XXZ: XXL Review Summary

Fun match-three gameplay is easy to pick up and the DLC adds challenge, but a missing tutorial, steep late-game difficulty, and repetitive pacing hold it back.

Game is fun and entertaining: Players consistently describe the game as fun, addictive, and enjoyable, with a charming side and strategic depth. The positive reception highlights its entertainment value and replayability.

Easy to learn and play: The game is praised for its simple mechanics and accessibility, making it easy for anyone to pick up and understand. This simplicity contributes to its broad appeal.

DLC adds challenge and variety: The DLC content is noted for introducing new campaigns, mechanics, and increased difficulty, enhancing replay value and overall fun. Players find the expansions more engaging than the base game.

Excellent match-three gameplay: The match-three mechanics are highlighted as excellent, with varying gameplay elements that keep the experience fresh. This core loop is a major draw for players.

Surprising strategic depth: Despite initial expectations, the gameplay offers surprising depth and strategic complexity, making it addictive and interesting. Players find the tactical layer compelling.

High late-game difficulty: The game becomes quite challenging after a certain point, especially in the last level and later stages. This difficulty is often described as uncomfortable, frustrating, and sometimes dependent on luck rather than skill.

No tutorial or confusing instructions: The game lacks a proper tutorial, with rules described only schematically or through confusing pictograms. Players are left to figure out mechanics on their own, making the start challenging and frustrating.

Boring and repetitive gameplay: The match-3 mechanic is very ordinary and brings nothing new to the genre, leading to boredom and fatigue. The gameplay becomes repetitive after many hours, with routine level completion times and no change in strategy.

Unfair and luck-based DLC: The Squad DLC is compared to a slot machine with too much luck involved, being unfair and frustrating. Other DLCs are also criticized for being overcomplicated, poorly designed, and luck-based, with bad rules and enemy configurations.

Slow character leveling: Characters level up very slowly, and if players don't grind early, later stages become difficult or impossible to pass, sometimes requiring a restart. Experience blocks are also seen as useless and taking up space.

Match-three battle system: The game is consistently described as a match-three puzzle game, often combined with turn-based combat and RPG elements. This core mechanic is the most frequently mentioned feature across multiple clusters.

Zombie-themed enemies: The game features zombie enemies, including various types with special abilities like stunning, binding, and healing. The zombie theme is a central part of the gameplay experience.

Frontline and reserve positioning: Players must choose which character is on the frontline, as only the far right character can attack and is targeted by zombies. Rotating characters is essential for survival.

Three-character squad management: Players control a squad of three characters, each with different stats and abilities. Managing their positions and switching between them is a key strategic element.

Diverse enemy types: The game includes a variety of zombie enemies with different attacks and abilities, requiring strategic thinking to overcome. This diversity adds depth to the combat.

Steam client performance issues: Players report that the game negatively impacts the Steam client, causing lag during client loading and reduced download speeds. This technical issue affects the overall user experience outside the game itself.

Try free version first: Multiple reviewers suggest trying the free version (XXZ) before purchasing, as it offers the same core gameplay with different stages. This allows players to gauge their interest without financial commitment.

Buy on sale: Several reviewers recommend waiting for a discount before purchasing, as the full price may not be justified. Some suggest including DLCs in the sale for a fairer deal.

Recommend game overall: A few reviewers give a straightforward positive recommendation, stating the game is worth it or highly recommended. This indicates general satisfaction among some players.

Consider DLC purchases: Reviewers suggest buying the Season Pass or DLCs for additional missions and mechanics, but only if the base game is enjoyed. Some warn against specific DLCs like the Squad DLC.

Recommend for genre fans: The game is recommended for those who like match-3 games or similar genres, indicating it fits well within its niche. This helps target the right audience.

Community fair range: $3.00 - $5.00.

Game completion: 5.0h.

Story completion: 5.0h.

Endgame: 9.0h.

The game has a steep start due to a missing or confusing tutorial, but becomes fun once players learn the mechanics and combat. Some players find it boring or addictive, but the clearest progression is from early confusion to later enjoyment.

Friction: No tutorial; Confusing tutorial; Arbitrary game mechanics; Lack of guidance.

Unlock drivers: Learning the mechanics; Understanding combat; External research (google searching).

Value Seeker: Waits for sales, tries demos or free versions, and is cautious with full-price purchases. Motivation: Maximizing value for money by purchasing at a discount or testing before buying. Stance: sale.

Frustrated Player: Abandons the game due to technical issues or objectionable DLC, and shares negative feedback. Motivation: Seeking a polished, issue-free experience; the game failed to meet their standards. Stance: no buy.

Genre Enthusiast: Plays games of this type, recommends based on genre fit, and may engage with DLC for extra content. Motivation: Enjoyment of the game's genre and a desire to share it with like-minded players. Stance: buy.

Monetization: The user reviews focus on the game's DLC and Season Pass content. One review complains about DLC pricing and achievement gating, while another calls DLC a 'paywall' but speculatively. However, several reviews positively recommend the Season Pass for its added content. There is no mention of microtransactions, real-money currency, gacha, loot boxes, or pay-to-win mechanics. The monetization appears to be traditional DLC/Season Pass, which is not considered predatory.

Censorship removal via file: Creating a xxx.txt file in the game directory removes censorship, and this is a widely known workaround. The game also has an uncensored version and patch options.

Achievements and DLC: The game includes achievements, but DLC adds more achievements that are needed for 100% completion. This prevents full completion with the base game alone.

Free version exists: A free version called XXZ is essentially the same game with a different set of stages, and the paid version is not much longer. This is a common point of comparison among reviewers.

Short playtime: The main game can be finished in under 5 hours, with some reviewers noting it takes about 4-5 hours. The game is considered short in length.

Free updates and content: The developers have added free content, including new levels and zombie types, in response to community feedback. This shows active development and support.