A Look at Ex-Zodiac in Early Access

One of my favorite remarks I came across in the Ex-Zodiac community was a response to a question. A fan asked if there were any other games like Ex-Zodiac, only to be told, “There are only five games like it and four of them are Star Fox.” I bring this up because that perfectly captures how strongly the game tries to recreate the feel of Star Fox—and that’s exactly what caught my attention.

Ex-Zodiac is an on-rail shooter that takes players from world to world as they battle the Zodiac forces. Clearly developed by fans of the Star Fox series, the game proudly wears its inspiration on its sleeve. Please note that this isn’t a formal review, but rather an overview of Ex-Zodiac in its Early Access state, as it is still in development.

Save the Galaxy

Ex-Zodiac puts players in the role of Kyuu, a starfighter pilot tasked with saving the Sanzaru Star System. She travels from planet to planet, liberating each world from the intergalactic terrorist organization known as Zodiac. If you’ve played Star Fox, you’ll already have a good sense of the story structure. Each world features its own unique enemies and a defining theme, all leading up to a climactic boss battle.

Playing Ex-Zodiac

This preview of Ex-Zodiac is going to be based on my experience of playing the first and second levels.

The first mission takes place on Alura, a planet that strongly resembles Corneria from Star Fox. Zodiac forces are attacking, and it’s up to Kyuu to save the planet. You’ll traverse the landscape while battling a variety of enemies that are wreaking havoc along the way. At the same time, you’ll need to avoid traps and environmental hazards that can damage your ship. Keep an eye out for repair packs, laser upgrades, and extra missiles to help you stay in the fight. The mission ends when you battle and defeat Bazz, the boss of the level.

The second mission takes place on Ignice, an ice-covered world now under the control of Zodiac forces. It’s up to Kyuu to liberate the planet once again. This stage introduces a greater environmental challenge—if you’re not careful, you might crash into a massive ice spire. The environment is not the only danger as there are also plenty of enemy ships. The mission ends when you battle and defeat Slithe, the boss of the level.

Thoughts on Ex-Zodiac

I was immediately hooked on Ex-Zodiac because of how much it reminded me of the Star Fox series. While the gameplay and aesthetics clearly draw inspiration from that iconic franchise, the game still does plenty to stand on its own. For starters, there are no annoying characters like Slippy. The cast features an anime-inspired style that actually works to the game’s advantage. The color palette is minimal, but it’s used effectively to set the tone for each world.

Two aspects that need improvement are the difficulty of the boss fights and the range for collecting power-ups or triggering checkpoints. While the game is fun and challenging overall, I found the second phases of the boss fights frustratingly annoying. This was especially true with Bazz, who bombards you with lock-on plasma beams that can’t be destroyed—all while you’re trying to hit a small, hard-to-reach weak point. As for collecting power-ups or activating checkpoints, you need to make direct contact with the main body of the ship—being close or clipping them with a wing doesn’t count.

Hopefully, these issues will be resolved by the time Ex-Zodiac is ready to leave Early Access.

Disclaimer: The publisher, through a PR representative, provided the game used in this preview.

8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides insight into the gamer community of the San Francisco Bay Area.