.

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      Solid gunplay, but still not yet a must-play

      Gameplay-wise I love its clear love letter to Halo and Quake. Growing up in the 90s, I played Quake with my friends in computer shops, and Project Xandata evokes the same chaotic spirit of that game. The wild and chaotic feel of the matches — rockets, bullets, and the elements flying all over the place — was a cathartic experience for me.

      Unfortunately, as with most Early Access games, the player base is still an issue. For a multiplayer game, finding a match in a timely manner is almost impossible. But the game just released in Early Access last March 22, and apart from the pomp and circumstance accompanying its initial release to the Filipino gaming community, it still has a long way to go in solidifying its own core base of players.

      A screenshot from Project Xandata.

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      Fortunately for Secret 6, they have the whole Early Access (however long it may be) to iron things out. Maybe adding more Filipino elements, a map based in the Philippines, more classes and guns? Its lore is interesting enough while not groundbreaking, so helping people appreciate it with a paid single player campaign could be a step in the right direction.

      Project Xandata is a fun game, but it’s still a long way away from becoming a must-play in the huge world of multiplayer shooters.

      The game is out now in Early Access on Steam.

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