Boomerang X (Switch) Review

In Boomerang X, you enter arenas of varying sizes, from small chambers to vast caverns with tree-like columns spanning multiple vertical levels. At the centre will be a pink crystal. Shoot your deadly boomerang to shatter it and it’s on: a crazy, dizzying set of rounds as you deal with enemy types that can fly, protect themselves, spit out acid, create wide vortexes and more. 

Weaker enemies can be killed with just one touch of your bladed ‘rang, while others will sport red crystals, sometimes two or more of them, which must be shattered before they disappear in a puff of black smoke. Further in, floating eyeball things that shoot lasers at you need to first be dazed with a shot before you can get behind them to access their gem. Rounds only finish when you’ve dealt with a specific number of creatures sporting yellow symbols. The rest are cannon fodder, there to help you gain multi-kill-specific skills to be dished out in moments of tense desperation.

There’s a scatter shot, which will help you get out of a bind as hordes of mindless wraiths merge upon your position. Then there’s a powerful rail shot that can be used for sniping or during serendipitous moments of aligned victims. Although Boomerang X is simple in concept, there’s a certain purity in its gameplay, combined with a ramping difficulty and the gradual mastery of its unique traversal mechanic that elevates it to something worth recommending.

The main hook here is the ability to use the throw of your boomerang to launch yourself to it, by hitting ZR a second time. If the boomerang is moving away from you, this will launch you with momentum forwards, and can also be used to reach higher platforms or even ‘fly’ around indefinitely. Indeed, there are several arenas where the floor is literally lava, so you must keep in the air for the length of each round. If the boomerang is on a return journey, this can create some interesting, often unintended, jaunts in all kinds of directions. These will often save your life, no matter where they send you. Combine this with the ability to slow down time with each throw and it’s feasible that you might master the mechanics enough to pull off some truly awesome moves.

You’ll need to master every nuance if you want to see the game through, as the challenges increase in difficulty quite quickly. I found myself dying only a few rounds in, yet even though it was annoying there was that urge to try again from the very first round as it always felt like there were other ways to approach the battle.

Scattered about levels are shield recharge platforms, which need to be stood on for several seconds before one slot of shield is recharged. To stay still is a death sentence, so this adds to the gamble of deciding whether to attempt a recharge or bet it all and risk death with just one more hit.

The music is an integral part of the experience, gaining in dramatic tension as you near death and as the number of enemies increases. Each enemy type is unique and must be dealt with in their own way, from fast, rolling wheels to giant frogs to jelly-fish-spawning dudes, rounds become all about working out which threats must be dealt with first in order to allow you to focus on both survival and having any chance for the next round. The deeper you survive, the more diabolical the combination of enemies available. Leaving a few stragglers alive while you bump up your shields and restock special moves is always advised.

The game runs super smooth, only halting slightly whenever a new area gets loaded. I never experienced any slowdown during hectic gameplay. The controls, although needing some time to master, also feel great and it never feels like you are at a disadvantage for what is clearly designed for PC/mouse precision. This is greatly helped by a soft lock feature that does a good job of guessing your target and guiding your aim to it. A couple of times I had to nudge it towards my actual target, but it never became much of an issue. The only thing that might be an issue is that the difficulty does hit quickly, to the point where some arenas will take several attempts. There is usually always a way, but your tenacity will be key if you are to gain the most engagement. 

Boomerang X is a challenging, frantic and enjoyable round-based shooter that succeeds in offering an original traversal mechanic to master. A wide variety of enemies and approaches to survival means that the player will keep returning even after the difficulty wall says no.

Rating: 4/5