X-Squad, known in Japan as X-Fire/Crossfire (XFIRE ~クロスファイア~, XFIRE ~Kurosufaia~), is a PlayStation 2launch title developed by Electronic Arts Square and published by EA Games. It was released on August 3, 2000 in Japan, October 26 in the U.S. and on December 8 in Europe.
In this game the protagonist is Ash, the leader of X-Squad, along with teammates Maya, Melinda and Judd. Set in 2037, W-Squad has been defeated, Doctor Bianca Noble has been kidnapped and her experiment Project Medusa has been stolen.
X-Squad takes the form of a third person shooter, with the two analog sticks moving the character and camera respectively. In the game the player leads a group of up to three soldiers through nine levels, giving them commands to perform helpful actions.[1][2] The player can also use the R1 and L1 buttons strafe.[3]
The game received "mixed" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[4] Randy Nelson of NextGen called it "A concept game that unfortunately doesn't even get its concept right."[16] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of 30 out of 40.[9]
In one review, Human Tornado of GamePro called it "a great game for the action gamer who longs for a little more to chew on. The graphics are fast and nimble, and the action can be very challenging especially on the higher difficulty level. Even though it doesn't push the envelope, X Squad [sic] is a unique and very entertaining ride."[19][c] In another GamePro review, Jake The Snake said, "If you can't get enough of third-person shooters, X Squad [sic] gives you plenty of trigger time, but nothing especially innovative or new."[20][d]
^Steinberg, Scott (December 13, 2000). "X Squad [sic]". Gamecenter. CNET. Archived from the original on January 24, 2001. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
^Edge staff (November 2000). "X-Fire"(PDF). Edge. No. 90. Future Publishing. pp. 88–89. Archived(PDF) from the original on July 19, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
^Kujawa, Kraig; Mielke, James "Milkman"; Lockhart, Ryan (December 2000). "X-Squad"(PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 137. Ziff Davis. p. 236. Archived(PDF) from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
^Mylonas, Eric "ECM"; Van Stone, Matt "Kodomo"; Ngo, George "Eggo" (November 2000). "X-Squad". GameFan. Vol. 8, no. 11. BPA International. p. 23. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
^Jake The Snake (November 2000). "X Squad [sic]"(PDF). GamePro. No. 146. IDG. p. 120. Archived(PDF) from the original on July 17, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
